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68118	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/17/25, 7:57 PM	1703760167	1750208262		67		3585593595041153	3	5.910962964769E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216195140123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310336	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409647827_1456647255065167_5600756588342504723_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZMuVgzuM5OgAX_r6ybL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyH7XKBZ1ytVFSrOGyVHIDeEVI9qsblaIp8c2Oq-ee-A&oe=6591C998	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409659997_319855320932718_9027844136314652030_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rfrQ7VzU__sAX-Qw1rO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyWT4cutwNRblxV5Fi-uwYhy5H6KvdSE4z_hovAV3tzQ&oe=6591DC6C			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
70077	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/20/25, 3:54 PM	1703760179	1750452853		67		720176943308938	1	1.8645656786229E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201111923560243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700553826	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404228747_1748367338964737_1912440831322459218_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q-BP5WkILusAX_U6sKd&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA1gpYzh1TSdsPcctOPSOrpMonfHjvVsk23y8vfJjvoRw&oe=65930022	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404236297_903526291333088_2073537319758958264_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G98SRKKzHHAAX8brTdp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB1QazTUBjQinhN_aWkI7AouwjWhY7OQHxv9XsbjvR8OA&oe=65923BF7			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67681	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/6/25, 2:56 AM	1703760164	1749196614		67		1816417848879014	1	1.0139324830137E+15		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	156012997601512		0	Joanna Feldman			120203251316050126		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/feldman_joanna		1702568927	1.5601299760151E+14	Joanna Feldman	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411141704_1018783252538064_7994023867012156213_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hekjPJMS7z8AX8EiGY8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAn3a9S3S8bZveNXFV4Zg4vc1P7TfFUW_V2TxxK3boISA&oe=65932109	person_profile	0	Joanna Feldman || TOP LIDER • NETWORK • Aloesowe Petardy 📲	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411092904_343073721863179_7028675533729316087_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ISqJhtdi8YsAX-QGAII&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBs2R1z_0O8asTjN3Th41GEO6Dg0gQgkFUsVM2y38lYJg&oe=6592B054			0	3			Joanna Feldman		0	https://facebook.com/61553286580270	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
66773	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/12/25, 12:26 AM	1703760159	1749706007		67		739193220988455	1	3.7825104808306E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	167418819795489		0	Culinary Experience			6561555057071		goatedpath.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaine's Announce 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Give-away!		https://goatedpath.com/blog/properly-storing-cookware-a-guide-to-organizing-your-kitchen		1703437538	1.6741881979549E+14	Culinary Experience	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414447795_761733715794366_6462639474340901849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MB4H-fWkdqUAX_CwNLn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDhoPu67jJjBG93XsayoG8ffnNVlh7KQnbi_48LXDnPQ&oe=65922AF8	person_profile	0					0	3	(Backed by a Lifetime Warranty). Guaranteed, the last cookware set you will own.		Culinary Experience		3	https://facebook.com/61554191477538	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
68702	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/23/25, 10:50 AM	1703760171	1750693839		67		1610629492759425	1	8.4305308400144E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135948065135		0	Orr's Jewelers			23858516588230713		orrsjewelers.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Orr's Jewelers		https://www.orrsjewelers.com/catalog/bridal-engagement/?brand=sylvie&type=engagement-ring		1693328794	135948065135	Orr's Jewelers	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/372905327_849444580123298_7064273833407366033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p0FVB89p7GQAX_fwcg_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqA3BaGggcjE66cKHsMW6_JdiatdRGxYzq5-8nynnenw&oe=6592B34E	person_profile	0	Orrs Jewelers	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/370379872_833772091438344_3643126106102792963_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PuGHBFC-tRYAX_gEbBU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBbJ4Ufr-gx9UcdCm-8ZBQ51ORaL-Q_je0WjupWjY3uxg&oe=65933778			0	3	Timeless elegance, designed to be forever cherished. Discover our Sylvie bridal collection at Orr&#039;s Jewelers, and Shine On. ✨ #OrrsRocks #ShineOnSylvie		Orr's Jewelers		4681	https://facebook.com/OrrsRocks	0		SHOP_NOW						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68136	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/23/25, 1:17 AM	1703760167	1750659442		67		892562475805167	1	8.4013604456932E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109878645535734		0	Three Homes			120202238157680028		homeknowledge.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.homeknowledge.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702293313	1.0987864553573E+14	Three Homes	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409923062_1106882380671620_4158653657214130894_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OrmcQtZ3rD0AX-5AwtI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBXLjmy6GcSpz0sPVQAToOHdxfRJQ-Di1FojgF7apT3jg&oe=6592A9A5	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Three Homes		484	https://facebook.com/100095610426922	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
70121	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/23/25, 1:19 PM	1703760179	1750702764		67		380989951021205	1	1.2671623773017E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201626184940439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700551926	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403728375_1972787453092894_1530207773072903749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eQrVI-gmbY8AX8BFnnz&_nc_oc=AQnHMJCBOrr3v2bzV_do75FjlYX5uUD7UV26QmX_LWwcrxJENX8BCnHmTHiqIvu-p_w&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBzJDkjOmgxFFxpH3V7UA57Oi9hjIox7SLc3iwMXHm2dA&oe=65918814	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403754471_1087581629285203_5993180409536715479_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Skfdo7z4EsgAX_aJwR1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDm0CE0h9RpI7JnXa46suc7gbmNtM0XUF3bRgoSH-UdmA&oe=65933C03			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68187	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/23/25, 4:39 PM	1703760167	1750714773		67		268083169578404	4	8.2245211630123E+14		1702368000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100662392307897		0	joannapegier.art			120201944725550431		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapegier.art		1702200577	1.006623923079E+14	joannapegier.art	https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/343572976_3489330761282565_5896789005078121418_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Hb_BVhIQewwAX--fcLw&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBNoUyFeHi3GORWqpN23VVshpisQ1ogr7zBPIs1IccO8A&oe=6593108D	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Pęgier	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409920619_1046942516584539_2829616602809249937_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CI_a7LXJdd8AX_8qdv1&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD_8ib0MXcrbieAqh3VBYbp6qHQuhZvvJFV2JUpaoyobg&oe=659231FA			0	3	🇺🇸Greetings from Miami Beach 🇺🇸<br /> 😍 My latest artwork &quot;Scream&quot; from the series &quot;Into Myself&quot;, digital art technique, has qualified for one of the most important art events in the world! Art Week Miami Beach!<br /> <br /> 👉In my series of paintings &quot;Into Myself&quot;, I portray our bodies as sacred in moments of intimacy and honesty with ourselves.<br /> <br /> I am there only in spirit and represented by my work, represented by a gallery - next time together😉😀<br /> ❗️Attention, I have tickets available if any of you happen to be in Miami, let me know. 😍😀!<br /> <br /> #artcurator #modernart #contemporaryart #abstraction #contemporaryartist #polishart #polishartist #exhibition #artforsale #malarstwopolskie #artgallery #artcollector #artweekmiamibeach #galeriasztukiwspółczesnej #galleryofart		joannapegier.art		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joannapegier.art	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
67333	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/18/25, 5:16 AM	1703760162	1750241810		67		1797892850666396		3.634585093535E+15		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120204996583490655		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702868567	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412217313_388313823638341_7543772754312531508_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UwPJJFq27-gAX8UOwfi&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBuBDzwBruHDbYrIrixuNA5SfoSxrVz9Vde1NYtgmDsXQ&oe=65918504	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702800000		View Edit Delete
68278	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/6/25, 11:24 AM	1703760168	1749227073		67		1740324073098563	3	5.9298972636324E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672505550427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030358	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407754873_366493109299982_4098705275077563855_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_b0cDjijNKcAX834n7x&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBbXyYWd5nJdSRBpld-IpBq6x5o4d-PqojFTfkIoAnItw&oe=6592B08E	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407754739_1735869123588066_5170934642463012396_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ErCQ-pSXxVkAX_rs0yd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB4xDpi5fwbnG1eRSNZpzCGUUsFfyuw1G67F4DS331TQQ&oe=6592E8CC			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68100	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/6/25, 12:11 PM	1703760166	1749229869		67		1822362648220654	1	6.5848952649607E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201682345790743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702370818	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406863712_690419719531853_4482322281262706088_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uzKo3JTHknIAX8sZQ1-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgl_HI2ov-d1bAMO9faxi9Qhy1rIbaZ-tbV4kmlqrUaQ&oe=65930D97	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410621952_2237919689745529_2730962872848675217_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qnHKeCdkPoEAX_AE-oc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmpkpYl45Dk3ddgVYMfKMO_FGvegkeCbfwpo8y5FUGVA&oe=6592C292			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68205	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/25/25, 2:36 PM	1703760168	1750880171		67		1395698708017992	1	7.8269179361661E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259667160476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702181010	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409923516_377072781361274_5133095470818045905_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9_ktqyA7F98AX9GD7p6&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBQ5CESgMy65PofGStSvOxwBqgBikM7eZgTCbNtLnYT0g&oe=6591AB0E	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409963493_376144534977378_6169876220276548018_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-EWFiwxmsvoAX_MFYY_&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBn1Vk204TfknP3whsQMgyACIj0mrqiOFHn5w72WlEiUg&oe=659259DB			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68838	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/15/25, 10:42 PM	1703760172	1750045341		67		851486156761242	1	2.6969979235978E+14		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201240371920123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701259509	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406421544_1542359533252364_2091802618448943276_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yhB2GD9Op9gAX_2HcSg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC7AEsgeMC40tkMB5Z86o2iWFP15izp3H-H7pADeYrrkQ&oe=65927510	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406413117_276531591594813_2023684415954480430_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xahSpjHNdG0AX_A9g8n&_nc_oc=AQmSWTS6QizG1XrhljkqIgpg7k5PwZ--hlxkdCeel99-mGK3H6VppO2uTwL6pT-pkbE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAlLTMb_tKRoY-0FC2uUMYEuoHPuz_mILloIK0k9kxVGg&oe=65917E76			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67442	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/29/25, 11:05 PM	1703760163	1745985912		67		1483004549228413	1	1.1026464245114E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765986200465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702349	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411187762_891285895719905_1455482199151755989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TyhKWicdlzUAX9-avpk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBI8BcXWfBGszlS_mfmT8qr6mtTJD5u_1T95C83gnyMlA&oe=659334FA	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411188160_1050782586052597_2806092257933989414_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0O0ncGYYuX8AX9Ul8bN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPBllkRcgWJp9_Ubl8sh_s4rcaePPhq9Mm2dXp6QsHhA&oe=6592F7B1			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67329	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/13/25, 5:24 PM	1703760162	1747175077		67		295317403493886		3.6125688964328E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120204996585120655		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702868571	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411088651_2684919515005875_7209600178614538629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nhaaypx8ProAX-RNlSj&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA6Nf_Xk8EaM4DO36EljRkuNvPG4y33GCu8laTmR-dEzw&oe=6592BE94	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67309	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/27/25, 4:45 PM	1703760162	1751060753		67		873588451126336	1	7.4011998797644E+14		1703059200	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118760431268839		0	lookporcelaingirl			120203788107290681		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/lookporcelaingirl		1702901286	1.1876043126884E+14	lookporcelaingirl	https://scontent-sjc3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/358377870_1425775771603663_8927361842888995981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=kqmJK4WO36oAX9HMtNW&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCcFIb747f4s2Vh_QoV_3S47Fc7Al58FRg_en0zi4EO7A&oe=6591804A	ig_ads_identity	1	em.	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411538601_2093308261023934_1381608781640742311_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mEMMC-z4UekAX_R6SM-&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBAZt0BJyyHlvGZHzMeAKIUW4sILsNtA-s1D6M062hZnw&oe=659211D0			0	3	przy oknie kredą rysowanym<br /> na papierowym cienkim murze<br /> <br /> niezastąpione:<br /> &#064;jolawachelfotografie <br /> &#064;joanna8grzywacz <br /> &#064;monikaturekfashion <br /> <br /> ♡♡♡<br /> <br /> #photosession #artsession #sesjafashion #fashion #model #modelka #photography #sesjaproduktowa #sesjamodowa #fashionphotography #fashionstyle #streetstyle #retro #retrostyle #retrophotography #fashionmodel #polskamarka #martarutahats #oplotka #warsaw #warsawmodel #fotografiaartystyczna #art #poswiatowska		lookporcelaingirl		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/lookporcelaingirl	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69789	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/6/25, 9:09 PM	1703760177	1749262144		67		1374122303478982	5	3.3582069914797E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779071030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678105	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404281049_663826785738975_691301604766854849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TR3naDLlUd8AX9GdEPp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCpF8DI08zzvYRmEJuzBaHRJXIvgB3eTy_hULKdzlXESQ&oe=6592E151	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66529	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/14/25, 7:53 AM	1703760158	1747227190		67		2067391603615134	1	7.3581852808846E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361679610579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657262	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415253348_756021759705017_2788347316674061639_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fc5YpcrcrscAX984KHX&_nc_oc=AQlN98ul6uIjsOzNlz5vZN9FXZbiyT-g0U93lJAd1MFm3gFTxOzNqClns8IFXfOpYuw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGEl953aOUUR-ckcf_D0Cw8Z35wNn4lqV1jjDnrfkC0w&oe=65916093	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415209591_1576868303081781_5533652258485613537_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mb3C9Co34SkAX9W8h2v&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBHKE5d2DWc4CahEexn-ifyXW-bIMMCDO-U3lTBXkgXGg&oe=659258BC			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
69475	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/23/25, 9:40 PM	1703760176	1748054416		67		715761873516528	1	1.4307900908045E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113576797162972		0	The Good Life			120202103659040704		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700772132	1.1357679716297E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404327266_347791367834623_5373573530947231194_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J2qTXmm9EmoAX_AHFMR&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfATNygS8nhEQuerfp0uPlAY40bbesnVBZlwiSXivQ3NsA&oe=65921CE1	person_profile	0	The Good Life	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403983455_336937049036503_8832949860944116559_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A6-rmAg713UAX9XigA4&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfB0D6_qrisnOCjMoHwQD1i24ltO8XUvE8Du0JPVsjxW8w&oe=6592B1F8			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		The Good Life		102	https://facebook.com/100064184615808	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
66512	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/28/25, 3:39 PM	1703760158	1751143200		67		1416390795895923				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106172978929252		0	Simply Health			120203979631540702		springsap.shop	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://springsap.shop/products/holiday-gift-set-cozy-breakfast?ad_id=BM100_Ben1		1703666086	1.0617297892925E+14	Simply Health	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415157211_890852179111679_9041749001191947443_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lCKb2ELPDXUAX_YLLbK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCK0KDaYcdbKf2bWEA9VmNbtee19MDy2ZU66YD5vkt2DA&oe=659183AF	person_profile	0	Simply Health	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415150869_935888797955465_4500009888369372026_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jNvAB1iX_hEAX8OiQjv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfARmpdFJC1y_qznMg-rCTlGSMbqald2HzJE3hTD-v1pLA&oe=6592EC53			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Simply Health		2414	https://facebook.com/100086257367870	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67522	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/15/25, 11:44 PM	1703760163	1750049060		67		813024713963636	1	7.1468274395631E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011735450506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636889	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409865991_1770508210077374_4264019608183675793_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i3L4rJhyivYAX8xUnBs&_nc_oc=AQltYmZFd5UXpP6DUvJ8sbIkjp5jaKG6gTqt8FGu6RK5IL-qUorXQEN0YSeCOY8GUxo&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBKA8puHgJhibReLVx_cUd8qgB5C-IHmfQXLlWYXIP7nQ&oe=6591B7F2	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409814718_345288548117633_2575290461318689281_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bQqjM_gwoLQAX940f-C&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC935jFLniTeP8l-MKgW2djg4zh09OneQRLxHaP0gwhDQ&oe=65922C5B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69880	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/7/25, 6:07 AM	1703760178	1749294475		67		300286939630811	20	6.6684229876572E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158871850403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633009	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402657039_1024001032155897_2537595376709382420_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1X6DG-SGzwUAX9WeyaS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCW4d76-fvvxM-J0Y5f5vmG5rJMtsihcdOsxZaspdWW3g&oe=6591D553	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402649009_1005925837372224_8479449620482711587_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lCprjabiKIUAX9WUbzZ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAAU2wJred-Xlm-PTTI39UexhuBv325SBP-zI60fZPRQQ&oe=65914753			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69350	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/3/25, 2:30 AM	1703760175	1748935838		67		682860147152248	1	8.6584882158085E+14		1701158400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	104579102544087		0	elizabethalker			120200605345590094		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/elizabethalker		1700844163	1.0457910254409E+14	elizabethalker	https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/385538420_698213932177510_6095934511216458231_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=MFYbzvMgBwIAX-srnGx&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfC9khI1KjF10w4R3X4EVSrZoLmREs-qaFNew4g5Ylh3Lg&oe=6592E544	ig_ads_identity	1	Elizabeth Alker	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403622266_3623752327900087_49534661847228716_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U9dCgQSYC4YAX_OhrIk&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA-XpBGRcSgSp8XnkwBTUJATLd_qYnSheOiY9652vV5Mg&oe=6591AC41			0	3	On this week’s &#064;bbcradio3 Unclassified the mighty &#064;Gazelletwin is in our Listening Chair 🪑 🎧 with a top music recommendation and we hear music from her new album BLACK DOG. Elsewhere &#064;dbasio with prayers in the mountain village of Letto-mano-ppello, spacious sounds from Japan, &#064;marysia_osu fuses classical harp with UK bass, new &#064;_hilary_woods, &#064;DOSullivan with perfectly formed chamber pop, something wild by🤴Charlemagne Palestine and Joanna Brouk &#064;thenumerogrouo with sounds for the sea. Skipping into winter like…. 🐕 <br /> <br /> Link to listen in bio 💥		elizabethalker		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/elizabethalker	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66451	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/16/25, 10:30 AM	1703760157	1747409438		67		408019608576950	1	2.9134275673034E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1075415209156203		0	Lakulish Yoga Tallahassee			6528321143985			Call Now		NONE	text					1703267328	1.0754152091562E+15	Lakulish Yoga Tallahassee	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412452567_1405529163710511_8966251054693691981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7iwCsScF5mwAX_a3MVb&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDfAVuHubXrmQ-M48b5-OoBEGv7CQ8j3bunKxIUILRwkA&oe=6592F3A2	person_profile	0					0	3	Bhagavad Gita Study group♥️♥️♥️<br /> There are universal Divine Laws under which/who’s authority we are all bound to as embodied Beings on planet earth. To walk deeper along any spiritual path we must embrace these LAWS. We must vigilantly and wholeheartedly align ourselves with these principles of Divine Law. Only then can we grow beyond the confining elements of mind and the separate small self….. the ego. Otherwise we shall be forever lost in samsara…….the endless cycle of birth and death….lives of perpetual serial attachments.<br /> We are in the midst of the chapter which reveals elements of DHARMA and ADHARMA to guide us out of this maze. <br /> We meet once a month….. on a Planned Sunday 10-12:30…… in person or optional …… on Zoom as well. Cost only $35 per month…….<br /> Contact JoAnna at: joannadevi&#064;gmail.com for questions or to sign up♥️🙏we have been studying this scripture and Patanjali&#039;s Yoga Sutras with our very special Teacher for 20 years! See our website: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lakulishyogatallahassee.com%2F&amp;h=AT0Lo19de3uazM5S4XsTVvBdZI2DcFXjv3htrAV-toc85pxxGdQ911ushguCPzegmiauelOw15n2WPmKlLvGQncxtylOaG-SpOzkDR3ksx8J0MBGkdI5nS_Fq7Rw66PM18k6oMNdfAPOej-ZCi6r4wsre0MJ-xYny9F3nQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.lakulishyogatallahassee.com</a>		Lakulish Yoga Tallahassee		445	https://facebook.com/100063769643905	0		CALL_NOW						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68498	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/15/25, 10:07 AM	1703760170	1747321662		67		1082936856195085	1	1.0426053701219E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201881932660476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856019	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407699088_859558099200235_3264551954350008113_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yNaAa4714VEAX9KmiqN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBhnvgy_ypdOGoaBSH6k1c0NlPc_AZv8C4lW60zk-QoYg&oe=65930A19	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407950029_673747081410249_4314441387656105027_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S-1-pNqEKAMAX9ZlJiq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeqQ1JGMBBDTUKerulHCpKOhv8ud54tgIoAyBPM8CGNQ&oe=65924D87			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66392	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/4/25, 8:51 PM	1703760157	1746409904		67		729194585450776	1	1.4033298537256E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	130264507048538		0	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store			120205092296190651		joannadahdah.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannadahdah.com/product-category/holiday-picks/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}		1703247388	1.3026450704854E+14	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412393462_857045579755637_7289541833427705873_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0YJHveZUjKYAX8frj5C&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBQDk18ApdM_-9S3rmOX0HJJj3o4VRn351ELGkej2VGfw&oe=6591D95E	person_profile	0	JOANNA DAHDAH - Fine Jewellery	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413974462_1501293870649081_8140779035976656205_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nL6c0xTSeK8AX9JF5os&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCnvRrzXah5veMFhsFHKEX1imhL6KzkemnzgOxqKKPe9Q&oe=65931C0F			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store		2428	https://facebook.com/joannadahdah	0		SHOP_NOW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66516	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/7/25, 10:25 AM	1703760158	1749309943		67		382593457621296	2	3.38090855684E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361676020579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657251	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414713703_1993434154363125_1758068624110629152_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZpNKIPV0cvYAX9OxC2C&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8kcOK9IcqbzxNG08HfZpvMoRXU8fD6p5AkhzajCRSHg&oe=65915229	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414713474_890614179228337_1929942407319002660_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0nrHgqU8h30AX-iQhel&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXg0gLNEk12y2bwEi2ZVkdkkzk-ki2mFkaZS_MjjGZaQ&oe=65929E1F			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
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67001	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/5/25, 11:34 AM	1703760160	1751733246		67		345470301446271	6	2.8979047698888E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108842565067239		0	Threeefold			23858305532070227		threeefold.com	Order now		NONE	carousel	Threeefold		https://threeefold.com/		1691866414	1.0884256506724E+14	Threeefold	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/366943526_784552683454314_8703660155800434500_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O4QdCKFySlEAX8yiUeY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB1EXj-zt_mv5sd1pFezE8oIIIMxpWArp11i_IPHR7rcQ&oe=6591E069	person_profile	0	THREEEFOLD	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/366950325_296349002975448_7309664878521020690_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=l08plJzOS48AX99zqX4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBu33FpoJwBWx36vbPyM718xL2AgPzsJVBycRaRpYjZgA&oe=6591F8E7			0	3	We’re slashing off prices on your favorite items! Get up to 60% off + Extra 10% on your first order.		Threeefold		116	https://facebook.com/threeefoldofficial	0		ORDER_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69233	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/15/25, 9:12 PM	1703760174	1747361526		67		1094971221914105	2	9.9595591483504E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674069860115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969827	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406091584_6996389943717081_1455037510114770110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G_TJXvr7dIEAX85YeIR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDCPjxjBKd47MneshdUonX4G-BFo5uvGNO3LfVg9MpDQw&oe=659250A4	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405786459_740822004554363_1083440426676748653_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aaKMQrbKPJMAX88Wjtw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBl2-agyi4BE06Y0up6om-g3S-mCPwpSTZbdTntqLe3dA&oe=65929D7D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68412	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/15/25, 5:42 PM	1703760169	1747348969		67		319321524349396	1	7.0393879327874E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997247610476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940846	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407983306_1047457150013754_5430900340381601530_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xRF-4I5_0UMAX8ZC3Na&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDH8kPhcQev2-b_ovmKI8wFV8abMJ97a3F8rkcU7N57xQ&oe=65917F22	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408135891_1747873622356800_2798551012665676623_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2On8WLB49AUAX92FP5k&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB87NdGrRQMa-r24GJ7STTKoZqmqKwWIxAjWsA4x0mC3g&oe=6591DE14			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66513	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/29/25, 6:48 PM	1703760158	1751240881		67		204553892714663	1	4.0294472549502E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361671290579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657242	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412826101_1115410803152294_6697196577958198673_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m7wFbjVnPrYAX8FZTf2&_nc_oc=AQn2L5tQXKdLOrpBS_KGemZb_6oeQ7IVAnLmbb5X1jqg6SgdUusVfqozPiFrJU5gxxc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBaV7SPsxp4JT9js_ywZKbCsa629XfdkaditvBPgy9IXQ&oe=6592C044	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414302651_1554465148427274_8435198239064083686_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2JzbCuyhGV4AX_9K314&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA65aWz3dLcAuCOiT3eq93twOFUeTGXjuC8n-F_ZX2nfQ&oe=65922172			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68849	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/29/25, 9:34 PM	1703760172	1751250890		67		663333519012901	3	1.0324412146996E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734720226		play.google.com	Use app		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"	Great Story Starts Here	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256539	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405730182_1033875867866552_6320551773114495305_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=skoIrklxeyQAX9Phoyt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCKQqk1FfwiMpf5YNcmuooimp4fX--glWiuCvf4O2_QDw&oe=6591B281	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405713431_3514812775449807_4181122888515729935_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QQjbbhhS5k0AX_qo6Ju&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDBtJ_C7wUVsnr9iTyGkpNYxA763MyhZOYPA1u6TGGgbw&oe=65920D14			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		USE_MOBILE_APP						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68464	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/15/25, 9:55 PM	1703760170	1747364102		67		292827547084103	1	2.5631416411864E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107296778955135		0	Joanna's Piano			120204011031960264		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joannas.piano		1701878278	1.0729677895514E+14	Joanna's Piano	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407656534_1317723438939676_7658752546096350361_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uGTCgSWij4UAX-xZFcT&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCI8s0K5ogsQ4z88PClnbO716xWOsUTKAXZClQUnzCjyQ&oe=6591DFF7	person_profile	0	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊'𝚜 𝙿𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚘	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408504616_1076750650434246_5814923977842984825_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ez3JQdHmBI4AX_GyeLB&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCMVpoBUYcA89SSHG7_9PDOvD6bpFah6s7BgCRqF1j8cg&oe=659178BD			0	3			Joanna's Piano		213	https://facebook.com/joannas.piano	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69433	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/16/25, 4:08 AM	1703760175	1747386502		67		222316060894900	3	1.1463320796809E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632034020115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796612	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405780459_986553562409184_8012742240074465983_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nFJX6U1mJ08AX9dG8tq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDD_10OexMtqB0zBziTDU6jhC_QBu-JaWvPnRrziZ1l2A&oe=6591D2FF	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403992648_359841486421033_496997130243287538_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3VkORkuI14QAX9S4D0F&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB4Kmu89Wz8dZC6VvH37UQzRiHZtnezulp8vVLSNDwwKA&oe=6592F5E6			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69993	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/16/25, 11:53 AM	1703760179	1750092784		67		3351189358436838	4	3.0682463877523E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579094400115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632897	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402659229_873632914416507_6585084996992588542_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qHPLM2Cn1LMAX-BHDq0&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAs2Sn_OwYz4txKituxnxLtoPh0yz_lntHYeLJvyM-tOA&oe=6592C4C4	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405060876_356932300168746_6744822377962684267_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kqFJXSWthHwAX_ZWgv-&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCk6fjjgYGq_lIZRaIAr3hNFYWpwM21t2YCif_6TuOFLA&oe=65918FCA			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67777	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/8/25, 10:51 PM	1703760165	1746762713		67		1268036933875898	4	8.7957657712288E+14		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410694814_377660358013131_8408050745550713834_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KAk--qUDLf0AX8c3cSO&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRylsGr-yf6X9xXnCQB4DLEkznH5YZszaP6Ax2f7h0KQ&oe=6592C2FD	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
66645	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/16/25, 9:24 AM	1703760158	1747405441		67		390530536768915		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204766592910062		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703571454	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414694428_1157918918507539_7063864139759919613_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZnfY7JmjwfYAX96bg1q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAshQxHSVsRwT2_7dguZCWpyUfuzHQKKejMxYxN_s0dUQ&oe=6592ECCD	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414692220_1084246382841323_1624898836958271752_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wUUYI8x52VMAX_g3PQu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNhmsQcDpU5rX1QTYUKd31iCBSezUsnGYMuQyeeE-d3A&oe=65917F28			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69578	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/16/25, 12:19 PM	1703760176	1747415942		67		707162691066223				1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111590884348619		0	Scoolinary			120203952839340679		scoolinary.com/christmas-desserts	Watch more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.scoolinary.com/courses/christmas-desserts		1700683274	1.1159088434862E+14	Scoolinary	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403622068_3348284742129754_9031932265926307075_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P8O6wuvJwCEAX8SMcbE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD4jC0YRfC5FcRnwJZQQ4g3CTM-CSa8J-QX0AFz57S9vA&oe=6591E79B	person_profile	0	scoolinary_en	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403685676_363653936195932_4066188151568520893_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=L6MpRowE4ccAX_noUTo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCqJntGGtHyuKr0DK3zg6qPFMjZu_ovzU7ynIioyUZt0A&oe=6591E398			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Scoolinary		180771	https://facebook.com/ScoolinaryEN	0		WATCH_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68426	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/1/25, 8:27 AM	1703760169	1748784430		67		1527633691383966	4	3.6476807956901E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202302911810520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines' 'So Called' Marriage	A Look at Chip and Joanna Gaines's Love Story	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701933138	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407728974_1441116696749968_5058634954124217470_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j4vvjjXBMwUAX_seCI-&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDoVF9ukC6s1yCI2nw6bUw-eCzHyQU7_LNzaeOF1ktZXA&oe=6591A0AE	person_profile	0					0	3	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines&#039; &#039;So Called&#039; Marriage		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
67030	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/21/25, 7:15 PM	1703760160	1747872952		67		734649445229178		2.8484499086294E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120204381894780297		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703139628	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411409042_1366778170882017_1976460396411851568_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yUGxQVVE1KQAX_-bzse&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJAP31N9S9kIce6PnISBF5TD3qDMaKRbcK87qiBN3-yg&oe=65922639	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66506	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/2/25, 2:01 PM	1703760158	1746212520		67		704949031610471	1	1.0666667143787E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868931560268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_1D2E496A979C1EC37983DFB3BCBCFB27_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699150	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414531254_1033190484579000_7929664267796942432_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KbXbv6SkptoAX_ZsD8w&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFf64xsrCDx05XRKqVmu4QJ4pj0vCkAny9uhqIkJ0s_Q&oe=6591B8E9	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a junior at Colorado University, is a bookstore clerk with a strong disinterest in sports, especially football. She’s determined not to fall for the charm of campus athletes, haunted by a past relationship that left her cautious and independent. But her world tilts on its axis when she meets Knox Maguire, a senior football player grappling with a knee injury and dyslexia, who seeks her help in the bookstore.<br /> <br /> Knox, struggling with the pressures of his final year and the weight of his player reputation, is intent on changing his ways. He’s vowed to abstain from romantic encounters, focusing instead on overcoming his academic struggles. Despite his intentions, he’s captivated by Joanna&#039;s natural allure and her stark contrast to the women he&#039;s accustomed to.<br /> <br /> Their paths cross, leading to tutoring sessions where unspoken attraction and professional boundaries blur. As Joanna and Knox navigate this unexpected connection, they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. Their relationship blossoms, but not without challenges, as they juggle their personal insecurities, Knox&#039;s sports career, and societal expectations.<br /> <br /> Can Joanna and Knox overcome the barriers between them and acknowledge the depth of their feelings? Or will their differences and external pressures force them to keep their love unspoken?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
70016	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/4/25, 4:49 PM	1703760179	1746395363		67		2052484778445601		1.3650113674381E+15		1700640000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120201856735150245		beautifultrendstoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://beautifultrendstoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628576	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403608021_1057522545699622_975320370266398222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-l07B7AD8kwAX_OdG3i&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBB2CGZgEVJcpDKwd7VpkQHrKtrHozv6MNM_jWMngt0jQ&oe=6592CB28	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68374	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/24/25, 11:54 AM	1703760169	1748105685		67		747972714017019	1	1.5757001165783E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997426720476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701941022	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406744174_254791870947152_7997994032881800966_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gyxjUnE0TeIAX-v_Hp6&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDSQwtLfh3sBtA7Ckbmz7auJx7mG-rVBsCUqvgW3c-O-w&oe=65917517	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406724532_327179356880452_1904190103744294370_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qLpCEEG1_B8AX_ZKqC0&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDjSS5vMVQEFn8FvPJ3CKewfP6So43CSJ4pe9b-l4qyqA&oe=65918939			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66475	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/1/25, 4:21 PM	1703760158	1751404909		67		1000175061082463	1	1.0968661382923E+15		1703664000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	198299583359245		0	moksha.yogastudios			6496126167515		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/moksha.yogastudios		1703700794	1.9829958335924E+14	moksha.yogastudios	https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/411983947_329243133212469_249083355108906069_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=G_2v6Ypg0dEAX8xjd42&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDGsqRQg01HJgyjnsSlTGz3ORCGQiYdZeSM7Gz4btYziA&oe=65927534	ig_ads_identity	1	Moksha Yoga Studio	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415224630_6875365185909564_9024689537686162711_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sm0PTlOLuSAAX_qT0ww&_nc_oc=AQkWCX7h2awjEdMAe2xRTDOnErJdDd76mGo4N33UD1De0Um6CbAw_iRpMHJrghV3Ot6i2Zs8glXzTvk6OWFkboo9&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfB_zqgaX529I7yk6OQmm_S2sXFIS41ZgxapAhFUkMVCNQ&oe=65919C3A			0	3	If you’ve been curious about what a yoga community is, how we create a lifestyle, and how we are grounded in mindfulness… JOIN US!!! Embark on this new journey within 💫 We’re getting our Sacred Space Ready for YOU! 🤍<br /> <br /> With ALL our Heart,<br /> Joanna &amp; Andreina<br /> <br /> &#064;lalunawisdom &#064;ag.soultribe <br /> <br /> #mokshayogis #yogastudio #yogacommunity #yogateachers #yogastudents #yogalife #yogicpath #yogalifestyle #yogaislife #yogimind #yogis #yogaasana #asanastudio #asanalife #yogaphilosophy #yogameditation #yogaismedicine #happylife #happycommunity #intuitiondevelopment #inspiredliving #inspiredaily #inspiredcommunity #browardyoga #browardcommunity #browardyogis		moksha.yogastudios		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/moksha.yogastudios	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67739	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054154		67		239126399198061				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1625774737527434		0	USWalldecor.com			120202334047760671		uswalldecor.com/magnolia	Shop now	273	NONE	dpa	{{product.name}}		https://uswalldecor.com/collections/magnolia-home-wallcoverings-by-joanna-gaines		1702501643	1.6257747375274E+15	USWalldecor.com	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409891223_734710688099639_8872831097472283121_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jj6epnMXVWkAX9n3t1T&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDGaczGDPe5Sp5cwD9AV0kBpvS9anhmc7oXSljkW0uk9g&oe=6591CE94	person_profile	0	US Wall Decor	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409792084_1586570598547583_2965003070951968724_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cEYU7bI_tFcAX_MM5GX&_nc_oc=AQkColPY6MFQ8ImuMlmAQ8vi3EqYw8T0g3ynZd7EhLaPPIu1BUw41HQLeBQCnNKWbXlXkk9PZzqrAc_nNuZXRryp&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD0-AyvwERRbIunYiLu7Y-yWdhngvTh7cwLNbeRTLZ83g&oe=659307D1			0	3	Choose from 250+ unique Magnolia Home wallpapers designed by Joanna Gaines and thousands more designer wallpapers at US Wall Decor		USWalldecor.com		4208	https://facebook.com/uswalldecor	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66856	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/27/25, 3:21 AM	1703760160	1748334102		67		1496699754454277		8.9362920225368E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967030370018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299798	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413929735_1772326089950924_8616974569307950947_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iay1y4GRtacAX_1yiA3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJvY8MMCu4GStB96TOeozzzFUjsinsphWXou1U3ElyRA&oe=65918DB0	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413977233_1569698953845781_5474916773191763126_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LFnejfBUy7kAX9CCMrZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCto_R77-rG2_idW9PJy_CbVIlLYj5vrL7rJLBgA192pQ&oe=65926123			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66557	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 1:42 PM	1703760158	1745865746		67		1105902127082620	2	1.0379539373215E+15		1703664000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	159765827229098		0	onceuponoclock			6529469973863		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/onceuponoclock		1703598916	1.597658272291E+14	onceuponoclock	https://scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/412089712_1131602147997068_7850396114934428318_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=qBEEXsmjjsQAX9DTQCa&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfABfBIRRCKSFVQzHaRBtVwdwhMIUN0NLS2fnEyTQYg0_w&oe=65933532	ig_ads_identity	1	Once Upon O'Clock	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414102751_655551596519618_537517576995265581_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KDvz6kCgo44AX_0qbQP&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC69IFe7CgM6f-4NHoFfCtr7xRJGB2kn9k6lQup32iM-g&oe=65929F96			0	3	Merry GIVEAWAY. WIN A PRICELESS COMMISSION<br /> ❤️🧡💛<br /> It&#039;s this magical time of the year...<br /> <br /> Once Upon O&#039;Clock is a story about a special bond between little Susie and her grandpa (as in the illustration above). <br /> <br /> You can win a digital drawing of you (or anyone you choose) and your loved one (whoever it might be for you) in the style of our film illustrations.<br /> <br /> The artist behind -Jo Korus &#064;joanna_korus never does commissions so this is a UNIQUE opportunity. Might not happen again :)<br /> <br /> PLEASE NOTE - there will be one winner for both INSTAGRAM &amp; FACEBOOK<br /> <br /> To enter:<br /> 🎄 Like this post<br /> 🎄 Follow &#064;onceuponoclock - Instagram or facebook account (if in doubt all links in our bio above)<br /> 🎄Tag a friend in a comment in this post<br /> <br /> 🎄SHARE ON YOUR STORIES FOR AN ADDITIONAL ENTRY.<br /> <br /> 🎅<br /> <br /> Each comment counts as one entry.<br /> Giveaway ends Saturday 30.12.2023 23:59 and the winner will be announced on our stories on Sunday 31.12.2023<br /> <br /> Good luck! ❤️🧡💛<br /> <br /> #christmasgiveaway #giveaway #competition #illustration #illustrationart #2dart #digitalart #whiterabbit #winterillustration #inspiration #motivation #findinspiration #ilustracjapolska #ilustracja #art #sztuka #artstagram #art #artwork #artoftheday #grafika #rysunek #cozychristmaschallenge23 #snowglobeartchallenge23 #cutecharacter		onceuponoclock		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/onceuponoclock	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67067	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054154		67		2339435086246592	1	3.5578138043181E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109705778305621		0	Kilby Block Party			6503994715689		kilbyblockparty.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Kilby Block Party 2024	May 10-12 | SLC, UT	http://kilbyblockparty.com/		1703108694	1.0970577830562E+14	Kilby Block Party	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411501815_688103940195590_8728749777770171519_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7M3xBYcx1-wAX-66GlX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD5ZEzdcLQLfOeNc_sKrZMVxWqPFcCVQkvByNRgt5GToA&oe=6591A3F0	person_profile	0	Kilby Block Party	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411520647_3420465844910720_3666601933282911515_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=chnIsrDFcEsAX9Hl5HI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8gty-SsCPvls1bbvnp4-a1KKU6maWEc6K1HdNV18FHA&oe=6592D145			0	3	Have you seen our lineup for Kilby Block Party 2024? Who are you most excited to see?🔥 <br /> <br /> Tickets on sale now: <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FKilbyBlockParty.com%2F&amp;h=AT00XcRaHgpM3eZLL9UdcDM_Ior6hXiTOtrEa2qMZaBVmCsrtaeLAwzUfGCJhSe5ikUQqc9rihCGNCLfxxaj4i_UhdUkd14PcaNp6BgneaIvY2SRiA1oFD6kpJFwBEsiDJQwkJeIKbIQUe5hnewa2A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">KilbyBlockParty.com</a>		Kilby Block Party		1483	https://facebook.com/KilbyBlockPartySLC	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
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68105	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054154		67		678417037755144	1	1.0776544632472E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201678607740743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702368376	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408171320_391529956542584_2915305699743839918_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yvoj0Bp_2yAAX8faaAH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZreGXA26uOclw-9Angqnml0dwy7FQHj8njk1HlUEdZw&oe=659200D2	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408172208_361342393249117_7494532618516345806_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QHcAQPYW6N8AX9xgpqd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_a2am-f56J4BWY3Qx4PmECN_0Ash6HhaaTmDpPymOrw&oe=6592539A			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68941	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054154		67		905536877834150	1	1.7498376554934E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200424408280122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/whua31xndyremjbxijcrpp5v?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701162650	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405929565_885100542969167_7527761003810792355_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JUESGcihUNMAX_Jmnvt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBqUhAKBCO6nrOpHc2pOCTphKdoQO2daWJdO6h4ymME_Q&oe=659228CB	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405967565_1275212993160557_1585176169825379510_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EiZB0bFsalgAX9CqHHI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMAyGgXPDNRXVH_S2H-9Oow1QnvCBou1giwiOCV80Bqg&oe=6592BCC7			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67026	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054154		67		318143511193009		2.8484499086294E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202911439110160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703140341	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410314454_381891744352333_6218888944713741700_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8AWWeSDAK4cAX9McGzC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBP3zVTd7sYTklSy7ujEKGLRA_v6htM66JOxpe-w2p2Qg&oe=6591DCA5	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67567	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054154		67		322475223922576	1	2.2769629036339E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204045560190514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611120	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411234296_292649923231937_7702149286702626019_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZwtJ_3pr9xAAX_mIz_j&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsisefHlKJzw60s4Ddn7ymZUi4RByUdY6ZbCJ_svTNqw&oe=6591FC77	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411299998_629359305874725_8970988579574679708_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4KkrshYeoUwAX9mU3N_&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAtu2ouI5AVlbdC4U8M4JM0yrlBLFbkq8TJ5rDOiVbhAA&oe=659186FE			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67390	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054154		67		683181837129766	1	3.459362514781E+14		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508713670427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806524	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410942038_360646669889719_5234982638970409563_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QHuvHAE3gOYAX8U2-kn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIPyAYM_C2Hd6zXzlTIQYzIPuQiRcTNpCnmEmYS7Olbw&oe=659271E5	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410200352_1500762767448729_668597865105286808_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xAm3hElaOqsAX8cjmev&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgfh0XDFEsRYrk0cA4xDXcASddT3uyasucStAsHDPVBQ&oe=6592F525			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67290	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054154		67		668156488806327	5	7.047505505317E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	275758569814605		0	Cooking 4 All			120203385143570075		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://cooking4all.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-bt/		1702952510	2.7575856981460E+14	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412321028_620672853446388_6734689367951789045_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rnf5h1AtFccAX93FAvN&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAGxqKDRzMa5_Ud6_FapzvcIwueSuairLRFiugu686jzA&oe=65927F8E	person_profile	0	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412282060_697366295504367_2695054175640574716_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O36Y_4MfoKcAX8_6hK4&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDREKjlAcktEEB7KhbC1peWGu_R9YMLIW2fcYaGJx7PVg&oe=65917DD0			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Cooking 4 All		2127	https://facebook.com/Cooking4AllFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68950	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054154		67		883140746409350	1	7.2523549577269E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300675310596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151777	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404610262_628165609531977_7060661774473576697_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZyMiqlrf944AX-38nVY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfClg-4FjR2gKhDNwAE53YSEATIO3RV86e-BAqHifp7-aQ&oe=65914DD2	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404607285_652635843726117_5818305055933373336_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZJEdZfn9iWMAX-P5Fq6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBC34J6QHeYrMADPOYF9h6o4YXxv4KFN6GwNzoiyXeSmQ&oe=65929F20			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69583	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054154		67		141955722343389	5	2.8800859695267E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1702152333364539		0	Two Red Dots			120201778908950250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677875	1.7021523333645E+15	Two Red Dots	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403732874_200696603079248_6327002370576212959_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ou5DMPpbe8YAX8lKDLZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfDy9HktF4vLe1tqYsUdrSIODgSfDoGmymZqHSqvPPfrCQ&oe=6592BBB4	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Two Red Dots		28479	https://facebook.com/tworeddots	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67941	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054155		67		322960307270943	2	8.6241212202675E+14		1702627200	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103862972598152		0	zendalacraft			120203110251240005		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/zendalacraft		1702455310	1.0386297259815E+14	zendalacraft	https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/327749956_742099477207961_1623403982017122936_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Euu8qPRQOY8AX_xELiU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDsbh8iqnScWW4HzM5XXtnOGaxpJSYiF_c8JhXBzuh6QQ&oe=6592ACBD	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Medina	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409765112_929252295202109_8507039563207717012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aHbeKzx0FT0AX9Ii3HR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB4k2Vl8e-b5dbDFHKaEAZQjc2sh5dPzNha64D4cNk4SQ&oe=65928928			0	3	TEMA: WORKSHOP BRUSH LETTERING NIVEL BÁSICO. EN NAVIDAD 🪅🎄🧑🏻‍🎄🎅🏻<br /> <br /> Aprenderás desde cero el arte de crear letras!!! <br /> <br /> * MODALIDAD PRESENCIAL :<br /> <br /> 📆 Fecha: Sábado 16 de Diciembre 2023<br /> 📌 Edad: Cualquier edad, A partir de 8 años en adelante !!!<br /> ⏱️ Hora: 9:00 am a 1:00 pm <br /> 💵 Forma de Pago: Zelle, transferencia, pago móvil, PayPal <br /> <br /> 📍LUGAR: Zona Norte, cerca del Sambil, Taller de Arte Zendala Craft, Maracaibo, Venezuela.<br /> Modalidad: PRESENCIAL <br /> ———<br /> Incluye Kit de Materiales:<br /> - Guía Física para prácticas.<br /> - Set de marcadores punta pincel.<br /> - Portaminas, Borrador <br /> - Material para prácticas.<br /> - Refrigerio <br /> <br /> Dictado por: <br /> Dra. Joanna Medina <br /> Arquitecto.<br /> <br /> Contenido del Taller: <br /> 1. Clase Introductoria<br /> 2. Ejercicios de Trazos Básicos, con prácticas guiadas en tiempo real <br /> 3.Alfabeto Sans Serif en letras minúsculas.<br /> 3. Prácticas de abecedario en tiempo real, con variaciones de estilos de letras. <br /> 4.Anatomía de las letras, diseño y de frases o ideas, paso a paso.<br /> 5. Práctica final motivo Navidad		zendalacraft		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/zendalacraft	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66711	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054154		67		682611453959255		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203868614420381		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491215	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414463978_1772500389888834_6341796813999551469_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7NzMl7oPepUAX8q6Zji&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuIGVuJZtY3ZOiWBIKY8gcR_n08BPrTxLzL9J_6IQyFw&oe=65917521	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414480355_1046744119977565_4888127646286046507_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ShAB0--LhR8AX_AGfOp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRLnz4wXXob4eFjDXEGgqf94HevJoptSyZFiXQBCWFUA&oe=65916520			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68617	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054154		67		178920051908744		7.6711392198264E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202285756880275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667314	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406515566_325589643569428_5139173390030374635_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BK_G8v02l0IAX_UqDlp&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFHnMsR5GcFLgm8EUcjufd6Z_TKguGfiDm40dCZTP9jQ&oe=65921C26	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
66762	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054154		67		1606693996531115	1	1.0535742991211E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	586922838084317		0	Heart's Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center			6522941925656		heartsdesirehypnosis.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Heart's Desire Hypnosis	Hypnosis practice in North Tonawanda, NY: Joanna Zoe Christopher, NGH Certified Hypnotist	http://heartsdesirehypnosis.com/index.html		1703467074	5.8692283808432E+14	Heart's Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414047383_782038730602502_2135656983298795823_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GRzn0LbOcPoAX-kLAki&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCCUdz_XAEyjycq7HMiJouKi1Rv0HwQxEFZQYWCb-r_3A&oe=65922746	person_profile	0	Joanna Zoe Christopher	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414088415_1266421470695538_4022658637415676091_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VpWcZbYqxpgAX8SUwi3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBKqnSYSjYOyCOcQLayiVPIgGU0MTFk-fktWDH3yO_D2g&oe=65929F9A			0	3	For that person on your list who has everything, how about an introduction to the healing energy of Reiki? How about a brief refreshment for yourself after being immersed in holiday stress?<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeartsDesireHypnosis">Heart&#039;s Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center</a> is now offering 30 minute Reiki sessions (in person or remote) for $45. <br /> <br /> But wait! 😊<br /> <br /> There&#039;s more! <br /> <br /> Now until the end of the year enter promo code WINTER23 to get $10 off. The egift cards are delivered immediately or on a future date, per your instructions, via email and are valid for one year from date of purchase. <br /> <br /> Click <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsquareup.com%2Fgift%2FCW5P57GMNBX5E%2Forder&amp;h=AT1zb07GgFX_R_IqJDqw_VlgikG7Td_Rgt2k3qaejnIqd7BaJfygPnHy6IKttZ2rEo676I2thr2sZsV7u8x39njNS3_ebL-Whf8kYu2BIvtSBsff8mnrTKUXkxh_XqeSYrHmIx4lbqC1Rp9hSIMABCAk_Qg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://squareup.com/gift/CW5P57GMNBX5E/order</a> to order now!		Heart's Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center		1863	https://facebook.com/HeartsDesireHypnosis	0		LEARN_MORE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
69652	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054154		67		354740530386886	5	1.0051758140478E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779083570250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678135	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405259946_862600855406763_4157166056653863836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f1q50EotfcAX-987oS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBNWqdzFAFp1nVwnflKRa0HO17ve81ZvxJLv4OiDSshKA&oe=6592CF3A	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69728	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054154		67		867996314734535	5	2.7834020851566E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779365580250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678775	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404286689_2650950335067980_8718050196012372022_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qbl6yn4w6_QAX-ysf4-&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDbKydRs0xJCeFfYK-4x6rR5Ec0Cx08BZe_l_mVJIMiyQ&oe=6592293B	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68971	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054154		67		6751756144941956	1	3.2750759669924E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300677830596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151770	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406281700_320552844089660_7744549635227264222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3_-e1V8b3fgAX9-dyBs&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCaoXfNvCOlwHcR3eEVmLQWagtNpYoVnH8MJnWZlQHwIA&oe=6592960B	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406278754_276010794980451_507487442267207327_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gWFslQ_-CM4AX_MKgAx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDer9-2EGTwW9mgpIkWSzc1IJX5bEU-HQDFenz-m-9JaQ&oe=6592810A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69888	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054154		67		333613679375778	7	2.114637285704E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158880060403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633012	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402941627_692975116309781_3500947938720260712_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w3EPJT8uBxIAX-q3djZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBWtyQYsGEuTdbgissUER286-SUR8W60HW7JI7jjd2GgA&oe=65918228	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403045929_720630670123139_2320030653325893744_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iE0xKehq3U8AX9gmHYx&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBNduexyOZyw5VgL2WKpk-zxxmU7mrn9HBanwH0lYkFZg&oe=659281CA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67847	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054154		67		7192066284148957	1	1.8349562818238E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203511108750308		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702463577	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410170986_904273917957292_7006361229843907468_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MceXcjlQqhAAX-mBJco&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCuR8Iq3XjSvYjLMn_RT0_6euYpt_cEQzUx1VTuJJ9Klw&oe=6591D23A	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410181816_1082489436513117_9207525525908012884_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PDFacz1o8xgAX8xz-Vn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBo-gAsA73FRTFlo1lzjwnPXAm7vS6ScxVikRG7iJvJrQ&oe=6591AED3			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68964	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054154		67		1207678080188820	1	6.6964388834444E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300652000596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151707	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406685270_370383512187227_2763101240845560232_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jlnev5j1Lp0AX_nVwei&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC5Zgj6hF43NntYoX7AmsLn01Dw-UEOxgm331Cdk6IsOw&oe=65933C09	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406686279_326320330347411_5820589010225790498_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vFMwygJSd58AX8tejxN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBjdrXePkZNrgJwqFTEMozgOG03Awp0ph6DeDHj57kOwg&oe=65922991			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66670	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/3/25, 3:03 AM	1703760159	1748937831		67		842743457649155	1	8.8934753918415E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109576431758995		0	Joanna Alvarado Salas			6574728752320		www.fb.com	Visit Profile		NONE	video	TIERRA LIVE !		http://www.fb.com/545638102		1703551778	1.09576431759E+14	Joanna Alvarado Salas	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412696600_666179412344360_3331629223098815393_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YRNPAvNosB8AX_ilzjr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD4-rzNxVB6beJhAvSgYIQVD-r-R2Gpt_PR3juAKjnxXw&oe=6592FE1C	person_profile	0	Joanna Alvarado Salas	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412848648_228141523582515_7088551687235898130_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G_gzqxF8e_EAX882UjM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJUBEm0tpevbP6u0exMKsz9NQsgw5ENzC8hWOsOAMsEg&oe=6592A07B			0	3	The One and Only TIERRA <br /> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /> Rudy lead this band for 48 years , he put his complete Heart &amp; Soul into the Tierra Sound . He trademarked it to protect it … and that’s exactly what we’re fighting for !! To protect the sound , the image and the history of Tierra. <br /> Happy Holidays to you and yours from TIERRA The Real Deal #RUDYSALASTIERRA #joannasjourney #WeAreTierra #tierra #rudyjoanna #TIERRAFAMILIA #latinlegends		Joanna Alvarado Salas		1155	https://facebook.com/joanna.alvaradosalas	0		VISIT_PROFILE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66722	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054154		67		912892900416059	31	8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203868614420381		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491215	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414463978_1772500389888834_6341796813999551469_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7NzMl7oPepUAX_0629H&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBOHoj4xYgqH8Hz6laW05CVxI4PZHvxgE3B0UMTugD3WA&oe=65917521	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414480355_1046744119977565_4888127646286046507_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ShAB0--LhR8AX8IFA9E&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXe1AKuGGxOhxEACYSdDgZ_uqUsnfbdxWg2_a-d_aWDg&oe=65916520			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
69344	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054155		67		365351145973395	1	2.4303994525056E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200360105640122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/whua31xndyremjbxijcrpp5v?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700883439	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403633895_1017622852864070_6948593193159244737_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c7gCzXO5E4cAX-RzNnV&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAmScX3k60R4Px4drlk1q1kV661IVMvo0W6-D9Qml9ttw&oe=6591D789	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403627270_1257527415638463_470358539738203558_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m2rB6I5HiVYAX-dZ5ir&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBxz9SJx5CTHTzGUGghUZ_GQVCOtTfrxH_FeW7AnXQlmg&oe=6592B3A8			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69366	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054155		67		1061557941636460	1	1.0139914263397E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343759290404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843633	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404633546_997487641317138_1063513504499232593_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2EcWsbJRYPIAX_D_5b4&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfD_wfH7F4XxJUUiivrTisoeJAH7To2f4c1iJSz-cxVBVw&oe=659216CA	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404309492_3561088747463723_4409540689903583594_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ueGAGfC-OXUAX8Rfy7w&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAeMH9FhY3nPVTBpbQeG8A1uxlZvh0dbfSogGNIN1L8Qg&oe=65921364			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66967	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/17/25, 12:18 AM	1703760160	1747459112		67		1052299345889957		2.60177383491E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100407068726982		0	Simbaly - Trends			120202829724440756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213315	1.0040706872698E+14	Simbaly - Trends	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410047994_295584776790988_7346036601741761373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PbpeYfdTgJwAX8I1FYI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDZ5T45veFNyBxKepDXQzkhjaYIHE5fL0U3aUNCHKg2rw&oe=65919DAC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Simbaly - Trends		1969	https://facebook.com/100071393365191	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66730	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/2/25, 1:12 AM	1703760159	1751436765		67		1460098451219993		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203030888130143		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703490115	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411970589_1312785305927590_6639676099983168523_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GThnaeUsPJsAX_fYdEE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqpyo8HvJwjvGRTWNHDEWKHL63Fz5Z7BnPNbCLfDD7AQ&oe=6592A7A4	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412981208_373582051856626_1434835187044878461_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MjUWxN28w2YAX9GH0hD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGdSV5S0YaDuVmfNIrXwss74RjzjznpmehwhlarMI-1A&oe=6591EB97			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66430	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/17/25, 4:32 AM	1703760157	1747474379		67		682590420092543	1	1.575369759631E+15		1694502000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23854500378690562		https://projektbogini.com.pl/	Learn more		NONE	image	🔴 W 30 dni żmień odbicie w lustrze	ON Twoim Lustrem WYJDŹ Z OTCHŁANI NIEPEWNOŚCI, SMUTKU, TĘSKNOTY, NIESPEŁNIENIA W NIERÓWNEJ RELACJI I STAŃ SIĘ JEDYNĄ, NAJWAŻNIEJSZĄ Dzięki ZASTOSOWANIU ZASADY LUSTRA w relacji z nim ♦ Czy JEGO zachowania i cechy są dla Ciebie bolesne? ♦ Wywołują smutek, lęk, a nawet rozpacz?♦ S...	https://projektbogini.com.pl/		1683106482	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/344752308_796548268469130_6514664008440259150_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tM-TzL4RaNUAX-VcrIV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDEHVmcN6H2U3mtB_Mz2hHHaMrntF3ULfOU0rCI7aCviQ&oe=65923C0D	person_profile	0					0	3	🔴On Twoim lustrem, kiedy…<br /> <br /> On, kiedy Ty dajesz za dużo.<br /> W lustrze pokazuje, czego masz się nauczyć brać? Co sobie masz dać?<br /> #<br /> <br /> On, kiedy stawia Cię na ostatnim miejscu, nie podejmuje decyzji.<br /> <br /> W lustrze pokazuje Ci, gdzie Ty sama siebie stawiasz daleko? Gdzie masz postawić siebie jako priorytet?<br /> <br /> #<br /> On kiedy nie potrafi się określić co dalej.<br /> <br /> W lustrze pokazuje Ci, co Ty masz określić w sobie, jak siebie sama nieświadomie określasz.<br /> <br /> #<br /> On kiedy jest „chłopcem”, nieodpowiedzialny, niezdecydowany, sam nie wie czego chce. <br /> <br /> W lustrze pokazuje Ci, że Ty też jesteś dziewczynką w pewnych aspektach, a w innych zachowujesz się jak matka. <br /> <br /> 🔴<br /> Zmień odbicie w lustrze.<br /> Odbierz 1 lekcję ON TWOIM LUSTREM<br /> Tutaj<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.com.pl%2F&amp;h=AT26d-4wO8wF26WcnI3pwndDq56AP56AMfj7WllNMFkTbA5gsQCYsos3ucAoYVGjJ7dGVjseBUL9dXdcn_JQyn2WhTjhWfmyLtZR_AZcA2yuN56Ano8SjHGfnxXd5I-ot5dfUTmsea_eAFTrJWc4FQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.com.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694156400		View Edit Delete
67583	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054155		67		372833688575941				1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	293245379135737		0	Niftiest			120203151140940683		trendymatter.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.trendymatter.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702566730	2.9324537913574E+14	Niftiest	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410173696_872531507696598_2346026797705940628_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E5qkdvE5IqQAX_k0j5b&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDAvOCUGaGtbstuqB3eCXyBRJvyvT2xOmDnzPi0R6ic2g&oe=6592DD83	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Niftiest		5312	https://facebook.com/100075620240304	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67814	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054155		67		3220103314950243	1	1.6009024307281E+15		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408232811_1017423055983501_8551816748995793357_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mv8mycFqLccAX8e8I6s&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDqKtp-u0G45w7ZBO0Hin8bd8s3isCLtX8COG8otdkTw&oe=65915AA8	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
67074	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054157		67		911346317214305	1	1.8323784154392E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	156012997601512		0	Joanna Feldman			120203950855830126		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/feldman_joanna		1703110246	1.5601299760151E+14	Joanna Feldman	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412704053_1368360303786975_2499475216847597724_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EXGoBOjjMLYAX_DIkgC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBaFgrXmjv5uorNxmVUuKyG9YIX2gn5NRPmgMSSNxrjyA&oe=6591F3FA	person_profile	0	Joanna Feldman || TOP LIDER • NETWORK • Aloesowe Petardy 📲	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412688369_3689291824641690_8928885034521521388_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wYyjVBRHzC0AX9DBRax&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBeTNcMmTCJahigxerqmy-mKP4g8zcQIJT0ksHcWUzF9g&oe=6592728A			0	3	Czy tylko marzysz i wciąż brak Ci czasu na realizację swoich planów i celów? <br /> <br /> To właśnie dla Ciebie przygotowałam tą karuzelę. <br /> <br /> Przeczytaj ją i daj znać w komentarzu jak czujesz te słowa i co Ciebie blokuje w ruszeniu do przodu?<br /> —<br /> jak spełniać marzenia?, rozwój osobisty, zmiana nawyków, metamorfoza, trenerka mentalna <br /> <br /> #kobietyinspirująkobiety #dlakobiet #kobiecybiznes #zmiananalepsze #spelniajmarzenia		Joanna Feldman		0	https://facebook.com/61553286580270	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68985	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054157		67		326647760081179	4	1.4494994856136E+15		1701590400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	182068528313229		0	62.mgifts			120201156801180721		mgifts.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D6	Best gifts for your Family	https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6		1701146939	1.8206852831323E+14	62.mgifts	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406095379_1272116460142325_6912279525746463107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e9hxm1b44r4AX_zIKug&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAlGEgq2iA0ANELMI26YHZqO_L9cF1D41QnMWuZNkgaYQ&oe=65924CEE	person_profile	0					0	3	Get yours here : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fjoanna-things-d6&amp;h=AT3m9HBzM1HeiFuaExx646Yp0QWGDlcGsfWsmsnUO-avsvvoCMfApoAMU1bUwYS0zcLf8I3virukSd3qTKMNIQHTdrpcUccRL827M9C9cL-6zexH5HNiglJfxrChtSV12Ta8PA-tzQUn7YUjXX7gJ_NbNrs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6</a> . Visit store : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT2IQ6VNmH54XNyCWOepXEzV5_OJMXaZinBSp1BYziG2JBQRn4FTJDrobzcSP6ogLHMLptoUfOVDszsBe7Rhg28J1WI2Oj1j2v64AW_NauP6m9oxvPDffkxh4gtekVHTOyPbvmds_-eg-g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mgifts.store/collection/joanna</a>		62.mgifts		9	https://facebook.com/61553723751525	0		SHOP_NOW						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68174	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/3/25, 4:43 PM	1703760167	1746308602		67		1067993684218161	4	1.8125626292586E+15		1702713600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	131920553340233		0	Family Gift 13			120202236923950403		myfamily-gifts.com	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTION	Best gifts for your Family	https://myfamily-gifts.com/joanna-db09		1702269373	1.3192055334023E+14	Family Gift 13	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409188108_1063825854757126_856049624249715371_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Qgxq8a33DKQAX_p5ZW_&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAL5n1_e-rhr2MI_pBy1RWYAuwNKhGSyz7NdvQJoIVBSg&oe=659185BD	person_profile	0					0	3	Find your perfect, thoughtful gift here!<br /> Order now: &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyfamily-gifts.com%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1HYZhleCeuE9_SNzHbiM8qql1jO9Msv9sgSd3Ko_r8_h9kY5SYJiL2KZ91B5qvd--GRFA1m6GBePBVBi8iU3BXFg8iqIZawIfzg19o8LqVhDOjhtXtHFsrVBY0TQ5g325iaHxFXUhFWRTvZ_M-PA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myfamily-gifts.com/collection/joanna</a>		Family Gift 13		16	https://facebook.com/61551888543646	0		SHOP_NOW						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68751	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/3/25, 9:10 AM	1703760172	1746281423		67		7023485477721019	1	7.1864754646665E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497696300404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357846	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407267366_224895233967450_1497145102046888741_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rCcUzNzDiqsAX8Tcqcl&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDGBA799TA3DZMP25zr_0YYaE8olEw9KmRipt2e_sKBWQ&oe=6591490A	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407260611_904985507806370_6840191885655496330_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ap_Ux6Q6ymIAX-F7mqV&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCGHAB4BRcdahhQR6W06B3rprgZQSC3gFoW8aPROXocXw&oe=65926FCB			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
69705	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054157		67		752452323380521	5	6.8579776031172E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779358230250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678748	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404275079_681458767299748_350875266989297425_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AsM-FRsshBQAX_UEPFz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyJ2AsMiFbHCH8KrycqqSt01DWW8j1SLuKSfhDzrJP0Q&oe=6592CBFC	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66806	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		922309752813058	1	8.8987460278161E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	577112035777814		0	Joanna Stanecka			120205279381730664		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/joannastanecka		1703357794	5.7711203577781E+14	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412557159_1359187621635576_2426831651002587063_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZzzvCw7TdZUAX-SSJ-T&_nc_oc=AQlLptP8btqUrQ9L6gj4rc6wYfiFVyVZc8u-jR7v9QRsh_bj23d6reOEHnzW9R2U5hI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAloY98KmWcDB3u4_C_NfKodyYC152Auu11wgUEB2Xr_w&oe=659316D3	person_profile	0	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413981913_343685818409003_4321463943714691148_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ewVkF_aHJmMAX8D7s-b&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD9vyw13mGwb0rXGY-8bw1VGGV4K4WJ4EVuObHm4s4CDg&oe=6592904F			0	3	Od wczoraj na Spotify- ju. <br /> Bierzcie i jedzcie z tego wszyscy… <br /> Jako odtrutka od kolęd - pasuje świetnie do choinki<br /> Jako soczysty dodatek do suchego opłatka<br /> Jako „wielobarw nieposoplity” do zasmarkanego grudnia. <br /> Album pocieszy, posmuci, wdroży refleksję. <br /> Pięknych świąt 🌲		Joanna Stanecka		2065	https://facebook.com/joannaaktorka	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68948	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/3/25, 5:30 PM	1703760173	1746311441		67		874296980963512	1	6.9190249301095E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300693620596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151775	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406093913_881513359900908_1481433023491070149_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dT6lGNGZrXYAX-_o_jo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzM_hJaR_J6-i3q9c_IWtdLn8TJL82qOzvyEFF9YugBQ&oe=6592C41A	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404808341_1383357952613420_5385190200827044806_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s7Nbsq7DHegAX-lTuv8&_nc_oc=AQmO4zzzdjaUKW7mvHRyr7c3LMNodikFP-niODt-gNSknMd5QCGzy4WKZ3LuS4rhy8gO4a0-dBkSrQp5GX7q4QT1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDh4ECkDRPXcgIUdNfqCz1fD_Mthi-KhFENjzru1k6phw&oe=65931F25			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67862	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054156		67		864826582099127	1	1.3224955582899E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509795560308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462354	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409207750_313001591646810_3561491479897798069_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jTiFrkpLtuMAX-Ha6UM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDOtisQcEfTHS8HgP-JG_jAny2KFdIhpSAfM1U_7CwPPQ&oe=6591DAA8	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410351323_1171309647611782_5077861879628828376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0nrOPM5DREAAX8h7m7T&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRVzbW2_po4IavD7hqihEsINfD-tCiky2fCMG39Q-Thg&oe=659290DC			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66858	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		264833216310927		8.9362920225368E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967025210018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299792	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412269542_687894366829489_3442748968888253368_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KJv0SAdqDlYAX_aySQX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDlqEMkeO71hruarITAt3nJUA5eLMNlDGF8mnXSDrVliA&oe=65917247	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411677537_717501563658594_4421812792076229944_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XpSLbDjU9b0AX_OBze-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwp0UOvfNWg4-d9w5C92yXmK8Qpa6kh4D7QDRaCQy_4w&oe=659251C0			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68089	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054155		67		1053104265814841	1	5.5935989305673E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143501980670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374950	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409582718_1053088276018623_130286045580227050_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k38Nd4zEzawAX8ZsknN&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA_HgcnOAnYVmacwkjfKhRLZdG38QCLp5tk3aO0RpXY1Q&oe=6591FDF4	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409811473_3592004564387778_8224060997273464759_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y4ADrlEXBDYAX_wNNbf&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCEVd7gi6wjdfMYX72i_PrimfkD_BVKcNx2IOt3MEsUSw&oe=6591AC15			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67646	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054156		67		750882080004690	1	1.7476404524271E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	112243818028359		0	Niko Stories			120202962046080340		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Fixer Upper’s Dark Downers: The Hidden Secrets Behind the Hit TV Show	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-ua/		1702585359	1.1224381802836E+14	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411071597_678124060971259_8157837257031166975_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h6D1ioKBu-gAX97OEus&_nc_oc=AQkLDMNhLW3FaQNMfaYYLDW0Pw1A3vWua-d3Qk5KFEKlhSHdsjtJmWksVKxKSQUMiU4ZNX01kgLCn5gFMQplD-RQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB9y2AVw91zsCBjE8R044vSlpHX1JOaVcoPWfpKVqRRsA&oe=659172C7	person_profile	0	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411065737_1618126915594119_5764911130639748120_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gMRdhM42j9IAX8f0uel&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAohPHN-ONb_uaoq953rpBaT7LcxzMY-YaWPQ1HA05ZRQ&oe=6591FFCB			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Niko Stories		21	https://facebook.com/100079533857132	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68757	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		230788806692644	1	2.8212248802935E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	711420849053256		0	Mamut Dentistry			23861766087270188		implants.mamutdentistry.com	Learn more		NONE	carousel	Mamut Dentistry		https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey		1696896131	7.1142084905326E+14	Mamut Dentistry	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387065773_3553812431556961_6455969937025480228_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ajV9dpbk5iMAX_el835&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCNU7Hyp7v8Ea9FS6xC2Grs4_BqntUlne69J9qHSgmFfA&oe=6591EDB6	person_profile	0	ᴍᴀᴍᴜᴛ ᴅᴇɴᴛɪsᴛʀʏ	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387790283_715016803990291_472926288436170378_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HUyoE3TTLjkAX_1lQBI&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBRTs-qQHFW_-6ytfkUeeIjAy_oPkHRNL6GNJTTUBZRMg&oe=6591A9F1			0	3	❗️ To my dear fellow Queens residents: Don&#039;t settle for ordinary dentures – they are far from being a permanent solution. ❗️<br /> <br /> The struggles of bone loss, chewing difficulties, diminished self-esteem, and the constant need for denture replacements weigh heavily on denture wearers. If given a choice, no one would willingly tread this challenging path that takes both an emotional and physical toll.<br /> <br /> It&#039;s not uncommon to hear folks say, &quot;I don&#039;t want regular dentures, but I can&#039;t afford the costly Fixed Zirconia Bridges treatment.&quot;<br /> <br /> Enter the perfect solution: &quot;Implant-Retained Dentures.&quot; 💪<br /> <br /> This innovative method of replacing missing teeth with removable dentures is a more affordable alternative to traditional implant dentistry. These removable hybrid dentures securely &quot;snap&quot; onto the implants, allowing easy removal and cleaning, just like natural teeth. 😍<br /> <br /> The best part? This treatment preserves your precious jawbone – a stark contrast to traditional dentures.<br /> <br /> ✅ Say goodbye to those sour-faced grins!<br /> ✅ Laugh without feeling the need to cover your mouth!<br /> ✅ Reunite with your favorite foods at long last!<br /> ✅ Walk out with a fresh set of teeth today!<br /> <br /> Take the first step toward a beautiful, confident smile for yourself or your loved ones! 😄👇<br /> <br /> We&#039;ve witnessed the physical and emotional toll that tooth loss and ill-fitting dentures can inflict on patients. Our dedicated doctor and compassionate staff take immense pride in making a positive impact on people&#039;s lives through meticulous planning and expertise.<br /> <br /> I&#039;m Dr. Jovanka from Mamut Dentistry, and I&#039;m excited to offer a unique service to our neighborhood while promoting our practice.<br /> <br /> 👉 Please click the link below and fill out our survey if you would like one of the remaining 21 slots for a complimentary consultation: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimplants.mamutdentistry.com%2Fsurvey&amp;h=AT3VZmbvDQIzo3p-eYIscFzLu3wWILtO_53zD1uuqyCqcir6FaDuXnBONmr_ObnFTjvjCROMREi7H5ZKmyGdRxIJ1ywomiROOwghFwgRuOMgSqko-xIqo3uzqIkh6llTTGoEFefcbg3ntRqJf-dMEmk4HlZHwW0VGmb1gw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey</a><br /> <br /> 🤝 We&#039;re here to help you start your journey in the right direction. As a small, patient-centered business, not a profit-driven corporation, we prioritize your care above all else.<br /> <br /> Don&#039;t delay another day in reclaiming your smile, confidence, and joy. Let&#039;s embark on the path to a brighter and happier you, together.		Mamut Dentistry		615	https://facebook.com/mamutdentistry	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68196	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054156		67		716260807097019	1	8.9372770240412E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259784820476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180981	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406851091_861391165462667_5686757104134265389_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mt5Ny7_0c0kAX8xE5mc&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfB-TQJjkMBP5nwcN-zTQ2PGtp564RY_Qvh8ev3K1_I8Ag&oe=6593119B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406805994_2046486542366720_3354003576236124761_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tTJeLZGhBhwAX__8TR5&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAtj1rQ-pBf65NR_Zg02lWhWTxpOCUgH_EiszIIlCLRjw&oe=6592AA36			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68583	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054156		67		332655446180034	1	6.7380719157006E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104926531949545		0	Joanna Stanecka			6489018657042			Send message		NONE	image				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Jestem zainteresowany(a). Czy mog\u0119 prosi\u0107 o wi\u0119cej informacji?","response":""},{"title":"Czy mo\u017cemy porozmawia\u0107 na czacie?","response":""},{"title":"Czy mog\u0119 uzyska\u0107 wi\u0119cej informacji o do\u015bwiadczeniu?","response":""}],"text":"Witaj, {{user_first_name}}! Poinformuj nas, jak mo\u017cemy Ci pom\u00f3c."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1701688301	1.0492653194954E+14	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/393139215_866339768528386_5631677289789636626_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SPl9qeV8YJcAX8kiY-E&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAcB-lYPF_XdlbjwiuwMbCdxJhwial8pmxwU1gnls_VnA&oe=6592AECB	person_profile	0	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406389604_1107827767091485_5500463868416375191_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QC5ouNpOICMAX_DkAzK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBbv7aoIJeXiuzDKHfrFZK-VO7DL2Y0QyAC_YGNvrx8xg&oe=6592C224			0	3	🌲Kolędy. Carols. Weihnachtslieder. Pastorałki⭐️<br /> <br /> 8.12 Literaturhaus Wiesbaden 19.00<br /> 14.12 Bistro Zwischen den Polen Bonn 19.30<br /> 15.12 Ostritz Marienthal Kokopol 19.00<br /> Kompetentz Koordinationszentrum Polisch<br /> 16.12 Europejskie Centrum<br /> Pamięć Edukacja Kultura 17.00<br /> Stalag Zgorzelec- Görlitz<br /> 17.12 Polnisches Institut Leipzig 17.00<br /> <br /> Powoli rozpoczynamy trasę z „dobrym słowem”, „płomieniem pokoju”, „dobrą nowiną”, kolędą rzewną, kolędą witalną i pastorałką skoczną. Wybrzmią świąteczne wibracje Marlene Dietrich, Zbigniewa Preisnera, Seweryna Krajewskiego i Agnieszki Osieckiej. Koncerty kończymy czułą wspólnotą i gromadnym śpiewaniem najukochańszych utworów Czasu Oczekiwania. <br /> Będzie dawna stolica świata zza żelaznej kurtyny- Bonn, będzie i miasto Marka Hłaski czyli Wiesbaden. Będzie muzykowanie na granicach państw, aby rozpuszczać granice w sercach i umysłach czyli Görlitz , Zgorzelec i przesłodkie Ostritz na granicy polsko- czesko- niemieckiej z klasztornym opactwem i winnicami, będzie i Lipsk.<br /> <br /> Slowly we start the tour with &quot;good word&quot;, &quot;flame of peace&quot;, &quot;good news&quot;, a rousing carol, a vital carol and a jumping pastoral. Christmas vibes of Marlene Dietrich, Zbigniew Preisner, Seweryn Krajewski and Agnieszka Osiecka will resound. The concerts will conclude with tender fellowship and thunderous singing of the most beloved songs of Waiting Time.		Joanna Stanecka		1151	https://facebook.com/joannaratingen	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
66519	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054158		67		1450596265487728		3.38090855684E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361670690579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657237	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414691565_420572353629420_4647618675853018387_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UseLYAHQoNoAX-1TwL-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD6BSt1jt4b8Da6eMKI9NMDo7JgoFnD7tiODcn6vaNzlw&oe=6592906B	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414718977_679262861045258_2796953035516775240_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KVNPcWk5VQAAX-bA-WM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD1uV5ylejfwz7BSt3hYHbeJGg-eUeaYv2FLUI35B2A6Q&oe=6592BF8D			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67021	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		817863170006462	9	2.8484499086294E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202808764220307		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703151014	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411252390_385581840701584_4197903431510671203_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-XNJazcDHTIAX8VxZ6z&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBoOlNGz0cAeGvjXFVF-oBiQQkYA4GvD8p7Yk7Vi6yUnA&oe=6592B242	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67198	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054158		67		2132700507084058	1	1.0798161265051E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	247315511960801		0	The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay			6497569402481					NONE	video					1702970865	2.473155119608E+14	The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410980273_870192824610899_2652571174224798642_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hOF7czndPQAAX9l4Vt4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfByvzEeK4eN5vG1IpunGaxbRLdR6wXegG49hjkdDarxsw&oe=65924DDC	person_profile	0	The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410942384_1046132150142359_3944952894124953145_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NrVYt-EXU00AX8wq697&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdR6SEQTx3OiHToJ6SBnNJ_0YDGbFEoKtepM80nqIuRg&oe=65930025			0	3	The aroma of freshly baked gingerbread makes the holidays come alive at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay! This Saturday, December 16, partake in the timeless tradition of gingerbread house decorating with your friends and family. Led by Executive Pastry Chef Joanna Kaskiw &#064;joannakins, get creative and enjoy festive refreshments as you create your masterpiece. Visit the link in our bio to reserve your table via Tock. Only a few spots left!		The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay		157232	https://facebook.com/ritzcarltonhalfmoonbay	0								1703145600		View Edit Delete
68845	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 4:28 PM	1703760172	1748726918		67		682038887250931	2	1.0753767934633E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681737680226		play.google.com	Use app		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"	Great Story Starts Here	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256551	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406311804_7345825288760797_7437552425286004130_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6BOCBQ3PAp0AX-aSwv1&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCUcdC8tgAVT2XJipYUatrY3NEnU2CiYJ3tkmagqk1VQA&oe=65914A6D	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406344244_1075149587234750_8635112993454647371_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ej9SvMpORhwAX8BrAwi&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBkyYMFJ47YlOT9NiWXS6McDGxkI_6baxS2UHgOJ7pI2w&oe=65928C87			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		USE_MOBILE_APP						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67673	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/20/25, 12:01 AM	1703760164	1747717285		67		610864857798750	1	3.8073880781883E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	108594095633452		0	Pilchuck Family Dentistry			120202671617680379		snohomish.pilchuckdentistry.com	Book now		NONE	image	Need Dental Care? We've Got You Covered!	Call today for exceptional dental services in EVERETT	https://snohomish.pilchuckdentistry.com/new-patients		1702576728	1.0859409563345E+14	Pilchuck Family Dentistry	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411068374_914616033436240_2267419560835250040_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8r-LN1SSU78AX-LbETF&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzrd3MTRX8F73-CPy1z84YcOIRo74S1ckzreGS_dLADA&oe=6592EC22	person_profile	0	Pilchuck Family Dentistry	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411180534_760285015932894_4966672908666140049_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NYqBVR9IWewAX9LSxSL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDzsZyjqli3VbIoMgql7nR1Q54Ly9OrC8hS30tKQnFoBw&oe=65924F50			0	3	Hey Snohomish community, I&#039;m Dr. Huy Ngo, or Dr. No – your friendly dentist on a mission to keep your smile in top-notch shape! <br /> <br /> I&#039;ve been passionate about dental care since 2009 when I earned my Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS). <br /> <br /> Later, I pursued my dreams at Roseman University, graduating with a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) in 2018.<br /> <br /> Pilchuck Family Dentistry is now serving Snohomish and its surrounding areas. <br /> <br /> I strive to provide top-notch care for you and your loved ones, offering a wide range of services from routine check-ups to cosmetic procedures. Your dental health is my utmost priority.<br /> <br /> As a mom of two adorable kids, Kai and Joanna, I understand the value of gentle and compassionate dentistry for the whole family. <br /> <br /> When I&#039;m not perfecting smiles, you&#039;ll find me enjoying cooking, hiking, gardening, and creating cherished memories with my loved ones. <br /> <br /> Don&#039;t wait – book your appointment today, and let&#039;s achieve a smile that lights up your world!		Pilchuck Family Dentistry		6	https://facebook.com/100094510184320	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68511	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054156		67		875417024258767	1	3.4695849865926E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103234291544469		0	Awesome People			120203670400520409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1701772905	1.0323429154447E+14	Awesome People	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407671811_732922021553238_4348929524324103139_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ps5yapA6GysAX8efitB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDIk0tobLQEapMjE9ljV-9oNQo3c3izitifJjsM1wHmqQ&oe=6592B22A	person_profile	0	Awesome People	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407940111_299865599698979_7192913768591487452_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GkwPrgauC2gAX8DJn14&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfApRBHogVyKKf01kgFv-VvmMb-nWzKJoDszC9WsMPqlkw&oe=65914B48			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Awesome People		84	https://facebook.com/AwesomePeopleFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67158	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		1806101319849965	1	2.669385663961E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202476685310743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977405	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412371871_231836313280569_4218949248195234110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vIjSNlkiqfoAX-bk12L&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfB9WKvpAg8vdKyOyUHIzyLoJvKzfEM4QuoT0sF3Y19tvA&oe=6592AABD	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412402929_911430803685760_2815556711425593670_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NhlwriJD_oMAX_G_5pp&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAgby97SX2U2FIfqaVMwq8ZGJzx5I2FkfMvthk0xHfPAQ&oe=6592F04D			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67907	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/8/25, 3:45 AM	1703760165	1749372342		67		1368899747070088	1	3.6082357094518E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411473910044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458277	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410094569_374130458620508_7818015220364976066_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JzzNOO5362wAX-9t9RB&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBsSbg0tcVZ_17nUekX01W3AHg84DKuRSfMd6oDG6q_xg&oe=65924C6A	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410098724_290806797259128_7398865363187159877_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dQxg_TawPgAAX-og0S8&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDP-U3X1bWkNu3updUcNhGXBHzy0qgA7RkNrn4UEuYndA&oe=65933AB9			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68635	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		359311553313947	1	7.6028751927194E+14		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200978578180773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701578944	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407404384_754496070026444_7661457286165413202_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=B-23r4QkC8IAX9_jzpQ&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB8SXszzaVds5VfpPBZODiAjsl8Hapn3oOY-eKfju93MQ&oe=6591997E	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407756994_1400093997245905_5107836745441177688_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=71ucdtBOvWUAX_b8Wwx&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBR3g6Y4JGuabJLz-4jybYMGwoMje8gr-qqT0j5xdCNww&oe=65931330			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4996	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701590400		View Edit Delete
66754	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		897188711599948	9	2.8484499086294E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120203048909230307		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703484237	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414127788_335932962579496_4363227397762857533_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NrqsYk1cqOUAX-6ceKm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrd29H3M2jFMnyPvNnXqDdGT7Kb1cz8iScHe0m_bQxzA&oe=65921E4B	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703491200		View Edit Delete
69073	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054158		67		222113520903324	1	1.0166373029515E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281157840596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068358	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405772207_321894520602036_236165593805155255_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_HM25yy2IFAAX8PjxRT&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBRXD7ktUh4rEUlMVGpmty-GU5l4CHgli-uoqXV1oSHZQ&oe=6591559D	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406280181_1670123856814895_3652838467864860166_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZZhzJF4i554AX89UeWE&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAtzf7ZsylIEYJ7V0KrWrVfqfGPXzsQyqyV6V0a9GUTXg&oe=6591E00A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69463	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054158		67		869893484683276	1	7.277567687562E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200341096410122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/n2ubobd0mpzo0eypph03lps0?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700807921	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405772747_284557674016270_1000785715559099551_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_Lk0yr7e2wgAX8MYb4Z&_nc_oc=AQmmWCT3lHjlDuKDHFMZiBAHzO_3nTUxeZARJ1kz0w-Viftvmd5f6lO4lc25kWi9kYA&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBmYfYBX024Uvrfz7D_h5qIvaYdX2qJHtdgFuki2M7uXw&oe=65917B73	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405764607_1821346375002919_6058790301193981226_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HUPGlyAv-VQAX_Sf1Hz&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfDxzihTYKwijFyRTA7oWtp8M8LNivHFz2iHc25g0sGN3g&oe=659172D6			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69917	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 3:12 AM	1703760178	1749543162		67		777565694576004	2	3.5747951002223E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683724980439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636042	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404467588_1155147855446516_8718928038850554202_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XxranKP-YuAAX-AlG_F&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDgTslZ1uvub_I2IyNVtwLEAxceVGHzBUTvmvVLxZZJ3w&oe=6591557D	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404539762_6799496333480105_8508160265984013068_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=po-1KfeDGtQAX_hnjxW&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAiYN6Fs36Mq_pArCrlEeMl0UakxtY6a6uTsRLCzJH6Gg&oe=65930F7F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69377	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054158		67		374649444912749	1	7.1696856064174E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220421130404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582444	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403103898_1134245850877167_964907827369330014_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fLrtQHtZTEgAX9xGyyp&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDDp17Vo-m9Zk-GKRpT_mcIeCUJ-BXPUiPdHcRUjS0eQg&oe=6593264A	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402935410_660109496299930_8594020976261400489_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TsRs0nRsZrEAX8LtPUp&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbLc5CGerpq2jyWe3OnV5jEy4OHZRbuYsF-qZOiUeqtQ&oe=6593243F			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
70062	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/17/24, 4:15 AM	1703760179	1726564516		67		722206036030005	1	6.1232623077775E+15		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112135340243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554545	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402636223_866744375082264_7132704634027530634_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4fBRaesX86IAX-7r2CH&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFC-PqO_Sp91U2eVHpIKotiTuNDpeT4q7RiMCLmTQWIA&oe=659275DD	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402641149_697115112365881_158614528559359119_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x7lNI5WV9IoAX8VrTLm&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBR4uMusGf50WVm9Pxck-1gPg03UoNTGItOvk2i3SZIZw&oe=6591AD98			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67784	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054158		67		1348523879114939		5.2879826379927E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548019809		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494395	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409353915_916265693420524_7246965454767274992_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UtjiFeNuctEAX-o2vOu&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA1ZmVi-qFjdReNUemLapYZP68hAJUKOehNRhINDNyN-Q&oe=6592FA99	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409209586_6829873993800555_4963018457679990072_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GGtpkTTVfEoAX9m-1R0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDctTYyyMmDg04RfCGTUroC3lonx4RYETD9c2u6b9DitA&oe=65926CED			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67837	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054158		67		237566152691766	1	8.6701006516798E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202399878020123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702481023	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409811761_1325532584820092_4175118873455028075_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T1PG3rxDjjQAX-aASH4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCNDqq-9Rvh9lRDmmmdBa41hF5RlIOgvD6-JVi42hmv4Q&oe=659182A9	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409760945_701081998754858_7602659659109446265_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nOyUUtpTu-MAX9vlzFC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCknw3QJqvRH6m8xBf1S1FYRnpTOvQtIvuhhRPwngp9CA&oe=6592CD78			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68073	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054158		67		719757443422204	7	6.7743684786976E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120207704697460456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702388795	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409921258_368470942332915_6353569286914453825_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ix-VL-sPLE4AX-Ft8OL&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRzHi5Z50Tw2oeqVVsMCm94XwBC4t97mYrhxLVFmW-2w&oe=6591CC56	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67436	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		1117732646196841	1	7.4257146456091E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765565540465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702389	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411386795_197444796770759_7508976431986331806_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8YqWZO42R3oAX9pKlHq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZFio0n5zCQ9tcfn5u7hcCcfzb6RlX6cU3sw_TJ9Ieog&oe=6591BEAF	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411399011_1299835684029611_5383526072053850698_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Pf-t9cGC2WMAX_5q5dM&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAeMeSvTpvOBCMSiu9rRY1V0zEzZ1Kg3yon16v-vs_QHQ&oe=659288EF			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
66407	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054158		67		754973076391962	1	1.7342200337067E+15		1699344000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			120201757266650563		https://projektbogini.com.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	LUSTRO SPEŁNIONEJ MIŁOŚCI.	ON Twoim Lustrem A co, jeśli to NIE ON TWORZY TRUDNE RELACJE?A TWOJE…lustrzane odbicie.Bo nikt tak bardzo celnie i dokładnie NIE WYCIĄGNIE Z CIEBIE UKRYTEGO BÓLU, JAK on…. Jeśli kiedykolwiek zastanawiałaś się: Dlaczego On zachowuje się w sposób daleki od miłości, mimo że nawet jest ...	https://jestemkochanka.pl/on-twoim-lustrem-2-2/		1698775209	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/396874620_1052321319255103_4289279209207285385_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3ANRUZjyuk8AX_3_8TE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCKIpq97xV471TZA58wvA5xnFdsZi607UKwjlH7h2VXHw&oe=65920C4E	person_profile	0					0	3	🔴On Twoim lustrem. I co z tego….? <br /> <br /> Często pytają mnie kobiety, jak to właściwie działa zasada lustra. <br /> <br /> “Jak to jest, że bardzo dużo z siebie daję w tej relacji, angażuję się, chcę, a on wręcz odwrotnie- wycofany, nieobecny, pasywny, unikający?”<br /> <br /> To gdzie tu lustro? <br /> <br /> “Jak to jest, że jesteśmy w cyklu zerwania powroty, a ja chce naprawdę tego związku?” <br /> <br /> To gdzie tu lustro? <br /> <br /> “Jak to jest, jak on nie decyduje, a ja wiem, że chcę być z nim?”<br /> <br /> To gdzie tu lustro? <br /> <br /> Jak to jest, że on mnie okłamał, a ja naprawdę mam uczucia i jestem szczera?<br /> <br /> To gdzie tu lustro? <br /> <br /> “Jak to jest, że on nie dotrzymuje mi słowa, obiecuje i potem tego nie spełnia. To przecież on tak robi.Ja ni nie jestem temu winna.” <br /> <br /> To gdzie tu lustro?<br /> <br /> “Jak to jest, że on np. mnie zdradził, a byłam zawsze wierna i starałam się?” <br /> <br /> To gdzie tu lustro? <br /> <br /> “Jak to jest, że ja chcę mieć jasność do tego co dalej, a on unika tematu i nic nie jest dla niego jasne?”<br /> <br /> To gdzie tu lustro? <br /> <br /> Dobre pytania. <br /> I pora je wyjaśnić. <br /> <br /> Żebyś wreszcie wiedziała, jak zasadę lustra wykorzystać do tego, aby Twoje relacje odbijały tylko miłość. <br /> <br /> 🔴<br /> Przeczytaj to uważnie<br /> <br /> Lustro NIE zawsze jest wprost. Czyli, NIE JEST TO PRAWDĄ CODZIENNĄ, że to co dajemy do nas wraca. Bo przecież dajesz z siebie wiele, ale wraca mało. <br /> <br /> Dajesz miłość i zaangażowanie, a wraca unikanie, kręcenie, milczenie, czasem zdrada. <br /> <br /> Lustro( jego zachowań), w relacji, która jest nierówna pokazuję Ci” ta PRAWDĘ O TOBIE, której sama nie widzisz. <br /> To są na przykład twoje: <br /> lęki, <br /> to jak sama siebie nieświadomie “ sabotujesz” ,<br /> wzorce reakcji, zachowań, których nie jesteś świadoma, <br /> traumy z dzieciństwa, <br /> niezaspokojone wewnętrzne potrzeby. <br /> <br /> Pamiętaj, że On ma też swoje wzorce. I dlatego tak do siebie “ pasujecie”. <br /> <br /> Lustro pokazuje Ci, że Twój obraz siebie (ten nieuświadomiony), Twoja koncepcja siebie) domaga się weryfikacji i zmiany. <br /> Ja wiem, że kiedy jesteś traktowana “ w sposób daleki od miłości” , zdradzona, wyczekującą, a Ty się starasz, to wydaje się być absurdem.<br /> <br /> Ale nie jest. <br /> <br /> Choćby dlatego, że prawdopodobnie, wiele razy chciałaś coś zmienić, prosiłaś, rozmawiałaś, szukałaś rozwiązania, a np. sprawy wróciły na stare tory. <br /> <br /> Albo, po trudny rostaniu się, zaleczyłaś rany, po to, aby kolejny mężczyzna Ci “ jeszcze bardziej rozgrzebał”. I właściwe w kolejnej relacji było tak samo, tylko gorzej. <br /> <br /> Lustro pokazuję To, co sam przed sobą “ukrywasz”, czemu zaprzeczasz w sobie, czego nie widzisz, co domaga się ujrzenia, uznania i uzdrowienia. <br /> I on Ci to będzie pokazywać, tak długo, aż tym się nie zajmiesz. <br /> Aż nie zajmiesz się byciem dla siebie najważniejszą. <br /> <br /> I teraz konkretny przykład. <br /> <br /> Jeśli np. Ty dajesz z siebie za dużo, angażujesz się a on bierze, albo unika, albo ucieka,. A ty masz poczucie , że im więcej dajesz, tym bardziej on ucieka, unika, nie ceni. <br /> To jego zachowanie w lustrze pokazuje i “pyta Cię” : <br /> <br /> Co masz dać sobie? <br /> Jak bardzo sam siebie cenisz, kochasz, jak bardzo jesteś obecna dla siebie? <br /> On unika żeby Ci pokazać, że może nie jesteś dla siebie obecna. <br /> Jak Ty sama siebie cenisz? Co masz w sobie docenić? <br /> <br /> Rozumiesz teraz? <br /> <br /> Tak działa lustro. <br /> <br /> A jeśli teraz chcesz już zakończyć TE LUSTRZANE GRY, i świadomie mieć związek, którego jesteś warta<br /> to dołącz do mojego mini kursu z maxi efektami: On twoim lustrem. <br /> <br /> 🔴Kliknij w przycisk &quot; Dowiedz się więcej&quot;. <br /> <br /> I przejdź `na stronę LUSTRA SPEŁNIONEJ MIŁOŚCI.		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1698908400		View Edit Delete
69759	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		1050462289488142		8.6183418227823E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779111620250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678187	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619723_1061366564892535_5544603005193099836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AeSr85PiixUAX8q8Bzn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBh9dD1iU1gsN6111i5nKC4teKX0lnJtvEqitPVqbpuNw&oe=65925A04	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67321	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		1413066669293024	2	9.0318180776023E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	218789368308514		0	21 Draw			6534471331173		21-draw.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Painting Portraits using Gouache	Offer Expires soon! So Hurry!	https://www.21-draw.com/course/painting-portraits-in-gouache/		1702898308	2.1878936830851E+14	21 Draw	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410928386_896127521730137_6087692828083529154_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uL0KFXIhE_0AX-O4g9L&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB0U6cvvru0Ketvk7wUmaUFVNEAjJcaECqXTLfmqa0aGQ&oe=659268D6	person_profile	0		https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410958806_358410613505281_200806254127715030_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1KGhgz87WT0AX_q_Uiz&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDiDqxqJJ-J3ZPgtRqfxyWNEXg97WpxMsuEi_rkbuYGwA&oe=6591681E			0	3	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a fantastic course and so relaxing to watch. I was mesmerized. I use gouache often, but learned a lot from watching the layering technique with a large flat brush. Thank you for sharing your process and all the valuable tips! (Joanna)<br /> <br /> Do you feel intimidated, assuming it’s an advanced skill that only professional artists can master?<br /> Well, good news! It’s MUCH easier than you might think! Get ready to learn the basics of painting portraits and techniques for using gouache!<br /> Your instructor, Jordan Rhodes, demystifies the process of portrait painting, by explaining in detail each step, giving you clear demonstrations and teaching you easy techniques that you can use right away. With Jordan’s guidance and helpful tips, you’ll realize that creating a portrait is nowhere near as daunting as you thought!<br /> ⁠<br /> 👉️ Check out the course and watch some FREE lessons: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcour&amp;h=AT2ZP-FLAA6m-2HW3SuJDB8KiTwJVPEvP0vTQ19oTHy9SOLNGB62KD1g6MeSRw7DpEIbokbyWM_pYDqNKBVgHM9kAZEsh7jaYuykYvFmbaTntt-y43mk4y3L3axVAuLl_mHCBAVbn6zb2vQvL6lpUHuUg_g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/cour</a>…/painting-portraits-in-gouache/<br /> ⁠⁠<br /> Discover what’s in store for you in this course: ⁠<br /> <br /> ⁠✅ Discover how to paint your very own portrait<br /> ✅ ⁠Learn about gouache and how to use it<br /> ⁠✅ Learn how to prepare your paper and set up your workspace<br /> ✅ Learn Jordan’s techniques for mixing colors and blending<br /> ✅ Understand the planes of the face and divide a face into several values<br /> ✅ Get started by painting a base &amp; value layer<br /> ✅ Understand how to build up layers and control opacity<br /> ✅ How to add details to the portrait and clean up edges<br /> <br /> This is just one of many fantastic courses on 21 Draw! With an annual membership, you will have access to a full library of high-quality courses taught by industry experts! ⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Check out other amazing courses: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcourse%2F&amp;h=AT3Bj2OyxxXH6BzbHNRladrrSMLILw1ktvHdc-CLkgt3nEyvYM9xUnssMu2-79ASqABYdpUMGe__F9CfJ_ovEFPcM-L8OAqgq5ZdPXSdSFJoSWwsMs4Hk7v3a6zIZtU2Hmld1Y93KhTT_lWwNFegQI5apZg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/course/</a><br /> <br /> Some of the course subjects include: ⁠<br /> 🖌️ Lighting and Shading⁠<br /> 🖌️ Human Anatomy⁠<br /> 🖌️ Facial Expressions⁠<br /> 🖌️ Dynamic Poses⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Procreate⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Photoshop⁠<br /> 🖌️ Drawing Landscapes⁠<br /> 🖌️ .... and MUCH more!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠⁠All these and many other value-packed courses are up for grabs for a limited time at 75% OFF! 👀😲⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Start learning today: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2F&amp;h=AT3JpPWro3Vhy9hqax4oOTwk7qZQbkX7p9tSPZewRskAD6aTtqBevDYNT1Igm38rv1QaQai0WQh9z3JQYCKo3dOGrCV1-Spb6adTw9rscObaasqOxMVWen7JlFTG3XcL4FBNyFx3rbb0NE1Cqq2Vz8E4m1jIP9gZ9dsC_pVI" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">https://www.21-draw.com/</a>		21 Draw		130588	https://facebook.com/21draw	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68455	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		313702258209361	1	1.0247842718697E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	108594095633452		0	Pilchuck Family Dentistry			23861610348680378		snohomish.pilchuckdentistry.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Quality Dental Care Tailored to Your Needs! 🦷	Call today for exceptional dental services in Snohomish	https://snohomish.pilchuckdentistry.com/new-patients		1696355194	1.0859409563345E+14	Pilchuck Family Dentistry	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/386509094_858934222089991_3470384022711639764_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7xRiBHzORCQAX80chfp&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCz-KpkcZ2Dzmk6eUoDxQCV3DE-MuVsER7Q-SqNydPk9Q&oe=6591D59F	person_profile	0	Pilchuck Family Dentistry	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/386509913_1007141903769932_4345801801419065998_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BTY8oBGSHkgAX_B_GQG&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDrwM8dIte6cimiKXQIt2eWnDfxG26TPfuwRb5kecyYMA&oe=6592303C			0	3	Hey there, I&#039;m Dr. Huy Ngo, or Dr. No – your friendly dentist on a mission to keep your smile in top-notch shape! <br /> <br /> I&#039;ve been passionate about dental care since 2009 when I earned my Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS). <br /> <br /> Later, I pursued my dreams at Roseman University, graduating with a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) in 2018.<br /> <br /> Pilchuck Family Dentistry is now serving Snohomish and its surrounding areas. <br /> <br /> I strive to provide top-notch care for you and your loved ones, offering a wide range of services from routine check-ups to cosmetic procedures. Your dental health is my utmost priority.<br /> <br /> As a mom of two adorable kids, Kai and Joanna, I understand the value of gentle and compassionate dentistry for the whole family. <br /> <br /> When I&#039;m not perfecting smiles, you&#039;ll find me enjoying cooking, hiking, gardening, and creating cherished memories with my loved ones. <br /> <br /> Don&#039;t wait – book your appointment today, and let&#039;s achieve a smile that lights up your world!		Pilchuck Family Dentistry		6	https://facebook.com/100094510184320	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69822	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		1740076229797889	5	1.0021451142252E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779372070250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678800	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404635050_871400307801914_6122253990712761384_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FmV43zEDciYAX8OoxsH&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA9yCwAJy7XWHxsHxH2Bo03CnQfjwlPuhFxVYUOrhzjGA&oe=659149E6	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68227	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		323201490672080	1	6.7473634475131E+14		1702108800	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155243180476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094412	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406751566_7182211745190754_3566245080575107881_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lC_NTKuGwRQAX9Aiird&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfALXMKi5P-RKgECVzdDyoBDUZ4QLNZtbDVH95U6gxg4DQ&oe=6592B0EB	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406765785_1119895282752924_6274886905408315099_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HC5mEFt5aiUAX-BKOBD&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCouAcoA6fl21AB5VOEOkT-N0z7wyxcQ-dNZsJlTU2AFg&oe=6591BAFD			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68265	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		1114384166408897	2	8.7955387693943E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672571280427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030372	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408990271_309769152025044_6573687378561363535_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d5bEX7bRTSoAX-EFOR5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDCVAjfQPp4Fqk0IXiGFE4kQbiAYxkHrgJWUpjsAgEuTQ&oe=6591DBC2	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409032020_3739432289633600_2210896833155773699_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZwVWeYO33ZUAX9EMPhY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCiJA51jZsdf5vBRM-GUaZjb0k58yCToAFkvo_00offsQ&oe=65922DC4			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67947	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054156		67		694983926037031	1	2.49962037891E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434457830465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447466	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409622463_249052294664275_7126498820399906271_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dHQwyXoQpp0AX-_gYHP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBKbNycPJKsqdfyY5ui2cFc7BM_mr8D09D7tZJvtaniQQ&oe=659208FF	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409715738_366869282369129_9007657581699472719_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q7EfNyEpr-UAX97oGzJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB1oKZd_CH5feB0jJiE3sORCfflO5g6MIvfoQ8g4Dy89Q&oe=65919F6A			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68381	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054156		67		1394211364786248	2	7.1937572440191E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997396620476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940882	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407940475_354259353862855_6248711865571783518_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fA0EmI9nC3IAX_wJ-w9&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA14iE8gyT4usk8eQzXYGoEcIZLmgaUxkwBDamc9HFp-g&oe=65925BAF	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407984001_343459871734926_5232214555493203941_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IIfKfHPMGmcAX_RSCMc&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAVSe0ZZObjT3RdRfiSX-yDqINgSrNNCm5xLQDYrsFvBA&oe=65922866			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66964	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054156		67		279730798025048		2.60177383491E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100407068726982		0	Simbaly - Trends			120202829724440756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213315	1.0040706872698E+14	Simbaly - Trends	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410047994_295584776790988_7346036601741761373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PbpeYfdTgJwAX8Z14sZ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0Q5CrmOPpSFY4hkf_0llC1niKNFAzyqEmwKVZPOydfg&oe=65919DAC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Simbaly - Trends		1969	https://facebook.com/100071393365191	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
69527	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		720829193255864	1	7.2392996978501E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207953560403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724668	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404661311_294602659562847_365116373861231421_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z4X63RmydaQAX9mGES2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLiwSRmEcjGapXzRz9DTywQaWueQZCYNMNscPzJst-6g&oe=6592B314	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404650678_306257875708369_3018992342074488935_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RBZZY18bm48AX9a30W9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBh1Q0lA7SvnJZTUrLx823B7tdwUjquAvwuyACfdThLQg&oe=65918731			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69160	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054156		67		7631621500188482	1	3.130268182471E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690730300115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701056073	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405684267_316602774476257_6546158148537696078_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7ImstsIKcYYAX8vQcVi&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB1uwpCxb3qcNpUJ0ItQswES59j98NDIsL1HlOVPklLYw&oe=65921196	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405605587_189649020806061_4910077603482958185_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4IeemN19AWEAX-TWyD2&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBq2s5o9V1Bv9dQZmB-TGcsz_1Znkq8F8guMkp3_p8Okg&oe=659253A4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68836	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		724429909595241	1	7.2521951243767E+14		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201240370080123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701259505	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406651517_2032323077121930_3461607640875998750_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qzErdHLMJroAX-vghhz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDzwppd_p0N9YoapBAfuYFd9fhOo6njUzQ74gTy2AcUSQ&oe=6592A63E	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406674738_882679340112963_8260177797270143443_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h7lxOGNSEdAAX8ysBnI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDJlnYv42BM8otBQMHywF_Kp302-SUNYAHfJtPYOUr_Qg&oe=6591765E			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68256	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		222541117460013		3.6017906668063E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104004358796647		0	IMIND Mental Health			120200829897190224		fb.me	Learn more		NONE	image	TMS Depression Therapy Works Where Other Methods Have Failed		http://fb.me/		1699645629	1.0400435879665E+14	IMIND Mental Health	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401044619_1290264278228973_5322522469501138369_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XO77_LJ7o5gAX8h06Go&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAme-VJgJdg8tAseOi-5upBdeeH3UMS91cqinTaTfZGQg&oe=6591B124	person_profile	0	iMind Mental Health Solutions	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401030508_684930593643408_6551951472087097080_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cNPDj9rgVJIAX-ZR2hA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDtSlX0mJLwrTd58W0NaHuMH-5ZiehtO9OK5Dw-EoPXrw&oe=6593198C			0	3	Many depression sufferers have tried everything. <br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried anti-depressants...sometimes 3 or 4 different kinds.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried traditional &quot;talk&quot; counseling.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried following mental health advice.<br /> <br /> They’ve listened to their friends and family tell them to “just choose to be happy”.<br /> <br /> But for many people suffering from depression, none of the above have truly helped them find lasting relief.<br /> <br /> Until now.<br /> <br /> A new form of treatment known as Brainsway TMS Therapy has been clinically proven to be effective at treating depression at its source.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy uses magnetic-stimulation to reach the part of the brain that controls whether a person feels happy or sad.<br /> <br /> In fact, Brainsway TMS Therapy has been proven to be effective for ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​patients who didn&#039;t respond to traditional depression treatments.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS therapy can potentially help depression sufferers get off their antidepressants, which is a major plus for many patients.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy is:<br /> <br /> ☑️ Safe<br /> ☑️ FDA-approved<br /> ☑️ Medication-free<br /> ☑️ Covered by most insurances<br /> ☑️ No systemic side effects<br /> <br /> Thinking Brainsway TMS Therapy may be the right choice? And want more information? <br /> <br /> Here’s what to do:<br /> <br /> Click &quot;Learn More&quot; below<br /> Fill out the form (30 seconds)<br /> Schedule a free phone consultation.<br /> <br /> Talk soon!<br /> <br /> Dr. JoAnna VanVleet, D.O., D.F.A.P.A.<br /> iMind Mental<br /> Port St. Lucie, FL<br /> <br /> For faster service, call (877) 355-8780		IMIND Mental Health		222	https://facebook.com/iMindMentalHealth	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66384	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054156		67		3517104708538366	1	1.1277272881931E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1557901304441461		0	Joanna Buchanan			6537777024748		joannabuchanan.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannabuchanan.com/collections/for-the-bar		1702456675	1.5579013044415E+15	Joanna Buchanan	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409440903_682053547366143_4718409908191810517_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=987yoOuAFk4AX8q2AG4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAWLhgwzQ5eW035p_AMpVQQ1OoeSONgyQ1upQQhWt2xaQ&oe=6591BE1F	person_profile	0	JOANNA BUCHANAN Home Décor	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409709177_875903003986718_2331011733789789008_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PlYrNWz7hNkAX-Lsftm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVGomKc2n76gJDjfoeNVvnq7CGxQ8fpAb8fMEhC9Xp6A&oe=65929EB7			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Buchanan		1848	https://facebook.com/joannabuchananofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68937	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054156		67		1529981071168796	1	3.4512987477803E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120200685798850123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700053220	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400908717_887579006323818_9182981695985331558_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_HqOpcAKMxcAX-8HFr3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCGtEC720ECns8R3m6IjmB436EOOotsPXTlZQSgOFYoEw&oe=6592CBE4	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402302809_389938566701746_7290811667980466580_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VqWV1eTnbX8AX-xygw9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAraIfpTeMcEyLuYGnO6aYXFlQt1BnZ1XZr2_FQeUR4Wg&oe=6592FD3B			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66575	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054156		67		1409437379672467	1	1.3217191087103E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107164218415409		0	Shortviral			120204141639050512		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	From the Depths: Experts Delve into Dinosaur-Extinction Crater, Unearth Astonishing Findings	Millions of years ago, the planet was ruled by huge reptiles. From long-necked brontosaurus chewing on leaves to Tyrannosaurus Rex hunting with deadly accuracy, dinosaurs roamed the earth for at least 230 million years. But 66 million years ago, a catastrophic event happened that changed the world f...	https://cooking4all.com/dinosaurs-inside-this-bt/		1703603442	1.0716421841541E+14	Shortviral	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415192195_1124961898669175_1183849931263229659_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fG6zVEiFSpUAX_EA_lQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXTubt6FfAIbyXj6s7Xz4fQ209oBkuOzWWqAZVy2aWPQ&oe=6591A7DE	person_profile	0	Shortviral	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413882298_202435906272625_4223927857999965536_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fXj2KSwH9KsAX9dFGWL&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDkks4DlsPdUSraRPlvbkilP6lhhtzeJOm8_fNb1D-YBw&oe=65924875			0	3	The Chicxulub crater was supposedly made by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. But the sight scientists uncovered concealed inside it makes no sense.		Shortviral		2010	https://facebook.com/100077397738026	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67278	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 7:22 PM	1703760162	1749601333		67		351083714214810	14	1.7640580406882E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX-tleQa&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoF8zn4N5YcU0EVpq_VM3OmgaJTRo9jqLbMijbAyE_tw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67451	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		2666947706803654	1	1.7054471278408E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202766111210465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702546	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411586131_1070606857413336_580379575064402807_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mahFbCTZ5dUAX8yPmMj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMqG1AS64GEVwwfjJE9rGK7PewNlJUggd619epIYEKAw&oe=65921715	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410815236_1483040935611245_5177107809599732188_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rHXA6zIP6moAX_HytOy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA5HfYp-48cO4fEBv9dm34L2otS29pLN3Wa0HggOxk4Ug&oe=65931D77			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
66697	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		901737891625625		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120202512516600122		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491565	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414604321_693185739624951_2245707465439767603_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gix3rta5rUAAX_LjdLY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAMLO8sjpkHnmQ_FNvn03c8U10T0Jd8-IwAw36rxW_8A&oe=6591BB4F	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414620446_1104479800964513_3624753788227088913_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G4q6N6zhjQgAX8IypVd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmT9NXUiNWwN7IlTknoM7ILzIKG19ZGZ0Anm8urBzc5Q&oe=6593272F			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
69603	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		245192238321018	5	1.6303717808225E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100377515694960		0	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience			120200721515760167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679858	1.0037751569496E+14	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404272923_2572055626299902_3305460755590047071_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cjPZmL50kSIAX8cBfWf&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfCvFHJrddlVLptw85enJN-OdpJAl8SKqf_v4J2wMt-jFA&oe=6591CE61	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience		329	https://facebook.com/100071723169364	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69111	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054156		67		862532382040808	1	1.523786868408E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690714700115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055851	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406250023_3420119318298579_4272544271079886175_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_Ze2isUm2EEAX9hrmU4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDkrEVj0xQ6h0Q_uRXZmB175uIHbQYsQLW8uzezyM_8QA&oe=6592A73A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406182192_1147198609591878_8094352202485519014_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sJMsGPyVxIIAX-9CEM_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6Lz6W3lg6DhwdKrSURSRXQ8Ovan3EduL2w-GYzNf9cg&oe=65922E3F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68280	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		2321585991375202	2	3.1333757819738E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672503400427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030349	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407786377_871184241168477_3706845952884940669_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G33-Pi3eb-UAX9XKcPH&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBKOR6hgf8jWWcAtplghTZUVtWYJOfGanGx_yxlndDizQ&oe=6591BE42	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409223528_3596606960657184_4841716792199821295_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FdJPl3d9nNoAX_zVugg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBU80ivg0hhT6jnM8MzHgdFdryvwpCt1NxJQi3E41AdrQ&oe=6592DFB0			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68707	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054155		67		321549877474293	1	9.4237456745308E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200728632240540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701403123	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407236711_1039768480576896_6609796942476767848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-JfSTEWwa_8AX9j_AaH&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAcYpgLeymYTxpdvAczkFLP9FP5DOtxo_3XMHyTTXNP-w&oe=6591EDAD	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407233853_1391823278349491_5556265542500911826_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yYO599VUsKoAX8dUBOB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCY8c8gOWUCGJF_BiKR3c-oH3YZBX4-o2jcECr9c7-ghg&oe=6591BAF3			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
66643	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054156		67		3454845288114600		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204886716610742		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703571609	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412757484_6963818043725001_458054003860333568_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dB9Dp6Ff738AX-HdAdx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzLpCHAPbJQs7Gkew7MSbpHV5rTheVKT014YnRfCJWJg&oe=65915DDF	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412671035_690266842916140_1562387775108969172_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KdrDytgNbXoAX-DKZUg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDsxkQOGOO0hPnmTxTRqcZVrtHmjTNGCkFXLUgwXmlLrg&oe=65919E12			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67178	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 5:05 PM	1703760161	1725055552		67		757970316171573	1	1.7093794277796E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475733680743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976755	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410716204_779959013960678_6568444793268383921_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QwQSJdg5cSYAX8C86_9&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC-qPwgNPgnwsXacuhwogCu3XkvKFDtlJDpSXwt5AceJg&oe=6592D27D	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410913374_863356738914480_2919260043024641189_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wU2pZ3fdgP4AX_9fR37&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBQy3pb61AeRksELuhIOtIr2NkZAd6Gmg-ciz4QVn-Tgg&oe=659223F9			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
66400	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054156		67		821467669669141	1	3.5624810362795E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108215147346228		0	Joanna Fashion Store			120200715186240435		joannasfashionstore.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Joanna Fashion Store	Για όσο καιρό η ιστοσελίδα μας βρίσκεται υπό κατασκευή μπορείτε να απευθυνθείτε στο 6945 148 796	http://joannasfashionstore.com/		1699655457	1.0821514734623E+14	Joanna Fashion Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400102110_659318646271036_5101987789218289340_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rhgSwuLTmyQAX-qhpcq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAuutJR1ffO9YLqzcPt8QmG420pItMeJmkMERfLI6qXTw&oe=65922314	person_profile	0	Joanna Fashion Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400096344_709424724408700_1912792637715868274_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pTbto-dAOBMAX9pg3Yh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDn9iyxcrYMZuxAZNqYviD37-Gd98Pi-JBHBP8DEOovTA&oe=6591F58C			0	3	Joanna <br /> fashion store		Joanna Fashion Store		83395	https://facebook.com/100064833155643	0		SHOP_NOW						1699603200		View Edit Delete
67102	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		369213392328811	1	3.724746584785E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	200712103115609		0	Myteez Store 102			120203805044390468		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dlsa1		1703067302	2.0071210311561E+14	Myteez Store 102	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411528607_665463235750858_3420248201744151502_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SZGYypWXlMUAX_Ext2M&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBhRbeNznfaLSvGvlIkqZmEoxkp1rurSiJ1B6dLm2ookA&oe=6592995F	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dlsa1&amp;h=AT0xBhx0IpbPLNHBy0LHo62Fl8IiwI4ArRm6Xku0t8PbBblKL-6sLBu94jI6pLsLzfK9WV4iPVwpNeO0wU9nEX9A3Z5-Gb6hR8olngzsMxn8XpHQIAXOSgMuD9hwsOZKvo0fJAVo2OnQy4q4ceEdIawLGD-8Uokm4SA3vg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dlsa1</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1zoRCDndOAtXKJ_YHcKn3b__lTn4ads-CqCwIuqT-8elNDl4Ps2z8AuntFXPCG2jH_p8nkKw-b03ii5rD68vaSrBFhY_BSWp8dT6Nu3ONX_ibCm3jPIxWjr0b2PCuuAqq95Fwr8NBuSFNu-A8y1ma1MyI6bXl_8ikFwg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Myteez Store 102		2	https://facebook.com/61554032624801	0		SHOP_NOW						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68344	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054156		67		691433142756924	2	7.37223603612E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	865633690313272		0	Unbothered			120201740567500660		www.refinery29.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/12/11565917/baby-tate-pansexuality-blonde-new-music		1701973676	8.6563369031327E+14	Unbothered	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407979836_676410587814184_5133640539886831634_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e7aBtKiN8zEAX8nr_fN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDiJqf3ilVyRqwxUNb5ZNJ8F8JvhXGPvWuv0SxWkLRQvg&oe=6592E10E	person_profile	0	Unbothered	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407739866_921784539699935_6320168488573186043_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VPnNyOsLgM8AX_VFGJ6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDD9-IhO_pwVcZHb_EgQY8R7znFEnXfPTfwXxrpNdnjg&oe=65932BB2			0	3	🗣 The Unbothered Zine is finally here featuring our amazing cover STAR ✨ &#064;imbabytate! ✨ Tap in as the IT GIRL dives deep into duality, self expression and sexuality 😉. We know you don’t want to miss this amazing pop culture moment so head to our IG stories for the full story. 💖⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ___⁠<br /> Photography: Ally Green &#064;theallygreen⁠<br /> Styling: Yety Akinola for Atelier Management &#064;yetyakinola⁠<br /> Hair: Shelby Swain for OPUS Beauty &#064;theshelbyswain⁠<br /> Makeup: Shadara Holmes for OPUS Beauty &#064;shadaraholmes.mua⁠<br /> Nails: Megan “Pink’s Artistry” Smith &#064;pinksartistry⁠<br /> Set Design: Samantha Margherita &#064;smargherita⁠<br /> DP: Joanna Thanh há Nguyen &#064;jtngu⁠<br /> Video Editing: David Rho &#064;davidrhorho⁠<br /> Digital Tech: Ed Cañas ⁠<br /> Photo Assistants: Avery Mulally, Obidi Nzeribe⁠<br /> Wardrobe Assistant: Kaij⁠<br /> Hair Assistants: Teyah, Nuni Aenon Bowie⁠<br /> Set Assistant: Cody Rogers⁠<br /> Production Assistant: Carrie Rivera⁠<br /> <br /> DP: Joanna Thanh há Nguyen &#064;jtngu Video Editing: David Rho &#064;davidrhorho ⁠<br /> <br /> Cover Feature Writer: Ineye Komonibo &#064;ineyekomo⁠<br /> Cover Feature Editor: Kathleen Newman-Bremang &#064;kathleennb⁠<br /> Talent Management: Sandy Pierre &#064;sandzp⁠<br /> Director, Unbothered: Kimber Bowman &#064;kimbernotkimberly⁠<br /> Vice President, Unbothered: Chelsea Sanders &#064;definitelynotchelsea ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Unbothered Social Team:⁠<br /> Alexis Jackson &#064;lexisjacks⁠<br /> Maiya Carmichael &#064;_mcqn⁠<br /> Christa Eduafo &#064;chreeeeeesta⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Unbothered Video Team:⁠<br /> Jessika Hardy &#064;jessikalyssa⁠<br /> Rissa Papillion &#064;bordeauxpapi⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Vice President, Brand Studio: Sarah Filippi &#064;sarah_f___⁠<br /> Design Director, Brand Studio: Andreina Carrillo &#064;ndre⁠<br /> Art Director, Brand Studio: Ben Tuber &#064;bentuber⁠<br /> Senior Designer, Brand Studio: Kali Concepcion &#064;conrkali⁠<br /> Senior Producer, Brand Studio: Agustina Gaviola &#064;agustinagaviola		Unbothered		5214	https://facebook.com/r29unbothered	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69115	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054155		67		879608400555582	1	3.6195811621291E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281134650596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068519	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404773511_757160076187137_6103140457007384400_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vQcdqCNFyacAX-wweqd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC1njOcAeOVEkFABXu9lFAB0QXcBJ7q2RDNBqNaxNiLag&oe=659318C1	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405675041_751793440325534_4918771251469829367_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SXjdzg49_2AAX-AnzQ6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBuu_HTykrZllpI1v1M9M8YKEXHBlkRSZORvMaIfE5ECw&oe=659221A6			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69228	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054155		67		907808016870481	1	1.4920215646831E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674109440115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700970140	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406100681_1556304808503219_5965150235176108540_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MdzyprZt3f8AX_nK-lm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD7-CY8DrqnAaW_UPZ6olUytMLUBeHVli4EXruCdh09rw&oe=65918300	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405811948_1166691427624978_3154720536494126176_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0CL120V-gBAAX-R4L92&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqZUt_lKCePEfKlHW8RX3r9AM5Fyr65qkAXhboo6vwuw&oe=659172F7			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
66876	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054156		67		413321037693026	1	7.4423552374338E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100397546331383		0	Ember Music Hall			120203605529940783		Electric Jungle: A Night of Drum and Bass!	INTERESTED		NONE	event	Electric Jungle: A Night of Drum and Bass!	Electric Jungle Doors: January 12, 2024 9:00 PM Online Scheduled Ticket Price: FREE ADMISSION (21+): $0.00 VIP RESERVED SEATING: $15.00 Friday, January 12th ELECTRIC JUNGLEA full night of drum bass music in the heart of downtown RVA at Ember Music Hall DJ SLANT (2Tuff / Washington, DC) SEANY RANKS (Cadence / Washington, DC) JOANNA O. (Turnstyle / Richmond, VA) J. SPLIT (Turnstyle / Richmond, VA) No cover w/ RSVP at ETIX Ages 21 Up 9 PM - 2 AM Ember Music Hall 309 E. Broad Street Richmond, VAÂ Embermusichall.com | Turnstyleonline.com Redeem FREE Tickets: https://www.etix.com/ticket/servlet/s/38207123	https://www.facebook.com/events/889345462853506		1703270375	1.0039754633138E+14	Ember Music Hall	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412255798_1183521742607201_7014259833337248321_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bWHCQHi3GYwAX945KuZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCVz1EeclhR696W3TISQzrDg4w3jsJikctndL6dpR8Wtg&oe=6591DFDC	person_profile	0					0	3	Electric Jungle: A Night of Drum and Bass Music at Ember Music Hall on Friday, January 12th at 9pm! <br /> 🎟️ Free Tickets!		Ember Music Hall		1553	https://facebook.com/embermusichall	0		EVENT_RSVP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
69388	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054155		67		1017719485949542	2	8.9426444209880E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220420620404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582685	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404306066_1365392824403576_6716566899399313455_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XsS5QUcc89gAX8t326b&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCtVpAhc2c9HQYlbe5PySAwUB8bj_IVZPfOhz1RkyrkNA&oe=65927833	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402931193_3201983306770084_4816492469590035783_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rLNd7CKwI2oAX8gNMdG&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD-agXuZVm95xAKzTy-GrdR1UXPt-VW49Lbz2LVU1na2w&oe=65929A08			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67013	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054156		67		1664752567383354	2	1.1921031117698E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107164218415409		0	Shortviral			120202677121890773		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	From the Depths: Experts Delve into Dinosaur-Extinction Crater, Unearth Astonishing Findings	Millions of years ago, the planet was ruled by huge reptiles. From long-necked brontosaurus chewing on leaves to Tyrannosaurus Rex hunting with deadly accuracy, dinosaurs roamed the earth for at least 230 million years. But 66 million years ago, a catastrophic event happened that changed the world f...	https://parentztalk.com/dinosaurs-inside-this-bt/		1703169423	1.0716421841541E+14	Shortviral	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412846013_1137368070563292_5569463078890542980_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Em8L9KljQIEAX8Addd1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC9peDOU2BlJUKVoac_LUk6glRWmEVls2Sx11tqnxUMPQ&oe=6592B0BE	person_profile	0	Shortviral	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412790165_344506681636120_3732929926247608164_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PTygL6NVP7UAX-5witX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA1A5sV97L-S5A0Ri1qLiQCJe9bn2n3joh9Qk9F-RuT0A&oe=6592761E			0	3	The Chicxulub crater was supposedly made by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. But the sight scientists uncovered concealed inside it makes no sense.		Shortviral		2010	https://facebook.com/100077397738026	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68223	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 8:56 AM	1703760168	1748526966		67		316008954662089	1	3.6633784594121E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1827269397536091		0	Lifepro			120201977937150133		lifeprofitness.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Boost Serotonin, Burn Fat & Detox 🤯	Sweat out toxins & heavy metals with our premium infrared sauna blanket. Rejuvenate your body & mind today.	https://lifeprofitness.com/products/bioremedy-infrared-sauna-blanket		1702113298	1.8272693975361E+15	Lifepro	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406871511_330832509711932_8906486580925928092_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JWeNmSwZlXcAX_5DuKi&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBNm2PEbNbPbnIHH6HY7sHEh6jp4fKqWti81Jd1-JpPSg&oe=659261C4	person_profile	0	Lifepro | Wellness, Fitness, Recovery	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406416071_1739079226604347_5560320512506915244_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7LDdUnM_S94AX87YpKh&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAYS8UL1qLg7Ei7EkHN5Jvzx2mbXOyu3PFQOTzrV0pgtw&oe=6592AB7B			0	3	Burn up to 600 calories with our BioRemedy Infrared Sauna Blanket! 🔥<br /> ✅ Boost detox and fat loss<br /> ✅ Slow signs of aging<br /> ✅ Reduce inflammation<br /> Feel the effects of our BioRemedy Infrared Sauna Blanket and better your quality of life today.		Lifepro		48473	https://facebook.com/lifeprousa	0		SHOP_NOW						1702108800		View Edit Delete
69192	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054156		67		1044901750033731		3.764241743862E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145383430740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Speaks Out to the World Breaking Her Silence.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806341	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403105591_1036907530936522_8906190975553665040_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pNU8nY79wvQAX_B7ubw&_nc_oc=AQmDSLUswY5u8d_Tbfv-lK_e4eNhgvyc2U3MXjdMdB4udxmCivZUCu26_fvI3c4E02QwAK7wlk5HKRrRAcnh2UsW&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBwyZYMLXAcEF2dUbKqaMy0XjTTXXnQdGFWezje94XYaQ&oe=659214DD	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers Hid This for Years, Now Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband and Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Show Ending.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69471	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		1092001701811610	1	3.4937844434838E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	105485159098860		0	Kimberly Whitney			120202159684590021		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls40		1700796465	1.0548515909886E+14	Kimberly Whitney	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404613338_330074986598884_6635536706707093285_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dy6N2KcKJ4AAX_9SRXJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDg1kNLne5y0BrVBBCyKjMopupBbuq75tZSWJ0nsQ687Q&oe=6591AF5D	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls40&amp;h=AT1xynSWtddw0HKT3_CzCVHsJXryJn1OHIcHEhddMNgLDp7LttZlV1eTynk1Lzv16pQLmqUxvA39uj6KWXN9fjFDH0vRNkuUEtczofsC3SmJ11UyvEsJq0Y294YOa-SBmO5krFuX8f2TPDFjJ36Blw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls40</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0i_GPeqPW-z25-bRwGMo6qqfJ8ZqLk2SWesp_3WLBCYMptRnwsRl-UIAbQd4uraWH1TiDmfaI3Zavs4CAAJHXHdcHutS5TyA9hbWobT1jo8RrKs0HuB-ssKeLUW7osNY_W2O-JX3MIPmazaH0_ug" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Kimberly Whitney		1	https://facebook.com/100089340903945	0		SHOP_NOW						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69095	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054156		67		716369883417096	1	1.970598601225E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690790810115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701056223	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404757121_896563292098367_3792925783404872446_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yHc-_SvuNZIAX8Nh2Su&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMx0O0-wA_OV6g_q2QKNVG8CWx316J5DRhZLdIuzfMRQ&oe=65930B67	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404723354_732660554894043_1509827114939837362_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pH_rMvS31OQAX8d9ND9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAExl5SyKJ5w4RS1Hj1e7zbDvvbdTMPxQCez_PvGo3Eug&oe=65924021			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69613	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		277837954751397		3.5632109572798E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721409990167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679679	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478545_996064758122985_9149296117747152661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hUUWkjfAGPIAX8i253O&_nc_oc=AQkA_odKSVu943-DHTbtoDczS7mFEFKkeawTABHMZbP5kQ0fE2m-l1g4kbdKxQ7HFrE&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDwhOhoE5hel-sDXJo_NgNIHRRai8fbfc8kAL8Wjpl1zg&oe=6591F4E3	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68534	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054156		67		391836226616567	1	1.0852818158082E+15		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200991567860540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701759672	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407705522_3144413802534614_3450979323979243117_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ityoxdM2nUoAX-AQ4Ml&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCV_58G9j_6AjSVpGR4VWZvACeSp23bc7IOl2WQtDSBig&oe=6592B86A	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407916955_324936080398253_5819904655326347231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ggz1-_x3NiYAX9MsydC&_nc_oc=AQn3_vwjWLDyzGm90ahMgkcjQ6ROjuY0zzw5JO8Tm5vFuE1_bk3cbQFXgIdggTaEOW-SeCXNzx7DKNq0OAxfO_SH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNxcxq13wdh62xot6D_JKpUN95U0CIsL7ZVh85GKW48A&oe=6592CFF6			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
69290	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		667716522139591	3	3.3691307565019E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632014810115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796601	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403754422_1618359928695330_254622667239683659_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sb-1wF6STNcAX_gmlox&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAWIVq1W0fJxP6_oqNrgLYFWgZf2FNVsyVwiou9-PgPcQ&oe=6591EB52	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403738176_379333321189996_7009306592597804158_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wJcst2dgPQAAX_nJJmU&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXLpNRMmYKZFE2SHMLYw0LlVognohOUV1iKmqKcB0mDw&oe=6591D4AB			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68416	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054157		67		1022264695556840	6	1.7169165788042E+15		1702022400	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997237770476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940576	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406732263_221796717614885_5721015133504964210_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=im2ZWFxLBFAAX-VnxgZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBD9hgrVCZvoWDLTRPVViuox_T1RX36dRk2vgLU1if7aA&oe=6592AB68	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406734681_998557134582131_6514958677197608860_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yb93aljCdG0AX_-ZKIr&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDB7hQFUCMRn8wVZ8sfczAHT_2NittnlSwn56InSrkyaQ&oe=6591757C			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69298	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		906200397596380	2	8.8272357971301E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632223580115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796761	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404327768_305939762335538_2297504911306077660_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LRQ_k8NajQUAX9ti-v5&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmr0Pvp9dOCZdkHKvQUpfLUXsZMAydhhEZbu5Cz-sYXQ&oe=65931751	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405602185_1633672500370323_6664638351772778812_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NZz3HZia54YAX856Edy&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBmeJ2A2J-I97KNVvNrxIeBciKVLuBOQwTwTJ_IiO1ZiA&oe=65918095			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68626	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		688728096699898	3	1.4272105615288E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101598762667562		0	Blanco entertainment			120201401851880549		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	In the colorful panels and witty punchlines of today's comics, female illustrators capture the essence of women's experiences with a vibrancy that resonates deeply. These artists bring to life the joys, struggles, and the often unspoken realities of womanhood with a deftness that's as empowering as....	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1701636161	1.0159876266756E+14	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407664734_1071419014279118_5352456592985043744_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QV_XDefFB7MAX-6h9zq&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB9PMbgNrr3_p2rGoGV8E4TMAqa5e8D5xWjF9-xSyqkxg&oe=6591DC71	person_profile	0	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407679337_1101600741218846_6557021712913678571_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vmc9SrPKPFgAX_i8A-x&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCNJ1UCHvI1X_DGkeAKlLD6_xiiUVd2WctCxagolG6Sag&oe=6592FF59			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Blanco entertainment		53	https://facebook.com/100084702515578	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
67822	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/17/25, 2:51 AM	1703760165	1747468290		67		313351484998259	1	1.6583767913514E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104682145044102		0	Lena Hendrix Author			23858292338870253		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Small Town, Brother's Best Friend Romance!	Start reading now...	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091V6X69L		1693841499	1.046821450441E+14	Lena Hendrix Author	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/374460364_3477532835821683_8444012110018758018_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HnFDhLITfkgAX_9S1JJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBzQzTPRIJxDRSzN2JKq6ucT6e7EZevnxiW4wXUbmlc6w&oe=65921400	person_profile	0					0	3	I never thought I’d find her. After eight years in the Marines, I’m still looking for the mysterious woman I’ve obsessed over since her first letter. When she shows up in my small town, I’m thrilled.<br /> <br /> But when she turns out to be my brother’s best friend--and the girl he’s always loved--I’m caught between the two people who matter to me the most.<br /> <br /> I’m a Marine, which means honor and duty run deep. Joanna is off-limits. That would be a whole lot easier if she hadn’t already agreed to help run my brother’s fishing guide business for the summer, forcing me to work side-by-side with the woman I’ve fantasized about for years.<br /> <br /> I try to keep her at a distance, push her away, man up. But she draws me in without even trying, and I can’t get enough of how she makes me feel. I’m stealing moments with her, and I know it’s wrong. She may not be my brother’s girlfriend, but I know a landmine when I see one.<br /> <br /> FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3Z2D9ao&amp;h=AT3REg0bykBtdRRDl2WqjmKpNI5Xdz1bownQ4DuPuyy5lmOyngeIwelLzGfGfKgSMIVvvbH3PHju8nZXdANaB8Mk_sn6iNpNnNKim-_RiXVohRCUpIHDKhLtxwB8zaLbOOq004fRxDUL-N_-8Jn0d7LCO2k" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://bit.ly/3Z2D9ao</a>		Lena Hendrix Author		950	https://facebook.com/lenahendrixwrites	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67105	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054157		67		1595902064591753	1	1.1205908591046E+15		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	203833332803966		0	132.CherrySneakers			120203521880410493		cherrysneakers.com	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA SNEAKERS	Best gifts for your Family	https://cherrysneakers.com/joanna-sneakers		1703065286	2.0383333280397E+14	132.CherrySneakers	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412050464_199274303253487_5095415246256704223_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gVg3LbSm690AX-HXkC5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDgFKuH-zu73cjCOSQND--OS2mXws-rQiJiv0VFUjNhnw&oe=65930755	person_profile	0					0	3	Get yours here : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcherrysneakers.com%2Fjoanna-sneakers&amp;h=AT0izNmHS6Q59sAv2HBkTpsWsnEjt8530l2IWGZ8U0DJTx8A6EzdinLjucu42uFb4sqKVJ_4-TM_dwYgJ5N6ZUssNTbclSbnCvp-qrd3MGvsuKLNHi2MriBzX_flbkaVlfGD7CXcuSchrxFCrQOMYXNeMl8fTmUfH26UDQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://cherrysneakers.com/joanna-sneakers</a> . Visit store : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcherrysneakers.com%2Fcollections%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1feosypx8sUCzSxjXRo1mc5zyu1VxRdIXQMhCJXyrXDyfRQcHfLSdDSQb2qVOEDA_h4E6qgZFpXoYByxxMCCUwkxWNiJXpPwmZlIdEbkSd2o08rUcxmktBhn3nfpKO7KGFQk598K_hEUEAZ2zVQ2tNkVwileNLZYmX0g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://cherrysneakers.com/collections/joanna</a>		132.CherrySneakers		0	https://facebook.com/61554321787934	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69333	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		3186078641684612	2	6.8210268406386E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632254610115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796808	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405043148_246244941548877_3806228419109270462_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E3czl5gv_mUAX8ZKYVM&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBBvz91Q6MzZzHSgn6cE5kF6ISLvVTPo28WK4ieMrmL2Q&oe=65928D2B	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405112362_866916134812193_5875379319908762567_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zVHrtGFUGC0AX96E-OK&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHm-NeKIE98ZtpxlXtwYCUbxb4WLCPoH74pzRYbsfr4w&oe=659258AD			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69381	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		1396853227922813	2	6.6329897588573E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220434130404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582713	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403776286_1516091885854084_7968615952347184623_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nv00G4isU6YAX8l-CM8&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCVkyHC1865rb1LY6am-pdWTjja1l-kPHYGgfkEywM1sg&oe=65924362	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403107272_320649940721072_5660637607183300809_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8r4675iEXtwAX-I8vcn&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCbN3bZA8JAvzSfX42lCWjXuhvRPUZbSb5vCEpNE1LpEA&oe=659164AA			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68538	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		1385172635759971	1	3.4968361106472E+15		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120201092303580773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701755481	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406841472_898318238521707_7717527817384861483_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yuF_NdiHKHsAX-E8fIP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCDHiO4Md7vgmIV34O913RytSYLqPuUWCChiK_3HdW64Q&oe=65924C85	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406845892_727625895932650_5978896299689966561_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LiZf7ETxSKcAX84gIDB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAVt5PP9aR0tdZA1wSa1_932oFEbx9-TYvSSJiJ2uyl3A&oe=65932748			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4996	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
67221	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054157		67		892354692129428		2.5809983036598E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
69473	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 7:48 PM	1703760176	1745887697		67		211713241972823	1	3.601514993441E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	328574304457733		0	Joanna Rubio			120200947650470620		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joannarubio_voicetalentspain		1700769688	3.2857430445773E+14	Joanna Rubio	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403726120_3786958898254633_8109852589515147584_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n8hasTEMITYAX_IzD5G&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCXwjlHCtkDpLGQ8scdKrtVMlbp-tZ1oiNLxpx_Vpbolw&oe=6593026D	person_profile	0	Locutora de Publicidad & Actriz -Joanna Rubio	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403087382_383153817383248_4586823562388699939_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Eb_f1O1ksgQAX9XrM0x&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfARggcnbU9rbOZj-U4c3oQF6iXfWzq54Nq21hbKIuibSA&oe=6591C087			0	3	🌟Hoy hablaré del INSTA Spam 🔥☺️🎤🎬💫🦁 #locutora #joannarubio #actriz #instagram		Joanna Rubio		13	https://facebook.com/voicetalentspain	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67735	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054157		67		672206161767230	1	3.2025156751423E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	245905115838832		0	MCE FILMS			120204298115770325		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/mcefilms		1702506684	2.4590511583883E+14	MCE FILMS	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410898895_251648514600029_3080137149295657221_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Chd08C-6nzQAX9yqSZg&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB_RN1byYC01VnLVZ06HnaMtoEOsukzp85C0wm85-E4Xg&oe=65928E20	person_profile	0	MCE FILMS	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410167857_815382783677190_2045923302798922121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wH0qZT2ylvAAX9-jpsV&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8keKcD1AapC0zhNMJtaHXOVfLYb1BwjUSSWxXiWKCqw&oe=6591D01A			0	3	Joanna 💕 Tolu<br /> <br /> ______________<br /> <br /> Event Planner: &#064;viebyneni <br /> Videographer: &#064;mcefilms<br /> Photographer: &#064;weddingsbytobi <br /> <br /> _____________<br /> <br /> #bellanaijaweddings #wedding #prewedding #mcefilms #filmmaker #naijabrides #weddingfilm #naijawedding #weddingvideo #lagoswedding #weddingshooter #naijaweddingvideo #bridaldiary #bride #groom #nigerianwedding #weddingdigestnaija #lovestory<br /> <br /> &#064;sugarweddings &#064;weddingnigeria &#064;loveweddingng &#064;nigeriaweddings &#064;nigerianwedding &#064;bellanaijaweddings		MCE FILMS		193	https://facebook.com/mediaconceptentertainment	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69087	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		372871655085249	1	3.6405752604069E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203280981680596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701067771	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406209424_323319663829985_7805210911251763355_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k832EED2Ks4AX96Kd8z&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAIDkEhLD2eQmAww1jEmeUzrBkVzVZ6hjZpXUDDU4m93g&oe=65921E55	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406213993_1813841009051856_7156307850867674420_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NuocYioJggMAX_cJxei&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCx-b_PE0loqtpZqskrHyxOU6dVw2fnH_WVBrdGmj841w&oe=659189FC			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67294	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		1336646400550954		7.047505505317E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	275758569814605		0	Cooking 4 All			120204062955550759		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://cooking4all.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-bt/		1702956697	2.7575856981460E+14	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412269226_689938779787801_6454138089290138850_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lfZzmDRyayIAX_drafn&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC84EMusA6YgSzf9gw5K1TLwz-iThqhDgYXcX9sH4wm_w&oe=6591CE77	person_profile	0	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412402805_850655100395619_8188331023684603192_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Vl0nmIv0y0UAX9hVuJ6&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBeZkbGG7EOrGH3UFjZ7k_sVdfShFJZVvNMTUsQs7RRiQ&oe=65929326			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Cooking 4 All		2127	https://facebook.com/Cooking4AllFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68502	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054157		67		3715843788672628	1	7.1588553382164E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107994988993702		0	Joanna Joanna			120200846787940328			Contact us		NONE	image	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/693685982688320/		1701854971	1.079949889937E+14	Joanna Joanna		regular_page	1	Joey Rosado	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406760389_899539427851338_4632689979285316454_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kX7XyXNqbW8AX_O62P8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAG5519pTBN6QEB-M4c9_AuzbCZXwNJ-lm5-s_QhxGALQ&oe=6591B9A5			0	3	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment - $745.00<br /> <br /> 🏡 For Rent: Recently Remodeled 1 Bed, 1 Bath Apartment 🛁<br /> <br /> Discover comfort in this renovated gem! Enjoy the convenience of nearby restaurants and shopping. Step into a spacious living area with a patio featuring a sliding glass door. This apartment boasts modern amenities including a dishwasher, walk-in closet, and is cable/wifi ready. Embrace outdoor activities with a basketball court and a charming picnic area equipped with a grills. Appliances included. Don’t miss out—call now to schedule a viewing!<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Joanna		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=100080150565277	0		CONTACT_US						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67539	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054157		67		675208517930838	1	1.251053242964E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203924361050613		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/3bw5npofyz0yjotryds4lqbb?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702631976	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409204600_891614655500352_1429128540983292746_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VEfvQQQN6cQAX-fvbYg&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGfupURkVfxrsBI3P3l2PVi6G1-8L_qRiEE99V4uqnuw&oe=659275F6	person_profile	0					0	3	The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
69540	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/27/25, 4:01 AM	1703760176	1745744468		67		1019074742720177	1	3.3745781561796E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201208049250403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724740	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404609901_672587698330497_8270604452135556311_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HTbFs34gMDsAX9z2C0C&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEgHVsGbBQrwC7Fxa8DSudR-ywAfjTnO0_4JH_nmbdQg&oe=659320C6	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404656244_6891126000982479_3382051504015381425_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YIkz-2igfSgAX8eBZaP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbIIksI1usI92nxjEWwmw14KA4Ac00nDj9-dMva5mtQA&oe=65925B02			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67182	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054157		67		897939388530773	1	1.4069138668923E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475558110743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976837	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411652299_2452434191631879_8127563902070033580_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oltfFZcMJPoAX8e90Mw&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAFeG2rAKClSjrsHYJcSw6U9s0BcrTIxpyrtIMFBPxTOQ&oe=6591545D	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410527559_1734006163786235_4049002299136446530_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7Q1AYCngwNIAX_kn0sD&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAAxA5imEdwDY0spfFVqms9wU2MDvJxz7FkzwXmaIvCGw&oe=6592EDBE			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
66914	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054157		67		659973123003157	1	7.4836017679046E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575817450530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Install to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703215132	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412934656_186886604450618_8076637315161292756_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TEehlk5qgoMAX8FWb61&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVAroo3IkhzWaf8pWhNwjcRhcH9zzWofq0ZNwLGtgbQA&oe=6592EF85	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413004091_357157516915331_6233794674376649040_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DkrOIpFWpIkAX_Yyrr3&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2GOo19yMlz4rUkY9-ZAEDjJ5XrwfelUI_DhVYSpTgjQ&oe=659263F7			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP<br /> Search book id:1374 <br /> Or book title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩,read the full version!		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68513	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054157		67		7284723021538200		8.5974544916968E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113444458245067		0	Djemba Djemba entertainment			120203425098500134		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	In the colorful panels and witty punchlines of today's comics, female illustrators capture the essence of women's experiences with a vibrancy that resonates deeply. These artists bring to life the joys, struggles, and the often unspoken realities of womanhood with a deftness that's as empowering as....	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1701808925	1.1344445824507E+14	Djemba Djemba entertainment	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407751033_262098943532749_7089506565599897863_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GEVEvlCVWwoAX_xmXU0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCEL_8psBBy_6V6GxQEd9DRgFpP38bDl22PY1phiVQzBg&oe=6591AA0E	person_profile	0	Djemba Djemba entertainment	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407875508_1062201511578579_4159620002358926723_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=44EKHe5yBlIAX9xXJ-Y&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBuXxmYEJWSQ4fkiMdLPg2Ga8wdpGLeectbk_-sHUwhUw&oe=65928BAB			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Djemba Djemba entertainment		33	https://facebook.com/100087878262291	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66791	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		456838070130807	1	1.449073602359E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	156012997601512		0	Joanna Feldman			120204183849300126		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/feldman_joanna		1703408074	1.5601299760151E+14	Joanna Feldman	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414450727_1022712495452332_7125465740648333378_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_3Vl7_tTyD4AX90name&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDZSspNUn8Zpz8La3QkLqDM7EnFfVni4mMFZz54yCj16Q&oe=6592F70D	person_profile	0	Joanna Feldman || TOP LIDER • NETWORK • Aloesowe Petardy 📲	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413975021_874757077988792_1231575992432818511_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bBZzIXwUIWwAX-N5mLd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDD2sBEu7OHQRijILlXO7M8as_BMXiR85wcNmH0ekLu3A&oe=65928C07			0	3	🎄🌟 Mam dla Ciebie coś wyjątkowego na te Święta, coś, co rozświetli Twój Nowy Rok niesamowitymi możliwościami.🎁<br /> <br /> Wyobraź sobie, że po całym tym świątecznym rozluźnieniu masz szansę na coś naprawdę ekscytującego. Coś, co nada Twojemu 2024 roku zupełnie nowy wymiar. 💫<br /> <br /> Tak, mówię o webinarze, który zmieni Twój sposób myślenia o realizacji celów zawodowych!🎯<br /> <br /> Tuż po świętach, 27.12 o godzinie 20:00 spotkamy się na bezpłatnym webinarze, gdzie będę dzielić się z Tobą sprawdzonymi strategiami i wskazówkami, jak skutecznie osiągnęłam swoje zawodowe i cele. To będzie wyjątkowa okazja, by zainspirować się na nadchodzący rok i wyznaczyć kurs na sukces.🫶<br /> <br /> To spotkanie jest dla Ciebie, jeśli chcesz przekształcić swoje aspiracje w realne plany i działania. Jeśli brakuje Ci obecnie czegoś w życiu - czy to czasu, pieniędzy, rozwoju, wspierającego otoczenia, a może masz postanowienia noworoczne (np dojść do swojej wymarzonej formy), ale nie wiesz jak?<br /> <br /> Obiecuję, że to nie będzie kolejny nudny webinar - to będzie wyjątkowe doświadczenie, pełne inspiracji i konkretów.<br /> <br /> ➡️ Chcesz dostać się na webinar ? Wstarczy, że dasz ♥️ lub napiszesz do mnie. Webinar jest otwarty, bezpłatny. Bez kamerek i mikrofonów dla Twojego komfortu. <br /> <br /> Napisz do mnie 📩 już teraz i zróbmy pierwszy krok razem. To będzie wyjątkowy początek czegoś nowego.<br /> <br /> Niech 2024 będzie niezapomniany ! 🍾🥂		Joanna Feldman		0	https://facebook.com/61553286580270	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
69512	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054155		67		302339162636448	20	6.6684229876572E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207689160403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724096	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404315467_693084352823541_6494322946607810584_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CaD1J1CZrrgAX8VYTgc&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCHXB_8QwFje6OkbUF2M5xja95woxL2RimI0L5f4M0ZWg&oe=659189D7	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404309215_1487013545391213_6030249256830755082_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-UoaHYox93IAX-i8hhA&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfB9qbHpiZqBP0N5dkT4yt38NTCiCWBICL25NV23-U3eFQ&oe=65919557			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69536	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054155		67		896524035456673	3	2.2170545485052E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207907690403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724613	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404066893_676990304538798_4609614431989315075_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BJJqEUgJ8AYAX-Rfysd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA8EMVN9Is1StJb7rsJHyzoD8d9dscqFRzLeCX6K_8ZiQ&oe=659288B2	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403891141_596212575946782_481744435347397638_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w5vdEvzECrEAX9vmy1I&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCDrWJnHsHvO6tlqy1y4vneDHgQ4a-tCT6VryilCfVBfg&oe=6593332E			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68075	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054157		67		797008272184952		3.7343665201549E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108954990605691		0	Biomolecules MDPI			120202479381740217					NONE	image					1702386800	1.0895499060569E+14	Biomolecules MDPI	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409984561_256718954094424_5039224369170278964_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e3B9wbVnN3QAX9li0v9&_nc_oc=AQkzutstHJ3JOiHIWX6kNR2G-qFyaVm6txZ-sKYUr-qx9XTppWIiowOZfVVXMk7BozQ&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAi-8lE0KtHL1hynYryuJOKyFOinLQ78I1yi2nIUQ7PBA&oe=6592CE92	person_profile	0					0	3	Recently Published <br /> <br /> Read now ➡️ &quot;MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of Histone-Modifying Enzymes in Cancer: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications&quot; by Joanna Szczepanek and Andrzej Tretyn from Nicolaus Copernicus University. <br /> <br /> The article 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ft.ly%2Fdm4dD&amp;h=AT2gW-3cImR_R5zyQq_KMoXMbS8vmt7fBVItmzL8JX15dKAMyRcK8xqFSeIzNRQfiYpqUypd8c8BCpXarY94s6W-s0Q8Tyu23IionOGH6m-v-t5fwG9JKq7qQ6zJ9TDQ6SzS96JCvlRjpzBGWeaDxw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://t.ly/dm4dD</a>		Biomolecules MDPI		5258	https://facebook.com/BiomoleculesMDPIJournal	0								1702368000		View Edit Delete
69667	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054157		67		361818366304545	5	1.0021451142252E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779372070250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678800	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404635050_871400307801914_6122253990712761384_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FmV43zEDciYAX91tsDA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLAY00OS2cRFnbIaSeZwyNId9XfxQ-5Z7MHduE8I756A&oe=659149E6	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68438	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054157		67		2226794844511619	4	2.7496543485083E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543270149310		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Primavera Sound Porto		https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899523	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407711971_3003923139745176_1428078933966580244_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F4RMjPuGoMYAX-p4hvY&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuAN6DkUduMHnLIGYhU3ji95dVvZ_fP8E4MsVZZBZvog&oe=6591846B	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407695350_901125501044084_2363147447325947883_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-AOqXb5dLNEAX8aBnvx&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjpNffDZVgzkOuCxKeIKQuebioqmfgZ8y3znWMGy_kpg&oe=65918314			0	3	Primavera Sound Porto returns to Parque da Cidade from the 6th to 8th of June 2024. Around 50 artists confirmed to celebrate the 11th edition!		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68147	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054157		67		876925407254338	1	1.0107061000166E+15		1702368000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498185210278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287793	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409586572_2323163667884668_3988127766710104392_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0DCU7j8wpM0AX-an3bT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyOuYEHtmdTF3-CHKmPA4M7yfTc7Omqc5G9yEPv07Dgw&oe=6592D93E	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409682391_892543915793562_569521386557336094_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=I49K8CRwhZMAX91QUvm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAYvvtvuoqtfZS7dT4BJQ9kE0v9AR3u5HCqHe713GhC9Q&oe=6591881D			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
70138	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054157		67		674011891583435	3	1.320222321959E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201539290720115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700548019	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402654075_324024013708578_6947399693421850452_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K-ye7aJBmWIAX-eXzoU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCuFE1mQym1HHMEborgm3Qm-5OLNVBj2BGmqL-ZDqWkfA&oe=6591E04D	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402653629_314763201394119_1150323654643009945_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zBZm4kdtsv8AX_-UdyU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxoQVILE1avN1mUq0iDxf-XqyIXVGyqEHXWzoOmKlVZA&oe=6591688B			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69565	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054155		67		2093691727645916	2	3.5351912055989E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611857040115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722746	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404649893_1077680826735265_3969377666054807729_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g9epdhCROPwAX9S9c9N&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfClaegYDD8R_mJxBICMdEpZKyWdHFsyn2W-p8_gp_K05w&oe=6592D952	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404715675_876352784132111_6897144949232047910_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gA79L6w77esAX-oVJJu&_nc_oc=AQmCQlTlJfveQ8wKtfAsZ-hVhjhYJheyyAMNrFWWJwq6FBmqv2zOLKxZ7ulF3_oEVaicBM5KmJ1ATmZRpPd2zrhs&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbUDmQZYiAn23VmVYm09P8Xr2g1c-2rC9fccvl5WkFOQ&oe=659206EF			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68720	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		2981861015289561		1.2652095641785E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100159009599298		0	Sexton & Moody, P.C.			23861320947730538		sextonandmoody.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Contact Us Today!	770-474-5646 or click to learn more	https://sextonandmoody.com/		1696989898	1.001590095993E+14	Sexton & Moody, P.C.	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387837678_1729718440862315_1365301091068121290_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ti610TZV--QAX92W0Lz&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBMqeyOAsXbN-g2FP-XOz6mH-UgiKXnTVfUpp3b1uI4BQ&oe=65922BDC	person_profile	0	Sexton & Moody, P.C.	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387841408_1491541728354968_6507959995312069382_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IPKhwbafzXYAX8682nS&_nc_oc=AQlyW00uHp9x7809IrtpSUeZmhvIRGuYgDWXI17ryWjAp8-Rqq_sF18FN_I8u4CNmUHNHMJ82LDrgxB6HYKttXw_&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCGmx0J7LitP4M_iQBDeZpXjJ9uNQIowODTsZiQbX633w&oe=6591B871			0	3	Sexton &amp; Moody, P.C. creates a legal strategy for you. We are trial lawyers. We are not afraid of trying your case, and we have decades of experience in using those trial skills.		Sexton & Moody, P.C.		259	https://facebook.com/sextonandmoody	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67940	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054157		67		1426025691280780	1	1.0386853141024E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411372210044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702457963	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409717619_375744795017615_7260846942541851416_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IG6feFQp5jwAX-bJwQI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAsky2fPuPyeeMTbxQfK3UBYkjYW8imKs_zBR3gAudSjA&oe=65919044	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409769697_371724622007818_2201433780038384186_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZF4h_HLxt64AX9_O9sF&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAl05bLNVGBbrmT9ji7QQsf5y3Lmk2R45-40uQ_XEXBmw&oe=65931F39			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69824	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054157		67		1769087300219186	4	1.1104183366128E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105318458419634		0	Fully Delicious - Images			120200721278410167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679319	1.0531845841963E+14	Fully Delicious - Images	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404558025_3293112430978708_5909986734546003458_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tI8-4PNSIbQAX-6GmQx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDaA3eWF0pp4Mw9S0g8TjmogwVqxnTpBJ57Ngwj9XOIcw&oe=6592C2F9	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Fully Delicious - Images		714	https://facebook.com/100069380589760	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66961	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054157		67		393096036392230		2.60177383491E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100407068726982		0	Simbaly - Trends			120202829724440756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213315	1.0040706872698E+14	Simbaly - Trends	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410047994_295584776790988_7346036601741761373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PbpeYfdTgJwAX8Z14sZ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0Q5CrmOPpSFY4hkf_0llC1niKNFAzyqEmwKVZPOydfg&oe=65919DAC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Simbaly - Trends		1969	https://facebook.com/100071393365191	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67252	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		374542108401361		2.9387042645447E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX_EH7C_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZVeKhb3QsqmOPd_6ifILDimyN_R_ywSx4VUWe9eozBQ&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
66594	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054157		67		1036692687584723				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	149187418450228		0	Epic Reads			6521119105456		www.epicreads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	"A vitally important story.” —Misa Sugiura, author	New from Joanna Ho.	https://www.epicreads.com/books/9780063059351/the-silence-that-binds-us/?maas=maas_adg_569212BEA739C4E9C3CA25B3A699D1C8_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thesilencethatbindsus		1702937201	1.4918741845023E+14	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410922692_594226866172823_8130090960782759370_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wEHJFNyhb-4AX9-5-cB&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCdlLM725dzms4xbcqCw3LFNIFJgSTO4S8T44pLSrCRdQ&oe=65926E5A	person_profile	0	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410636078_1133926724247277_4827718909786359415_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g1BlA2wsRfUAX8vqrD7&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCLEqMqwEGpvYE58l9aaXWJkMtiLVZKgx3Hdt0u2vAFhQ&oe=65919CDD			0	3	Start reading the powerful YA debut from New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho! Now available in paperback.		Epic Reads		1164999	https://facebook.com/EpicReads	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66533	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054155		67		907356380918032	1	9.0514058455221E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	175524979193299		0	Tracy Sumner			120203336534760302		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/tracysumnerromance		1703692176	1.755249791933E+14	Tracy Sumner	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414131058_1774419219647535_7694327363042415670_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Oo4AQuh5sY0AX_7gzRc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD5Lyf7IIEv8qh_21brjAGyL0yyF5oOMWhYGGkmFJBVeQ&oe=6591F2DF	person_profile	0	Tracy Sumner	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415251674_346696101306977_9015093586680157176_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PPz6HoNUOcMAX8scxOq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMnk-GTNyQCREZ2ACxUz8Q5Im58hkHTGTLFv5GyDdzmg&oe=6592EA9C			0	3	Posted &#064;withregram • &#064;kkalbabooks ✨My highlights of the year✨<br /> <br /> I went to Goodreads yesterday to check if I even have 23 books to call favourites from this year. Turns out I have exactly 23 of them, and I think that’s fate! 😂<br /> <br /> Each one of these stories made me happy at a specific moment in time, and together they helped made this year one of the best years of my life ❤️ A sincere thank you to every author on this list!<br /> <br /> As you can see from the slides, many of them were ARCs. And to think that a year ago I had no idea what an ARC was. I am so grateful for this community and the opportunity to read books and share my thoughts with you! Thank you everyone I’ve interacted with — reader or author or narrator — you made my year! <br /> <br /> Personally, thanks to 2023 I have so many things to look forward to in the new year:<br /> <br /> ✨We bought a house (moving in 2024).<br /> ✨We set the date and started planning the wedding (to happen in 2024).<br /> ✨We applied for Belgian citizenship: my partner already got his, and I’m waiting for the answer due any moment now.<br /> ✨I started my bookstagram, met so many wonderful readers and authors, saw new authors making their dreams come true and thought “why not me?” And now I’m 100k words into my first novel and couldn’t be prouder or more terrified.<br /> ✨I got to travel to places old and new, and see my friends scattered around the world.<br /> ✨I realised I may have a mental disorder (not diagnosed yet), and just the realisation alone made me strangely calmer. Now when intrusive thoughts start to plague me, I know why and that knowledge helps me ground myself. I’m looking forward to getting professional help next year.<br /> <br /> ✨Here’s to hoping that 2024 will be better for all of us, starting with FREE 🍉🍉🍉 — that’s a non-negotiable.✨		Tracy Sumner		4108	https://facebook.com/Tracysumnerauthor	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68340	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054157		67		1997638023969642	1	3.6031028324497E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104237722649340		0	Tee World B			120202692924160594		whisdecant.co	Shop now		NONE	image	Personalized Decanter - Perfect Gift	Limited Edition	https://whisdecant.co/products/joanna-13k2-d05		1702009557	1.0423772264934E+14	Tee World B	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409173991_729604382421019_4345797857450886519_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6otrjWAMHHkAX8WiOWL&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAOYMURwfCoFWS5A2Rgp_4xm-zB0Ne-kb6dk-Ut58I6-w&oe=659162F1	person_profile	0	Tee World B	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409205221_1009917526773196_5266148005267612300_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mSvxujPgOhIAX9JImYg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBiCaSTqKRpuo9gLDOlRs0IMWRWHtIBQdNRKoKpH-YaQA&oe=65931DC0			0	3	Personalized Decanter Set<br /> A Perfect Gift, A Unique Birthday Present, A Cool Appreciation Giftbox<br /> Special Edition ❤ <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwhisdecant.co%2Fproducts%2Fjoanna-13k2-d05&amp;h=AT2iOBIy2NtzxonZfhSy1IHX2Z7le0RLe3lZ-1cyyDp-rQnmoAad8adgWWX9xm4D806EZjYE4gE82ULoHLU4zsETDZvrvTzWQyxxEiau-sRhrOTMAUWOyPqXeacd49K1REsL60IusOhLg5vSFHAbPQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://whisdecant.co/products/joanna-13k2-d05</a>		Tee World B		75	https://facebook.com/100092418729180	0		SHOP_NOW						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69587	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054157		67		164982969993022	5	3.3582069914797E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779071030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678105	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404281049_663826785738975_691301604766854849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TR3naDLlUd8AX9ELT_A&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfBLSQtbpriQR4lCUSZEyVpOSnruCKh5wfklzT_ekCgQiw&oe=6592E151	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69245	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		914679176680063	1	1.0662820210642E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	2166029823488459		0	Marspeta			120203176204000409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700908911	2.1660298234885E+15	Marspeta	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405311856_1699598537173377_2940446835034839732_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dnOq_42FZTQAX9WtDe8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCkRSnAbRZRjuwJOsQLc_4Jdf-Y5Lws8ObHUwl3_nzFXg&oe=65925EE5	person_profile	0	Marspeta	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404949428_1080912536420930_924400872797928942_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a2-4sB5tXPgAX-EXbh2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJ-OmQtPcy_HqXzeIN2ZHGrvg8fb4h5foYMg7gLUQbIQ&oe=65929640			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Marspeta		27670	https://facebook.com/Marspeta	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68356	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054157		67		334092336040580	1	5.6427033528042E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	12013348247		0	Country Living Magazine			120202295255080684		countryliving.com	No button		NONE	image	These Joanna Gaines-Approved Finds Are on Our Amazon Wishlist		https://www.countryliving.com/shopping/g40177047/joanna-gaines-amazon-prime-day-2022/?utm_source=facebook_arb&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=arb_fb_clv_d_i_comm_k1_g40177047		1701963935	12013348247	Country Living Magazine	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407702467_825530479371230_1544293109460488246_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o9NbZ8z8amEAX-r_WtO&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAxkbO4k2mCuPtFKzSFswhAJALXXceMQKOMYsGWryk5uw&oe=6591D076	person_profile	0					0	3	Farmhouse style on a budget right this way.		Country Living Magazine		5145670	https://facebook.com/CountryLiving	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68045	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054157		67		234501776330589		7.060869210673E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207707746010456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390811	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409844625_372212295341580_5659403916891611792_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wsrT2Tdb1DoAX_byvHs&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCob7HzuF-A3xMrQmhDaJM4h3n6OA3HpVTAarOUP7m97w&oe=6591D358	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409659393_1562638721141534_334568012343499748_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WMMHb7e8HK4AX9dw2ct&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBlTCir4s1CC-bVDTKopgX43HSqYA32MaHHjW2TDdJSGw&oe=65924AD6			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
66398	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054157		67		897032938430996	1	8.86087352598E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108215147346228		0	Joanna Fashion Store			120200715186220435		joannasfashionstore.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Joanna Fashion Store	Για όσο καιρό η ιστοσελίδα μας βρίσκεται υπό κατασκευή μπορείτε να απευθυνθείτε στο 6945 148 796	http://joannasfashionstore.com/		1699655457	1.0821514734623E+14	Joanna Fashion Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/399677561_1699112477259202_7279879114044272945_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dCR0PVVK3KMAX-pjpR2&_nc_oc=AQmi0P93eZKdvsm-IWoVpS3ZIxDx7Ff9SBL6LaDGaElJdDPQE4WJOwhtM1DB-lXPpeE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB13X7ucWgJRple1KEsOtwH45mowHST4wO5QpIivK5WzA&oe=6591EC58	person_profile	0	Joanna Fashion Store	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401089883_3578016969181011_8278699218711683687_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=quUFMrBF_1IAX9mNXSg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjgEVDnWO5d6MrA-4GG21P9JR1gVPL8btMJXY8JFkgJQ&oe=6592A3F6			0	3	Joanna <br /> fashion store		Joanna Fashion Store		83395	https://facebook.com/100064833155643	0		SHOP_NOW						1699603200		View Edit Delete
66861	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054157		67		1207857130175874		8.9362920225368E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967020550018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299788	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414034470_889933259174006_5852219631089367370_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=krNCAlwm9_kAX_7BGtd&_nc_oc=AQkd7lGfI2xmmPJsswY4Lu_oMTI0Ep5E_1D3LnxXgNf4nuadhquyPCbiHgmcPHuDcL7FdrbO9xs_ftxIhriyW01M&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA8mqQj9FJ7ceuhkSL5GJIyiJ06jSxm3rjEfOy7ZvJBOQ&oe=65933D81	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414040054_1033930641052370_86088993837448676_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZkkGNxf2dZ8AX9xu9ws&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChzEthBaig1gAiQUD14INr3R_G3JRjQmHGMklBIocaLQ&oe=6591FD0F			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69541	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054157		67		1063149208361885	1	6.4437657790909E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611858960115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722764	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404630703_877329843676842_7795716901740602916_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MjJhaOqZ2e8AX89jMd4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCUQtBYpGceL3_Zay6NhRzVtO50JZwjqJYvvyngo0MnEw&oe=65933B9A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404669637_1047130586398005_6743665582288026876_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wQhaB4mUkO4AX8ZUTws&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBA85MUjjLcdElbxIb35RHFkJ4SWNU2_3ktMAU8yIITTQ&oe=65915EF7			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69215	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		367182852359827	3	1.1463320796809E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674071350115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969835	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406230241_656780333009758_1693337773169608253_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5zfzsFMkgj4AX8SVwyE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7LOKDwxvqBR7a3RyQ-7gFEM69PC6opCvcR3S7STCIoQ&oe=65917146	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403717194_7046070642082183_643270913153439283_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-1dqEGv8AtkAX_dqrPD&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBTfK7lteNAII79wEEH9FZkuCGj2xjBIOiQ_2soQ-TMBw&oe=659171F8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69722	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054157		67		1011282156652481		8.4403303105709E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114866079891340		0	Trivia.com			120200721167820167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679091	1.1486607989134E+14	Trivia.com	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403062126_649605070587053_234047071631406610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fkmSHS6SykIAX8n-nnt&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqirX2kdWrh7uLJhl3yNhPcKU2lqspjgrlyzhHN8LXTQ&oe=6591BD67	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com		19830	https://facebook.com/100063472063438	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66918	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054159		67		1090648958608993	1	6.8850778335173E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575273730530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video			http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703214995	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412030401_1553188845428459_7258457904514237671_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-nfmNStxYksAX-JwuD3&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBLv9THux6GmGdBMIQeG3G9pMxHTItp324rMESJczlHFg&oe=65932803	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412873802_326457863684721_6853805874637116711_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mg8g7laaISIAX98LUPu&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDw6n4Qi0id-xFyGkdlBVykjdp8PpZU6-gLQvdza3UTkg&oe=6592984B			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68134	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		1061616278489790	1	6.579619631994E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106191442577670		0	Heritage Horizons			120203001294340731		pastchronicles.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.pastchronicles.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702293536	1.0619144257767E+14	Heritage Horizons	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410078637_843198114171722_5963116729181256406_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ck5NTw5EuhkAX-wGr6f&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC0_xAWqLEF_B14XU0Chm6HAHvty24jo0qZfPbJmXVkbQ&oe=65923AAB	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Heritage Horizons		27	https://facebook.com/100095600560414	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
70006	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054159		67		726631435557893	1	8.8359226307337E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	275758569814605		0	Cooking 4 All			120200713702380065		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://cooking4all.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628578	2.7575856981460E+14	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404275854_1282021535849421_3231040391309340734_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yaMooktsrLMAX9r20uu&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmmC9RqKdmoi6KXJlO4NOmMreH_uXCcatvEgWTENXSLA&oe=65921305	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇		Cooking 4 All		2127	https://facebook.com/Cooking4AllFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69698	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054159		67		730002508981580	5	2.8800859695267E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1702152333364539		0	Two Red Dots			120201778908950250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677875	1.7021523333645E+15	Two Red Dots	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403732874_200696603079248_6327002370576212959_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ou5DMPpbe8YAX94EWXT&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDP3ZxTRC9JEHQS7hHqFOoosXbANa_4zlSEfFu6qYOZw&oe=6592BBB4	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Two Red Dots		28479	https://facebook.com/tworeddots	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70079	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054159		67		1792225984625286	1	2.4872533793426E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201111853470243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700553926	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404257231_705631758196721_8354840981369518959_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jgDqFWOSbJwAX9aZzMf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoxKiLgq79C-0xZVrabQDImFcAYXljI4szJvA1L0KcQ&oe=6592A0BD	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404446784_2347850172073324_7300215746560623880_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XnuxznW4wo4AX-5UzHh&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBlWtkST2ppXX78K2tLhSdmo_VQ5ee4Qv3OCOng3CV5jA&oe=659285E4			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69585	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		172182912646052		2.8800859695267E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1702152333364539		0	Two Red Dots			120201778908950250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677875	1.7021523333645E+15	Two Red Dots	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403732874_200696603079248_6327002370576212959_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ou5DMPpbe8YAX8lKDLZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfDy9HktF4vLe1tqYsUdrSIODgSfDoGmymZqHSqvPPfrCQ&oe=6592BBB4	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Two Red Dots		28479	https://facebook.com/tworeddots	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68009	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054159		67		7209742982425095		1.4427714265846E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100602492862162		0	History Nation			120207706769000456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390154	1.0060249286216E+14	History Nation	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409974985_2292806667595774_5897059546505085296_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W-yrU5bSslcAX9P4v32&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBIv8BETZqNGi6fm6mhGLm0bsFuZmgzyftiKPN-01JUjg&oe=6592D3A4	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Nation		3643	https://facebook.com/100087250000253	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67339	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		848931463595930		2.0712646832072E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107782662260298		0	Tony Johnson			120201982203170452		gotonyjohnson.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Run 3x A Week For Your Marathon		https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit		1702863605	1.077826622603E+14	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411104667_734943831418199_1067345738162356073_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=l1fUYC94gwYAX_OzQd6&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAZUkQFDSYC6Y4GGcsEW9hqBrMtASMbTbxPjBAPRgtv7Q&oe=65918C1E	person_profile	0	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411190281_338061865650965_112249613858380723_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2NYtQ-hnLOcAX82MfCO&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAH5yrJT2UAFVWA9uuLhFbZV6zrFMWOjCQKpC6g_dc2Bg&oe=65932B98			0	3	Attention Marathon Runners: Run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or less for ONLY $17<br /> <br /> (If you don&#039;t run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks, I&#039;ll give you a $100 for wasting your time)<br /> <br /> Introducing The Marathon Training Starter Kit!<br /> <br /> This unique style of training has not only helped me, but also 200+ beginner and seasoned runners run their half or full marathons like…<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Joanna won a gold medal on her first half marathon<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Abby ran her first marathon in 4 hours with just 9 weeks of training<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Salma ran her first marathon in 4:28 after overcoming a pelvic stress fracture.<br /> <br /> The &#039;Marathon Training Starter Kit’ for ONLY $17 helps people like you easily run their half or full marathons in 16 weeks or less…<br /> <br /> ✅ without running 4+ times per week<br /> ✅ without running speed intervals or hills<br /> ✅ without dealing with constant overuse injuries<br /> ✅ without getting burned out or bored<br /> <br /> Run your half or full marathon injury free and finish with a time you are proud of, while also becoming the strongest, most confident version of yourself…<br /> <br /> Click the link below to get instant access to “The Marathon Training Starter Kit’ and start your training today for just $17.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gotonyjohnson.com%2Fmarathon-training-starter-kit&amp;h=AT3gtg7oeLXkq2hgOBW3adrytO4P93jITFDvfDb6IL6oAlxnq1_Qpj-yQrlSQlthTxGcN4KLYXwI39c_Q-Qb6lDei2KbQEDjJ9w8G4W6lW-yFbbgrZr2J14a7acQkyNYCQ7HH7KYNUalDBYwXTBhyBZqIak" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit</a><br /> <br /> See ya inside,<br /> Tony Johnson		Tony Johnson		450	https://facebook.com/coachtonyjohnson.10	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
68497	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054159		67		1025122405393622	1	9.098381239852E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458443140691		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856021	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406694870_1026280128456608_9204811814726237466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cak1bffYURYAX_vDXVH&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAxN2AuHRtDJSfkWhJGUjuxeykXii59qTH64r64MFjtOQ&oe=65920E4A	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406696261_7080627098639913_5152190301611495544_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Aan1u2RDKYAX91ynen&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDNnS8NZBkpK-mhkvBl7zqJKSyaIjP-FbwsFaagsc8ZPg&oe=6592BB4F			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67403	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		1388849532059973	1	6.5403398680885E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	330511345659		0	PARMA Recordings			120202826677890156		navonarecords.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Transmutation – Navona Records	Joanna Estelle's TRANSMUTATION, a communal effort featuring various talented performers coming together to transmute their message to you.	https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6559/		1702744246	330511345659	PARMA Recordings	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410916462_1798326477254695_4475925661777810563_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qfEzSMm623QAX8kz_ki&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBJDOrN1bF_5mRW_6P9cqRSF6FjEqVdQnye2N9FlxK7Hw&oe=65926445	person_profile	0	PARMA Recordings	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410952025_1435094400768871_5758161347645116325_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Sm2IC1wjXgAX-oXAIu&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKI15FoPRLpBiuJXbfIPqtXzijAVg3NHBqfx52ZWUFTA&oe=6592AE46			0	3	TRANSMUTATION from composer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Joanna-Estelle/100066700864475/">Joanna Estelle</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/navonarecords">Navona Records</a> is the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/globalmusicawards">Global Music Awards</a>&#039; &quot;Best in Show&quot; for December 2023! Listen to the full album from Estelle, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Trio-Casals/100063499033415/">Trio Casals</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EwashkoSingers">Ewashko Singers</a>, and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/londonsymphonyorchestra">London Symphony Orchestra</a> here.<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.navonarecords.com%2Fcatalog%2Fnv6559%2F&amp;h=AT2K0V73K1_MVPFZVDTSqQGTm7Kp5_cCG3a9IUcDKSp2qxZe0_jT4SW3cqKjoFnRFOs1bxO7ReOde9dHV2wb_eHoGpUF5H8gDNpirD4YOQUC2EZOc90jxFPeHUNp5CWfC40a9MgxpWf-FntidCcgXDBuXqY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6559/</a>		PARMA Recordings		6312	https://facebook.com/PARMArecordings	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68733	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054159		67		265249673194255	2	8.9426444209880E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497698940404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357851	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406358726_710950794303438_8960751801788668814_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YRlruWO1tCMAX9BEhHg&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDIlN6Uiz8ChRF3mqQll3L1PCzCqqQ73Fohmj7q2AmQxQ&oe=6592C8B2	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406348065_641904764824608_692377640277232053_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wPnDX8p7sXYAX8L4Wws&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAcVMy-33f9n9V978HICDOtCzUmUVIn7c_RVIU75fRW7w&oe=659302B2			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
66671	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		661806852780516	1	3.7641861153916E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104926531949545		0	Joanna Stanecka			6504942058042					NONE	image	Joanna Stanecka	Kultura, Teatr, Film, Koncert, Publiczność, Muzyka,	https://facebook.com/joannaratingen		1703549042	1.0492653194954E+14	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412869344_745562190924851_2668092214028598987_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ybEGEuc8FC4AX-KpoAA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPuUQabv__OU_FduI3qU7pE_OfSd5peJa_QJFMGJJECg&oe=6591E64F	person_profile	0	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412737377_887864032934529_1595165857627748785_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JNkRSKKI4KQAX-aDaq2&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvRPuzJUNpdKJxkKRMowDaUIF7DilTysCiXjS6cVaAYw&oe=65930676			0	3	From yesterday on Spotify<br /> Take and eat from it all.... <br /> As an antidote to Christmas carols - goes great with a Christmas tree<br /> As a juicy addition to a dry holly wafer<br /> As a &quot;multicolored unopposed&quot; to a snotty December. <br /> The album will comfort and implement reflection. <br /> Marry Christmas🌲💝🍒<br /> <br /> Od wczoraj na Spotify<br /> Bierzcie i jedzcie z tego wszyscy… <br /> Jako odtrutka na kolędy - pasuje świetnie do choinki<br /> Jako soczysty dodatek do suchego opłatka<br /> Jako „wielobarw niepospolity” do zasmarkanego grudnia. <br /> Album pocieszy, posmuci, wdroży refleksję. <br /> Pięknych świąt 🌲💝<br /> <br /> Von gestern auf Spotify<br /> Nehmt und esst davon alles.... <br /> Als Gegengift zu Weihnachtsliedern - passt gut zum Weihnachtsbaum<br /> Als saftige Ergänzung zu einer trockenen heilige Oblaten<br /> Als &quot;buntes Gegenstück&quot; zu einem rotzigen Dezember. <br /> Fröhliche Weihnachten 🎄🎁		Joanna Stanecka		1151	https://facebook.com/joannaratingen	0								1703491200		View Edit Delete
67704	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054159		67		723939566336867	1	3.7481204495764E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120203250676870344		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702472302	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409179147_340677565375180_7874015646913419426_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JXwCH6iawNgAX-iYYZx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwpvJRr5dUggUIa9EX97V0wc4L9kPyG64lxX0iQ8Ur2A&oe=6591A5EB	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67078	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		3642391309331170		3.4606443483918E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	235613043245259		0	Alla's Yummy Food			120204742709990768		allasyummyfood.com	Sign up		NONE	carousel	Alla's Yummy Food		https://www.allasyummyfood.com/online-cake-club		1703108609	2.3561304324526E+14	Alla's Yummy Food	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411052325_895312761928522_7766275336763753235_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RYA4ajNroe8AX_H5z8b&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBA01Yga01mm6rC7fybXkeQQf2y7qmRY1sVuAU37_UDZg&oe=659162CF	person_profile	0	Alla Driksne | Online Cake Academy	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411501558_1028428681723919_8448264590193517001_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jr1hudZrQxMAX9rGi9I&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDNH0SIEocbU-rs63rWZfAcZfViAa8zIdqeBboRcqaXrA&oe=6592E953			0	3	Are you looking for a way to elevate your baking skills and your business? Perfect! It’s time for you to join 100+ beginner, home, and professional bakers in my Cake Club! <br /> <br /> When you sign up, you’ll gain access to:<br /> <br /> ☑️ Exclusive recipes for beautiful, high-end cakes<br /> ☑️ How to master taking amazing photos from your smartphone<br /> ☑️ Business strategies to help you baking business grow<br /> ☑️ Access to my must-have Mastermind Sessions<br /> <br /> …and SO much more!<br /> <br /> If you have access to a kitchen and a love for baking, Cake Club is for you. Let’s bake, learn, and grow together. 🎂 Flexible payment options are available!<br /> <br /> Join Now and Transform Your Baking Journey!👇<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.allasyummyfood.com%2Fonline-cake-club&amp;h=AT2KtydwY0N0H5EuvHChXVs9SUCi3gp5OEv1opZzIMgQl0pE6QQ6oMKfnw08E17GeFMevb7DuEfhSpk-CIhzxNkL1-h-f2ndbBDJPOzY8GC6m4X1CVD2WDAZvOosuezYDdHsb2RoHe9i0lkpb4IMww" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.allasyummyfood.com/online-cake-club</a>		Alla's Yummy Food		274053	https://facebook.com/allasyummyfood	0		SIGN_UP						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68957	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		1001180207618916	2	3.7060547197791E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300676180596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151568	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406266790_386985680327118_434441213685488201_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Cx_vYMMqKoAAX-1QNde&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFrLOyDwu20ukdoMfbhsT31lQjhK9ReSm77mvU1Lp2Mg&oe=659173A9	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406278539_7164413870245565_6992544150193189847_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OFvaBkD0aNUAX-zxlrB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA4qjNmBvg9h4-rXFbg13xqTrVMnkOJ1_7_nXl4CNeKhQ&oe=65928C52			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69255	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		1380737802546103	1	7.2530484909919E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113576797162972		0	The Good Life			120203184809650409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700944921	1.1357679716297E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406041211_882496020236185_6809653296963346246_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=092QF77xqFcAX_3djif&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyVCTrPZjsYEpAggW-BysOzwr3CWWjG_G_t7ZETPTCbg&oe=65931AFB	person_profile	0	The Good Life	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406055478_339432498698783_5843116895124442163_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QSZ2hjzgHPkAX80CBzl&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBa8JAzDfoE1aS-eg_e-2l28yDn95mbi8D1RvTXHcHnOQ&oe=659234FD			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		The Good Life		102	https://facebook.com/100064184615808	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66760	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		737875605065900	1	3.3146030635656E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	575104275932120		0	The Greatest Gift			6507957668737			Send message		NONE	video				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?","response":""},{"title":"I'm interested. Can you tell me more?","response":""},{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?","response":""}],"text":"Hi! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703472964	5.7510427593212E+14	The Greatest Gift	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413819036_328957226613306_5809569501445897724_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eSgIqdhBkeQAX916M08&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJ7wO6jgZTSvn26W3OzF2dn65Dbox1MqsxBr88ccINKQ&oe=65917BDE	person_profile	0					0	3	Christmas Eve service 		The Greatest Gift		1262	https://facebook.com/wearethegreatestgift	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
69012	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		648817213998176	1	8.9211544874136E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715939650115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140272	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405259941_361006473276875_8412699683726425964_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3FxNLQNq1-4AX_oFCpf&_nc_oc=AQlYvRQnOnkG2GvIphZ6Z1t2O2035WyucKyr1xjfzqmL7JnImUvMRLowj9iRqPSv4Ds&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAvfILbIF3GTyatzm3ja9-pZPsbotIC4GeuTS4iCKr9qw&oe=65914DB3	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405236815_869663014564219_6859996616158472653_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=v7lWQCjvzaYAX8AKzEp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqc409jGdl2ldxlqavKtk0HDJ6q1qaVTO342Gnbga-yA&oe=65925691			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69845	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054159		67		6770652099718823	5	2.8800859695267E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1702152333364539		0	Two Red Dots			120201778908950250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677875	1.7021523333645E+15	Two Red Dots	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403732874_200696603079248_6327002370576212959_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ou5DMPpbe8YAX9a-QV_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBmzmIwlK3oxZxwZKlVMnlMDO7GEgWIuYJiRa7i4Jdk0w&oe=6592BBB4	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Two Red Dots		28479	https://facebook.com/tworeddots	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66372	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054161		67		1057700898899963	1	2.1846577185924E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	400426736819392		0	Joanna Snow Ministries			6529375514863			Send message		NONE	image				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"What are your delivery options?","response":""},{"title":"Can you check the price of a product?","response":""},{"title":"Can I make a purchase?","response":""}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703526443	4.0042673681939E+14	Joanna Snow Ministries	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412929584_1080471290046683_8985277782981320431_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WQqmXj3-VcsAX_9ZSw8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAfQZCoenc6PLuilJRnhYkoKfODIREoO8wwc33Aa18rAg&oe=65930F8F	person_profile	0	Joanna Snow	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412766977_852889123281707_2382995233273464520_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2nN2ymu6IoUAX_njZwP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhg39BlcI1B3BgUY9o8v_JmcpgpwlKt5fwBNxcn23xmA&oe=65929716			0	3	If you find yourself struggling through the holidays. Do not hesitate to reach out and find a counselor. Let someone come alongside you. If you are local, text or call us, (251)348-0069 we would love to help you get set up with an appointment as early as this week.		Joanna Snow Ministries		503	https://facebook.com/joannasnowauthorspeaker	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
70044	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		1059518655070065	1	8.9605183880395E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108111850697516		0	سَـمِيـرة سَعـيد			120201317372040752		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/samar_reads		1700576768	1.0811185069752E+14	سَـمِيـرة سَعـيد		person_profile	0	سَـمَر💌	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404278170_7244095242309818_5544377795634079226_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=70Yhbh0nCHIAX9Y9Za2&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCGNK-oUQvwn1aVkne1GJjm6Ykg2_9S0Ct0hCEtyVvOQg&oe=6592E6E0			0	3	Just a girl &amp; her blue books🩵💭📘🌊🐋<br /> <br /> Some book recommendations:<br /> <br /> 💙A book you tell everyone that it&#039;s your favorite: <br /> i dun have a specific one but i looovvve My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (read the Arabic translation)<br /> <br /> 🦋A book that everyone loved but you didn&#039;t:<br /> Funny you should ask by Elissa Sussman &amp; Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood<br /> <br /> 🪁A book that deserves more hype:<br /> Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys &amp; The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden by Jones Jonasson<br /> <br /> 🐳A book you always recommend:<br /> Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman &amp; The Old-Book Peddler Buchmendel by Stefan Zweig (read the Arabic translation) <br /> <br /> 🛋️A book you wish you could read for the first time:<br /> Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh, Misery By Stephan King, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood<br /> <br /> 🙌🏼A book that deserves the hype:<br /> Daisy Jones and the Six &amp; It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover<br /> <br /> ✨A book you thought you&#039;d hate but you loved:<br /> A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness<br /> <br /> 🌧️A book that made you ugly cry:<br /> Don’t usually cry over books but a book i remember made me emotional:<br /> The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson<br /> &amp; Wonder by R.J Palacio <br /> &amp; Umm Saad by Ghassan Kanafani (Arabic)<br /> <br /> 💎A book from a genre you don&#039;t usually read:<br /> Purification of the Heart by Hamza Yusuf (religion/spirituality), Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom (philosophy/self help)<br /> <br /> 🩵A book that got you out of a slump:<br /> Harry Potter, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie<br /> <br /> Have you read any of these?<br /> Comment some of your favorites🩵📘		سَـمِيـرة سَعـيد		2	https://facebook.com/100067537082082	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67250	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		893373289242364		2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX_EH7C_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZVeKhb3QsqmOPd_6ifILDimyN_R_ywSx4VUWe9eozBQ&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
66667	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054161		67		745679654168910	1	1.1159376929086E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820614170777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561278	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414165063_1037728997481037_6650292094036057_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XyDaGmtIGowAX-X_6w2&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDo2n9wk6l9OATpKR9mCKr7tMKgm3gzvlHZjQlc5HzZZA&oe=65917D22	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412688430_766810468621144_1843709671080948521_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nUIa_sxYxjcAX9okVSH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBKH4rqb2q9K9jpLdXzTYC61Iu9EjjvpKOFfJaTkVVpfw&oe=65925978			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67578	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/17/25, 5:25 PM	1703760164	1750199156		67		370432502128198	1	1.1486699794445E+15		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102221635727945		0	On This Day			120203393402960448		pastchronicles.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Mysteries From The Past	https://www.pastchronicles.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702555310	1.0222163572794E+14	On This Day	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411192626_2699876043508450_6348255391197785067_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y5GKeEG3jRkAX-EClxC&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBIELVHR-UvrHV6GH-riiUFSddj5SuCOa0KwARifiP5vg&oe=65923B91	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		On This Day		5437	https://facebook.com/100078223331969	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67265	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		1034351754466380		1.7640580406882E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX8Hp38R&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCP1m5y71YuLDtXKrDmWCjEPww53bqPqu--jX5a8PwEVw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69407	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054161		67		332730472829301	1	1.7488355522583E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201123544020123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700827912	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405734814_373732191755012_8639554994629742594_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bz9Mz5kz0ywAX_vsUeE&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBmBvwDOHqmD7YBL4hpA8OfAn0hVFJVwM_amu8er6xIQ&oe=65932AC3	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405769262_725930196070895_868030094597353159_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PpvFP3JQxM4AX8KdXtx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfALZ_s_7UuwXeDo-c088tOOUkk4yNBCmxaDSHmvU7hZ8A&oe=6592790C			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68713	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/9/25, 5:34 PM	1703760171	1746830074		67		191095237326349	3	8.2648664258986E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	109572922413704		0	academics.com			23855290280300316		academics.com	Subscribe		NONE	image	Sign up for our free job newsletter!	Register with academics now, free of charge, and set up your own personal search profile.	https://www.academics.com/register-now?wt_zmc=sm.ext.aca.facebook.paid_Q1_2023_c.acacom_register.bild_ad.joanna.x		1688110356	1.095729224137E+14	academics.com	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/356999497_2606912972783442_1997938492624420208_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3rczC2nIOeYAX9ELLo7&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBldlQryEfsH4BngJb-6nMa7N2d_awByhzUF02pMBrkGQ&oe=65930B94	person_profile	0	academics.com	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/356879837_121858874278002_8031336787688135817_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UvNagOHdTjEAX8w3VcC&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfB84ALY3XUXcCvemXAWlO2ua1wHEfUu7jkcXMCHdNimNg&oe=6592D5B2			0	3	Joanna Fafinska from Poland found a job as Research Fellow at the University of Hamburg with <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Facademics.com%2F&amp;h=AT1XCNdbmB0SJZgUY0OBJ1v4LMAL2-Y4mpMd1gKh6jWUfG8oIhFOlK8XCYgrdIOca3Ga8hNn1LLLMjPgjNz9qXaSHp2S8-DpSs-0K-J_nQ9IXXucJJ3EECqORuVdp-_vpTlQ4P9QRq82HLNItGDP3bY8D6skrHp1LnQHZg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">academics.com</a>! Sign up for our job newsletter and find your new job in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.		academics.com		28892	https://facebook.com/academicscom	0		SUBSCRIBE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
66617	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/3/25, 11:21 AM	1703760158	1748967717		67		1530762007738332	1	3.5442556729013E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204713213210210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/852?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703582611	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412969859_992526299107851_5835475410673280046_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7mTv_Vt-G6EAX8H2M08&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChpwnXMluR23VZ8hkrt5OTcPqPr9fN4KSQHlThG2VBuA&oe=659174FA	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415117254_1028984318210330_490274092858153635_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tRvqpk5m7-YAX8ajrFq&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzoHzkUt3dP1Poe4mjxwoDmrA5OifeqWgPtYfHOzcSKQ&oe=6592D8A5			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68291	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		367840865902552	5	4.0040837231424E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074057400476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015916	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406746215_1552047938901448_7259351390932454844_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lsUZPcq1OwoAX_6sZON&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAUMqqHLRhj2kI7u8rWbT-F9NHwz3yDt58bjgOiNqIZPA&oe=6592F5F8	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406741719_319776707517475_4994024922074386222_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yvl0FQ5KYDsAX__VUOq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDCUgh1cEIU_u0FpWSG9RD3eZmmCCUQQMExKdLwBplyTA&oe=65921EBE			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
70018	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		2129133074099336		1.3650113674381E+15		1700985600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120203927111780091		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628549	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403726628_378360137947707_7347944566081908846_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PM9axVdfwUMAX8B_0X4&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD18g4v1HRcT7Er57sA8bx6xq_HAHHlXFdq6somEu9iZQ&oe=6592703E	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70066	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		7514973248517535	1	3.0468928913245E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112123780243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554499	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402898206_715887520458761_8318164888916089211_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zIbBxPSYGVMAX-Okb2M&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCh8UNzSXSHUnk0iDEGV3WGMRlYdxjlb4CsLKrXaalEDg&oe=6593218B	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404272572_876066667531125_2078664157046970769_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2dB9DIywRkwAX8b_MPp&_nc_oc=AQlT1Onu5KRmXpX0hx8Bvi0lAKUw9o9YM4KPBEc-6FkVAAnlU7ExpN6hRnbjgqTcrRo&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCO9_g1d_DB20pCY6UkZhXxS9T0riYKjjP61ST57N5qzA&oe=65928458			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68925	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054161		67		2080604745613904	1	1.0826600160853E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103802798475201		0	Navona Records			120201198956330156		navonarecords.com			NONE	image	The Inside Story: Joanna Estelle and TRANSMUTATION – Navona Records	Discover how she learned to trust her inner compositional voice, and how the radio broadcasts of her youth inadvertently shaped her artistic influences.	https://www.navonarecords.com/news/inside-story-joanna-estelle-transmutation/		1701185300	1.038027984752E+14	Navona Records	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405518743_1039226990455674_3582554839739535726_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SFhIbty8fjIAX8BpJOD&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC03UKKHksjTLd_yH9wpeVNWHCWAXnZh_bZEIXUHV4oqw&oe=6592CE28	person_profile	0	Navona Records	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406201643_337389665689087_8889397582059929543_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TdhEa91PuoAAX-3tjgt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAAH2OwjbK0aa-dV96C3qlQ8O9MrZfCgTezPUUW0aRxgA&oe=6592C32C			0	3	Composer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Joanna-Estelle/100066700864475/">Joanna Estelle</a> hopes that her new Navona Records release, TRANSMUTATION, &quot;will open the door for each listener to find something in the sound to which they can relate.&quot; More from Estelle in this #InsideStory.<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.navonarecords.com%2Fnews%2Finside-story-joanna-estelle-transmutation%2F&amp;h=AT1xSKz-HhulAzquQ4c8V0BZxvj-sa7-JxBG89dADk9fxwujYNPq3QV2l65iJTUX7Z5Uc3tzwynRTNrcjzv6e-oNdfXxUROZ8aRdiJ0UQ96KlOUjPu_8ymth0g6Dyfrm7nTJMo5HsY2G68SvrkSjByZFWzhGLbF18h13Qo33jF0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.navonarecords.com/news/inside-story-joanna-estelle-transmutation/</a>		Navona Records		1889	https://facebook.com/navonarecords	0								1701158400		View Edit Delete
68508	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		707920277972842	1	6.8499843008834E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201092900490540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701842314	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408159322_738375691662356_6087702271343419064_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EK7nYZR6IQcAX99Pf39&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDQU91WfdXIxH50ob_b38gXa-pi05uQmcYEBP2ETlN5og&oe=65927018	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408124559_1136062351049295_5078458531615323066_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BohsOq2uQqUAX_zqY9-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDJGYcEJZ5HVcDRvMzCK8n0A3yC8X-MYi2v390ZLUYVuw&oe=65930EAF			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69773	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 11:34 PM	1703760177	1748752476		67		1196089058014209		1.0156560028262E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721035170167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678881	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403723303_340445045354355_4047403071000238198_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pRsfrS4YYjEAX-hILcr&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDt_qfAnonJU7yQpwkbkK_S6-uWUgPkdIXofYqvwlmg8g&oe=65925703	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66641	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054161		67		923368469415860	31	8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204886716610742		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703571609	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412757484_6963818043725001_458054003860333568_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dB9Dp6Ff738AX-HdAdx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzLpCHAPbJQs7Gkew7MSbpHV5rTheVKT014YnRfCJWJg&oe=65915DDF	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412671035_690266842916140_1562387775108969172_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KdrDytgNbXoAX-DKZUg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDsxkQOGOO0hPnmTxTRqcZVrtHmjTNGCkFXLUgwXmlLrg&oe=65919E12			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67096	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054161		67		734044448217780		7.0925897450216E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	8304333127		0	The Wall Street Journal			120204214984720106		wsj.com			NONE	image	He Stole Hundreds of iPhones and Looted People’s Life Savings. He Told Us How.	A convicted iPhone thief explains how a vulnerability in Apple’s software got him fast cash—and then a stint in a high-security prison.	https://on.wsj.com/3GMWwvL		1703099035	8304333127	The Wall Street Journal	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411287957_696633582597257_4307921897696835785_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Smh1lAFb_mAAX-Jreu3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBsPK869CcuUqW5C9JLIAvKlN0UiS9eFQkLpoeDCd7Ssw&oe=659282EC	person_profile	0	The Wall Street Journal	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411252869_305586315150601_3598648023743828688_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gSAM_PmdRkQAX-R8PRj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD_tuGrndeguoxP7fnROrNNLgwKEZKwIdJzqnjqGsjdFQ&oe=65930DB9			0	3	From prison, a convicted iPhone thief explains to Joanna Stern how he stole victims’ phones, passcodes and hundreds of thousands of dollars.		The Wall Street Journal		6789115	https://facebook.com/WSJ	0								1703059200		View Edit Delete
67226	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054161		67		793684382519106		2.5809983036598E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69865	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		303019052693952	1	1.541146073303E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120205094785590777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Watch and go!		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700645808	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404452794_330568029583030_7392313476383743873_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JBw5isS5_fwAX-CPL13&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBOXlKILTTdthsttKOKCPqmdCpBXeUYXkwIzcVk_ooaBA&oe=6592772F	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404449132_3285488021744260_929017103887275165_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4-xSFfAYpFAAX-JMFHc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCk5M8c_hcfd-1dhExS0jGccxvQLGLBG1j3SRNxNbb6-A&oe=659263BB			0	3	##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67445	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1816628588755686	1	1.0747694968945E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765648080465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702449	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410872961_881759313344475_4341595628370348449_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sAUs1Gm0hoYAX8CewVZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBWgXtT5utLvrNg-LEcVkuh2glRVngZAS-uZ4Mzztx6mg&oe=6592C942	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410840973_3181875485279103_3638810345019033802_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_Jbeyn3m_i0AX8Th3ti&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA_JpNMnidM5WbuX1kmLrnJO-XuYs9TYMwdAkkEnrD_bw&oe=65923235			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67505	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1783283052186598		1.3934563812892E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011728170506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636892	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411510362_231052290021287_2479991297513288735_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mE9DJGX2RjcAX8uMPjJ&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvL7QE7OBxXD-N7732t6JPvvQGVdaNvOEcp7bK2aAE_w&oe=65925904	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236465_282288087712754_206767378895363213_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hepmVzKIlPcAX-_kVzo&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAvwgKah8m_1eWS920-BSDK5Zay1kvnAgVcwDZT_dVKzA&oe=65926C6B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67514	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1436948723885464	2	8.9899647503778E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011748540506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636944	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410391434_332253556336526_5824296967948092663_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cSv_0VEANXYAX9rFnhb&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAYRvBeWlH-zfni384Yv671lHuCgRI1LkOnI6-ZjyI9BQ&oe=65914837	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411137026_663228535934277_8372044514062030080_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DW_iG2nfA9IAX8gQja9&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAS_FASRVQAEktLCw_HHYyuzvJB3qEjPTCxLieWSmTEww&oe=6592ADB5			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67520	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		736586245022013	1	8.7851860375468E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011738810506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636917	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410839837_1449188012331636_1837975426268480633_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8cIjK0XDrIUAX9yI9Je&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCCbyxNzmwFYd5ZKfm1iLkCeyVbeAAld13pwmMYF05aTA&oe=6591D358	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410654939_731896305064021_9161503040910178876_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0CiPPpa7s9kAX9jAewc&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCdJMtBF44wx62twS__Z6awVJ580jeQ7fjWzKB0Ob13_w&oe=6591A487			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67543	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1417101402520478	1	3.64236699618E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120204063381490514		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702631149	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411218039_616883727169889_6804107321138985685_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G-pI2ONNdhcAX8Zkoz0&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyzPG3XIeY1uRi7Lm-AoE4M6yl8wh1s3ujwKa0fPyo0A&oe=65922E03	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411240365_740672654076279_7042458722008446110_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UidDlxN-T8kAX_YvdTm&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCWVeZTsZUrY73LZg_5fuGnFTMWxU7QTj9Bh-zQ4oYU6A&oe=6592C7B1			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67636	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		6569660319823931	1	1.1111984533796E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204045253580514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702610840	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410705096_371147825296611_8706354099245050450_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KdkHtWcWgKwAX8KJVte&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfWY80Zz8C3kDU0QlSNS7Vi9XmgL5S0mrOz_6hiv5ZZA&oe=6592B25E	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411071237_1099409654762994_4845617354598616792_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t2ug9fWXsGwAX-pcExx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD4sQByhtGX04cf2YjheEaqy2SsFmIm_Ze_Vnxn4m6qPg&oe=65925748			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69146	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/2/25, 12:19 PM	1703760174	1751476742		67		3513486768865434	1	3.1863565095498E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690717410115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055865	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405775357_275389468365570_1236067893875194695_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gdbxDwZTdZwAX-nDIW-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA_g5yrxlau0wgZLiCP2pKhGlM-5uEZnI_hJqZh3Jt4Cw&oe=6591CDB6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406020550_735875211687313_5732312652596830535_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3RBFynZ07hgAX-0DOA8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD7O41sTHH8TFerq-6m4IHFKcu8_91tD-GMzb0GFRMZeg&oe=65920A32			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68854	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054158		67		1246713702936096	1	2.6868459581393E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1467682719924526		0	Portland, OR Local - News Break			120201153961000465		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Portland!	A homicide case out of Clark County possibly linked to a local serial killer has been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Portland Police Bureau. Joanna K. Speaks, 32, is one of five young women whose bodies were found within three months earlier this year in the greater Portland area. Investigat...	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0puQqBfX?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701252859	1.4676827199245E+15	Portland, OR Local - News Break	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406649110_1690526641433789_8382022368595997534_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Dn7_bvr9SB4AX-chGPU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCW09FrzgNf-giDy7TYeA1bq0G8C8khHE9KXUq8fQyM0Q&oe=6592BE8F	person_profile	0	Portland, OR Local - News Brea	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406672673_6889609304493465_7373526083039844307_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rVjRd5J0rjYAX8VtWNg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAsgqVekWs7cq6Q0Z3t_yWm3EjQ7SBNtIdREpqHtTnCqg&oe=65917770			0	3	Portland News: Victims&#039; families offer reward as Portland police investigate second possible serial killing.		Portland, OR Local - News Break		4771	https://facebook.com/PortlandLocalNews	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69405	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/9/25, 3:31 PM	1703760175	1749501082		67		818601436732310	2	1.0865183693824E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220428240404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582506	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404539772_248231144649313_1179773499869193223_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ImxdDEJjhaIAX-NRiG6&_nc_oc=AQlUDwjFQPWTcxXISAX9YuTQpTiTbf7AHTNypEM89ffb2pr13pcLvB4_e_Rub9MzKxEKoGmXYMkXtlkx_U7Lj-7B&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDz3W1LKn8X05cK1oabqQ53-EakUtS1wGxe3WHCg4mfWw&oe=6592E552	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404507236_879104440402448_8337592565682680846_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1LcPlQiXZMsAX_0VNii&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDq9Xo4H9fe1palGWLAbJBqTPQYCPQYU8K75CkOdP7_kA&oe=6591D7F3			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66603	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054158		67		738086604852279	1	6.8770243123747E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	106157431246000		0	Joanna Wietrzycka painting			6495723929363		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joanna_wietrzycka		1703585691	1.06157431246E+14	Joanna Wietrzycka painting	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412738254_225813593898811_8620395139553484647_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sXW_rMUmwZsAX-TpGvf&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDuXMxIxvxmNlodtY7GNs16doZr9JcjU3JNybkvEDgmKw&oe=6592877E	person_profile	0	Abstract Art For Sale	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412893186_25411551281777427_126772926249842009_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VFG6Puz4r7kAX_pEBQX&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDVvXwGGiT0uJsttbKIz2msa961UdWiIi_RtWEgIVCV0w&oe=6592FA33			0	3	„Grab the silence 2”<br /> Collage on canvas 100x70cm <br /> <br /> #artwork #artworkforsale #paintings #paintingsforsale #interior #interiordecor #interiordecoration #interiordecorating #minimalstyle #wabisabi #wabisabistyle #homedecor #homedecoration #homedecorating #loft #wnetrza #projektywnętrz #dekoracjewnetrz #dekoracje #obrazynasprzedaż #contemporaryart #sztukawspółczesna #mood #galeriasztuki #artgallery #artforsale #silence #nature #artlover #artcollector		Joanna Wietrzycka painting		348	https://facebook.com/100063545528416	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68507	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054158		67		292973103728223	1	8.5402295284455E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120201192592290773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701840571	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407839148_236646562780320_2658373879823110478_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wZbAIKKgEcUAX8S4SZn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC2ORUYnA5HOj2R5ArDwWKrjv-jBpmkCp1sTsBAhc0fOA&oe=659167F6	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407735950_314718354736131_2623913644201637456_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z9U2LN8qk94AX-xGxHm&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC4NldZMmQwXEPZ2rf_q7B4QcOtiBgx2m_kLDcOwLB2RQ&oe=6591E17B			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4996	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69621	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054158		67		322186613926776		1.442981893229E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201779378060250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678825	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478384_307379925475582_6668460916514100970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p_2ZDPSghJYAX_v7dBW&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCVipFNfaZetIMZnEdHGYmNacJhWjQs-wJ3EoPxRKUlgw&oe=65928475	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69607	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/2/25, 1:32 PM	1703760176	1751481171		67		256417307433725	4	1.0318422547396E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721011560167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678821	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404328773_1017772942786960_6287617802985419107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uQed_5J53vwAX-CnfGP&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfC2Te80b0u4a4Rrk-_o9pDlvfT-TMHIgUF8FKjdOA6L3Q&oe=6592A44F	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68148	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054158		67		648965480777415	1	2.5616732306616E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498180810278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287788	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410247627_379188527903846_3500724409026158700_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=800Tfp3tMRYAX-DlYqJ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDMR6mIvDXSs0w0xTkdOWqw2vSIjRHWVsyYk2Heop8pmw&oe=65932DA6	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409633469_793525075912225_2397790456548489441_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KKDIsGukIRAAX9V8bu8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgqsWoPFUvx6bc2vk18icr6gcjemb3dAZq07tvfYK_7w&oe=659332AB			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69128	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054158		67		1019043042512086	1	9.0807415401641E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281135780596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068294	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406215805_363934072661884_4247100073404812365_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Aqzpm7IzhPcAX9U9bHe&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDEY7CxQLxTELM3D1AWbu66a2urH4sJ3lsph4EM0HiuNA&oe=6591629F	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406290222_1088861842555136_1616691322668293909_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o_9jzFkWvfIAX8g7G0m&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCaHqnzCjGGlQgLp0AOdM1pcT23eTPOkZ44ZAVdqkaoOw&oe=65930DF8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69279	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/7/25, 12:10 PM	1703760175	1749316250		67		324814673641036	1	1.3052021203595E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632250790115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796770	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405483234_313088591540451_6283009658565711341_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rg_cPf-X2aoAX8FNKDb&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyAKTrgYLbLEDpGGWJz4AA4g8X5yh80B3XnwnAXbIXNg&oe=6592676C	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405502636_935728367898293_4744660257042419428_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wKRCFm1b8n8AX-O-_E3&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBRNSaXMMJ_zG1EzOoNOS0fO2P7UHH-EaR75_aBa5Mrww&oe=65930FF2			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67492	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054155		67		1079998783028119		3.335148227866E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011761090506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702637058	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409351984_339750132100880_8584528989206176468_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Pjl3IcG9ZxoAX_IdluC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZEqu-WatKKvM8DT3eZg9M1XnGDZrXseQqzetNE1p21g&oe=6591558A	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409854734_3056487121534841_6367631256884801763_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dq2eOlFjK9wAX_EmZOS&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDEt_pOksllsqmsY8dPItpCkyimNRrDF0zVjKP_rrd8ZA&oe=65923127			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67845	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054155		67		994776061585914	1	2.2282509084948E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	208637479158360		0	Maria Bucardi			120204558714110655		mariabucardi.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Najważniejsze terminy! - Maria Bucardi - OmenSententia LLC	Lista produktów kategorii Najważniejsze terminy!	https://mariabucardi.pl/pl/c/Najwazniejsze-terminy/88		1702472169	2.0863747915836E+14	Maria Bucardi	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409751957_1413727329501519_5563816731038054693_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wd8_dNrowvAAX9WNH-Z&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCCZPIKlKjsYyYMcfi4_Z0f1nFVDyVxylPVoaGDENYwaw&oe=6591E9F0	person_profile	0					0	3	Nów Księżyca🌚tak to dzisiaj magiczna data 13 grudnia🕯️co chcesz usunąć a co przyciągnąć ? Tak, to już dzisiaj!!! Energie 13 grudnia! Oto krótka lista korzyści płynących z energii dzisiejszego nowiu:<br /> - W trudnych momentach życiowych, energia mszysta pomaga odnaleźć wsparcie.<br /> - Gdy czujesz się osamotniony lub w trudnych warunkach, dostarcza Ci siłę.<br /> - W chwilach apatii i zmęczenia, przywraca energię i witalność.<br /> - Pomaga w budowaniu pewności siebie i wartości osobistych.<br /> - Inspiruje do realizacji celów.<br /> - W poszukiwaniu własnej ścieżki życiowej, pomaga odkryć pasje i cele.<br /> - Podczas poszukiwania swojego powołania, skupia myśli i pomaga zrozumieć własne miejsce w życiu.<br /> - W procesie uzdrawiania ciała i duszy, przynosi dobrostan i równowagę.<br /> <br /> Co Daje Energia Mszysta:<br /> - Regeneracja i Relaksacja.<br /> - Pewność Siebie i Kreatywność.<br /> - Połączenie z Siłami Wyższymi.<br /> - Uzdrowienie Ciała i Ducha.<br /> - Wpływ na Nerki i System Hormonalny.<br /> - Upiększa Włosy i Skórę.<br /> <br /> Przykładowe Intencje do Rytuału:<br /> - Regeneracja ciała, ducha i aury.<br /> - Odnowa, pewność siebie i kreatywność.<br /> - Dodatkowa energia do realizacji celów.<br /> - Uzdrowienie cielesne i duchowe.<br /> - Odkrywanie własnej drogi i spełnienia.<br /> - Harmonia, oczyszczenie umysłu i relacji.<br /> - Pokonywanie strachów i wzmacnianie wiary.<br /> - Otwarcie na pozytywne siły i dobroć.<br /> - Wsparcie dla zdrowia i witalności.<br /> - Uzdrowienie organizmu.<br /> - Piękna skóra i włosy.<br /> - Kreatywność, inspiracja i rozwój.<br /> - Wytrwałość w dążeniu do celów.<br /> - Spełnienie i odnalezienie powołania.<br /> - Moc i siła w trudnych sytuacjach.<br /> - Oczyszczenie umysłu, ciała i duszy.<br /> - Źródło spokoju, równowagi i transformacji życia.<br /> <br /> Doświadcz niezwykłego rytuału świec intencyjnych ze mną - Marią Bucardi.<br /> <br /> Krok 1: zamów rytuał tutaj 👉<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmariabucardi.pl%2Fpl%2Fp%2F13.12.2023-Mszysty-Now-Ksiezyca-Regeneracja-Odnowienie-Odmlodzenie-Wiara-w-siebie-Wytrwalosc-w-realizacji-celow-i-marzen.-Wyjatkowy-rytual-swiec-intencyjnych%252C-wyslij-liste-Twoich-zyczen-%2F2123&amp;h=AT1BrXdW6HpyawDwBRlRkVs1AQZLJ4E-nNJg5XHsyp_QqXuAdyH97QdjBxQ1uJZRrFgMYscDdmhuyshK79LW_ojhA06Wq6M-S_MkGwrIlu2ApX6wOX2zX-0TG-GHNjzwJQXI5Wri5i1L3r_1E8sqdVygXQA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://mariabucardi.pl/pl/p/13.12.2023-Mszysty-Now-Ksiezyca-Regeneracja-Odnowienie-Odmlodzenie-Wiara-w-siebie-Wytrwalosc-w-realizacji-celow-i-marzen.-Wyjatkowy-rytual-swiec-intencyjnych%2C-wyslij-liste-Twoich-zyczen-/2123</a><br /> <br /> Krok2: Wyślij Swoją Listę Życzeń:<br /> <br /> Otwórz drzwi do transformacji swojego życia za sprawą potężnej energii mszystej i wyślij swoje pragnienia do Wszechświata.<br /> <br /> życzę Ci samych cudowności i miłego dnia<br /> Maria Bucardi​<br /> Rozwój osobisty i duchowy 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fmariabucardi&amp;h=AT2bg1IZkFKDQII-w9kYWwVifyU1QqLeqURRT1Z_696ghK_rzB-PvuncYgf-Ye0AjUrphLDBEAilkomW1OsHQ2CAifMN6tdGyo1bcXoEgrwlHlSjSoWFlbMDFd0tzlAYkrxTAUKwqpgd2Rd0-w29QdAzwUY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://linktr.ee/mariabucardi</a><br /> Trylogia Mroczne Góry 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Ftrylogia&amp;h=AT0fKK5s7LLE257Si6zUTzAWZa58ubMpyXnPvIRLI6JifOvPH_IP1bM_vQwRfChpHbERDOWSZdxH-8SYUjqNS5K1QSyFkJEfrk_VJwwKoL2qlJJOFgr7-m24LPTNKOWDWPX44KuEliscVwiv413Ojnas9vk" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://linktr.ee/trylogia</a><br /> <br /> Niektóre opinie:<br /> &quot;Rytuały Marii Bucardi przyniosły mi spokój i ochronę, czuję się teraz silniejsza emocjonalnie niż kiedykolwiek wcześniej.&quot; - Anna K.<br /> <br /> &quot;Rytuał nowego początku z Marią Bucardi pomógł mi odzyskać pewność siebie i zacząć nowy rozdział w moim życiu.&quot; - Piotr G.<br /> <br /> &quot;Po rytuale oczyszczającym z Marią poczułem, jakby ciężar zszedł mi z ramion. To było niesamowite przeżycie!&quot; - Paweł S.<br /> <br /> &quot;Rytuały miłosne Marii Bucardi przywróciły magię w moim związku. Teraz jestem bardziej kochana niż kiedykolwiek.&quot; - Agnieszka D.<br /> <br /> &quot;Dzięki rytuałowi bogactwa z Marią, moje finanse zaczęły się poprawiać. To naprawdę działa!&quot; - Małgorzata K.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maria jest niesamowita. Jej rytuały naprawdę pomogły mi w moim procesie samorozwoju.&quot; - Krystyna L.<br /> <br /> &quot;Rytuały Marii Bucardi przekształciły moje życie. Teraz jestem bardziej zbalansowana i spokojna.&quot; - Joanna P.<br /> <br /> &quot;Po rytuale ochronnym z Marią, czuję się bezpieczna i bardziej chroniona przed negatywnymi energiami.&quot; - Barbara K.<br /> <br /> &quot;Rytuał pewności siebie u Marii pomógł mi uwierzyć w siebie i zrealizować swoje marzenia.&quot; - Katarzyna Z.<br /> <br /> &quot;Rytuały miłosne Marii Bucardi przyniosły mi miłość, o jakiej zawsze marzyłam. Jestem jej wdzięczna za to.&quot; - Marianna R.<br /> <br /> &quot;Dzięki rytuałowi bogactwa z Marią, moje życie materialne nabrało nowego blasku. &quot; - Justyna W.		Maria Bucardi		59045	https://facebook.com/MariaBucardi1	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69257	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054155		67		370569018754008	1	1.0954154951505E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104109038124697		0	Joanna Njie			120203634790280729		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannanjiex		1700918214	1.041090381247E+14	Joanna Njie	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403732341_742597341080612_3041508093457584888_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VQkiOhatXXIAX-lFkCI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhe2tQmC8lrHoR-lUmGqc6mVxNDOJgNV0cF7UwGN2PDA&oe=6591E7E1	person_profile	0	Joanna Njie	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405791760_365741352570387_7161813860126572711_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Apdvo-g8b8oAX8qrvpi&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDp_7zFuKE6wXbf_l0n_COk179JxgHEN_xAEZpVFbprnQ&oe=65931F79			0	3	About last night.. #birthdayvibes 🥳<br /> <br /> #explore #explorepage #exploremore #birthday #birthdayweekend #goodvibes #foryoupage #fashion #fashionstyle #fashionblogger		Joanna Njie		0	https://facebook.com/100069706101016	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
66605	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054155		67		761496592688849	1	1.0817864798279E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204713234150210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/857?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703582584	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412904119_2655319284622536_2703150657328634159_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=59r0DRKCrmcAX-7srAf&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAty6EsZUoq3rzOhwSXk-jk-nkHcDE2XAPEIuTS0vSkcw&oe=6593250A	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414220162_238391055960833_4356858274906787869_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DdXAqpxSFzoAX-4n0Mt&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAQpxbMNvb6wEvUAYVWPi7fdgzrsc2doEnf8vMBT8nLjQ&oe=6591853C			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67651	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		3709601252660003	1	8.8195643678943E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	112243818028359		0	Niko Stories			120202962057670340		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Fixer Upper’s Dark Downers: The Hidden Secrets Behind the Hit TV Show	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-ua/		1702585362	1.1224381802836E+14	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410850619_904920973968569_5129009734432136784_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5y4LGmn_kW8AX9NfbY9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDOradi3yAiCgRVi_Ygsk-QJG1qzj3lyLO6VAD0GrEeeA&oe=65915D6C	person_profile	0	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410912078_940659584353638_8391703994341716635_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4Ajnn7hfs5EAX_gl53P&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhz-QQJkQHcKkuLnsNAcgFZYSdHIoHpv6CxGbea-YiMQ&oe=659145A2			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Niko Stories		21	https://facebook.com/100079533857132	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67664	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		1092149315477595	2	1.6683293536759E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	416589001735771		0	JOANNA COELHO			120203556422740552		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/djjoannacoelho		1702600080	4.1658900173577E+14	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409729064_725304356166835_9205073919019851082_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c7Z80vd2dqYAX8ac80_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_rODDbacFaZbgHFJCu-BbopspqvGI4zMxfYFlCsNL8A&oe=65919918	person_profile	0	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410206174_705643528239757_5791485845477554125_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wHSicGaL-scAX-rXF3s&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABbqPygICjE9dINVwCitAnufVQMeAY9idHWqtL6tPbDg&oe=65923814			0	3	Still recovering ❤️‍🩹 &#064;jaleomusicalmeria thank you so much to every single one of you 🔥<br /> <br /> 📹📸 &#064;legrandleseur <br /> <br /> #hardtechno #darktechno #rave #industrialtechno #acidtechno #harddancemusic #berlintechno #uktechno #soundcloudmix #fasttechno #harddance #joannacoelho		JOANNA COELHO		21303	https://facebook.com/djjoannacoelho	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69945	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		997303424688787	1	1.3788218961036E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683724940439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636042	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404895835_375895411545748_6411802407642303586_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lSulc5Vfc8oAX_pl8h2&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfApP9T_Dwj7djPp17rgjUzpBxf-JuqWAtXge9n4vwzBcQ&oe=6591B2C4	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404904220_1133228880992739_6137228126450612636_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lI_pwdrEzhEAX-2q7JB&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAJXZRhod98kDe5Z3tV0QBg8BRWsJffIzfUMUJjj06NUA&oe=65929CA8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67741	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		906206540904731				1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1625774737527434		0	USWalldecor.com			120202334046260671		uswalldecor.com	Shop now	70	NONE	dpa	{{product.name}}	Shop online for latest trends in wallcoverings by top designers such as Joanna Gaines, Thibaut, and Rifle Paper Co. Our easy peel and stick wallpaper and decals make a great addition to your walls at home, in your apartment, business, or classroom. Free shipping and samples available. Located in the...	https://USWalldecor.com/		1702501610	1.6257747375274E+15	USWalldecor.com	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411086110_893070538879509_6995109830095295719_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hBYU5LFWvJ8AX8Aw-ij&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD6-POZA3MHk_wGb7e0iBjeyBJFKuaIWQlKfQZrmhvIDA&oe=65918E89	person_profile	0	US Wall Decor	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409721219_345116541455702_7554346407023027875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b3WZbo-VpUsAX-hbZnb&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBlSFMBqtxr9q_76uN9dJh9NUbXVNHQR7gRY5CfffeSJA&oe=65920AD6			0	3			USWalldecor.com		4208	https://facebook.com/uswalldecor	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
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67854	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		1584164705722686	1	3.6886623231062E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509814560308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462369	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409703567_879214993880553_5246950180290670031_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Xf52owCuz3QAX_pNErs&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC5SpRChhgUkIH7zOfk6jIihYptZncSe1aEbNdwaw5OPw&oe=65930235	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409699252_195406813643468_5511221066756573081_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YPCGiRscdJ4AX8FBPsO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB34PLqY9JX5W6K-wOHp7x_VUBd_eEXkb3eBdKrvBe6Eg&oe=65933BB5			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67864	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		375794331590682	1	3.6413301613222E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509790410308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462352	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409191260_731503051811872_2847462601982440057_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=B_gTwqX4jFAAX85K5LR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwWGZKd6xv1cNzwApyVKTDPvOS0DlJUhKu3_4BzZb-1g&oe=65932971	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409192115_653982180281918_2671200473846779001_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dwZRY86Y7AMAX_NYCf8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2qDKG3csXgg0uQUJD87o9ZVZy24ZrTr1WLh-1SFM7Wg&oe=65923D50			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67904	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		1799871253775412	1	1.5025523936237E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411476110044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458288	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409579732_1098427461516935_3821365913120404506_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9UuLVCdt3gkAX8En3qW&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBHUgO74Uh4yioeOa5Sua9Syz0D9bYncEm-t9aDV2DWww&oe=65920667	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409721424_691377436303178_7314264846861866653_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lruyuQBzIuoAX_Z4i5u&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAINzuRz2m8aUgNjk0bNJtI53QbroCud9e6t19HWMgxqg&oe=659266B5			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67882	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		210655162120802	3	5.9298972636324E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169341910427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462127	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409699383_1358408171524522_4199503329676901239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mVteWu2GUTgAX_KOsVX&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAuR_WnC0v0fLhxh1wRNXoBSWqy9rciSiSRtvGASXpMTA&oe=6592B846	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409700065_2443351429177741_946605930909916380_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YWuIEl8KvjAAX-i4Cez&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfB8DD0UFZh2PSwMB4k-WKSbtUJApOaoX7DNt1IEMDKNVg&oe=65916CCA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67957	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		883217719779446	1	7.0802570809633E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434459630465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447473	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409729035_896254002113158_7824038317682323641_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PM01yBE27nQAX_4ZbjB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCu03wEWzxIH6KpGAIXsq5hAfx6qREhkHXbOkj8riMbmA&oe=6591DA24	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409688224_236788712765818_4047744257784732453_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s2YstQ1ib0IAX-APphE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDVLYaq1CAAF3YnC-wHYNeVByrCISCqlQ_mWuUHGiFIg&oe=6591572B			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68007	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/15/24, 11:05 AM	1703760166	1731690310		67		1093653138737571	5	1.4427714265846E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100602492862162		0	History Nation			120207709833060456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702392202	1.0060249286216E+14	History Nation	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409206827_3647622108828590_6464023742606942886_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=woZ6vWL-TeEAX-SwAi6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfTXyaysFSIQ6g4TwH4F_bxNAsugxaC-EQrleL_i0rlg&oe=6591D9AF	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Nation		3643	https://facebook.com/100087250000253	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68040	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/15/24, 6:48 PM	1703760166	1731718121		67		666016595693674	8	7.060869210673E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207708641570456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702391392	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408921162_926036425753268_5210806435027610820_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K4GsNS5KtUUAX-WIU4_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA5L0NY7lz-YkWi_mxQqNiBkoG0puxFbQz9YbDuRJsdFw&oe=659145A9	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409958957_1047634386581496_7231431996954092684_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qBb0hmS3t9UAX_cCkRU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCUCM4sFNa9Iftu4XrsFOYW4RBuIoRk8enLJ3WKrckpyQ&oe=6592AB0C			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68088	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		238105149299412	1	8.6549293845301E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143505250670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374835	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410151918_659140582960566_7087109149773431755_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IT0zKNJvu8gAX8P7Amr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA5dj8RSoN3oj1AVrtQNq86LQKW3_FId1iI4NuyGhBy9Q&oe=6591DDA4	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408967430_378524104579204_3515399855471050808_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bqg17fWF7wMAX8kSW5H&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBgqHuVnYRvuQQwFt4zq72zXkEMd7KWqFq12so-jzz9Xg&oe=6591CA47			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68091	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		24328286120149993	1	3.6997679211145E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143459790670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374740	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406870621_1510012276207500_6842478731252952226_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gKx0xrhaF7sAX85ScKA&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAm16VpTGZshSCfz7qjR3Q5bk_M7DAzlCLYThab-MlRRA&oe=65918D5E	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410496620_1084476899569332_4405118702925330089_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tXprFAa7r6AAX-N4s5Z&_nc_oc=AQk0BmwAC5rq_ZjnvRZw8luXEsfRMa7mQ-_TC_FBy1OTk8oXK54nJKN9PgtZNAKbK6c&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB1B2Y7CzCBE3MNw2b6LB-5yOS6FdCissdOSWoAPeSYoQ&oe=6592FD92			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68101	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 2:26 AM	1703760167	1748503602		67		3479754862274236	1	7.4709679758359E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201682339030743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702370475	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409595599_6743736045734755_9181400323064655724_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eDQh77a3zYkAX-Qtai4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKjBSl8zADnJvSov8JnuJX3SLfcHoQA5yrdkc7AbWrOw&oe=6592210E	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410385977_330486686542751_8904658587734209783_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NNJyttXm8EoAX-C1y6R&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBP0DKRkgntCHAWKAxMEC3jKM5XQkP6sPujGhyFkXsT6Q&oe=659188B5			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67065	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054155		67		306427988406902	1	8.9707805867072E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	113798501327105		0	Bingo Arena - iOS			120202661472680722		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Win Real Cash		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1608990036		1702279806	1.1379850132710E+14	Bingo Arena - iOS	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409614455_370856371979145_2432070196399428361_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=950ex_EZbGEAX8VXpNl&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAcZvt7cTYBlLPkWN8tHl4XFRtlVn0xiGESQPkA6K_DSA&oe=65914B20	person_profile	0	Bingo Arena - iOS	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409625840_746053620255075_1046917444370586683_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0tYyc__pXk0AX-BMRtm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDfmeJSPHpTehIeeSc5W_rbADyY8Cau0crurqvXWcUD_Q&oe=659212D5			0	3	Thanks to this game, I could finally afford my bills!		Bingo Arena - iOS		470	https://facebook.com/100083092762527	0		PLAY_GAME						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68449	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		1024042748704227		1.0403142506366E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543259987710		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899280	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408064191_1770144526744749_5352570127653195130_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UHk5AI-J0icAX_ksfUb&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHSjPYJaCqMlSoWLH3c5ZTnOgf2EcNejknsLKj9iLPNw&oe=65922BD7	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408101477_318702174386477_525701783350160657_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U6nEhPQJlDoAX8tj9Fy&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmPUNN7wIpyQeM5HbiPD53g1SM8if5BW7KWmJwT4DuDQ&oe=65922076			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67119	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054161		67		1330424337660259		7.6711392198264E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202809706750160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703053233	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412381543_6864590486922093_5581163343822821171_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GS7J_NQi2oMAX_uq4n7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCu2mnh5zNDtkGnh3qd9F8DHHIvnRTCjOZuMHt9KJCo_A&oe=659279F1	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68047	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		1428691997741600		7.060869210673E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207706738860456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390147	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409171218_302097435502409_7560321778000828157_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gvbQej2yfOkAX-_gZc2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCcRnt-AF8p-rlHiuVW0ZzuB0raPScrszo-AjKyqGXfmg&oe=6591F9D6	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410507263_7036820396355148_533357158504146893_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=89WOlmy9TgAAX-bgRTN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD0EVadtDuTU6eo0_JqBDnBT6he--w86sCOXmuRt88UHg&oe=659334A1			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69523	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054162		67		631416902295315	1	6.4624571772344E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207899920403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724554	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619049_673056508290503_3755473157920415936_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uj_yGTymjGcAX8JcaOo&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfDg-thWZxUNHN8-HK2pJkav_K-3ZlbSkLrRLLw9Z-wGuQ&oe=6591EEA3	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403633458_271872072082090_8572700793952722431_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gwHUUjPIOfEAX91e-BW&_nc_oc=AQm1-4GRuJuGDdqWlqI-7br_5mHqi8HqrsCXy6yH3BG1vPXVthkpHAGa1O39bVznAPI&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfB9L4pt4sIDgGfTUoWpbgiMCSybCiQbz7BMDjfkpxi2Ug&oe=65933EC7			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
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67154	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054162		67		1146752882965697	1	2.137973779887E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202476888120743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977149	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411398007_728805695786036_5185749127996424760_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UOQ8S4x_6MMAX_QblnM&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDGRPtp_1YmQ5UwDN81oOQjDjYUGzKML4eg4q6FapvX8Q&oe=659196E6	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411404958_1108250583511040_4898940076456981939_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=H5zUA3VUpzkAX_gu6vt&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA1nfqICNcvaDXKyMpv8uxb1odSh0-Of5zsTrONJs0j5A&oe=659326D2			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67653	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054155		67		7367929599893413	1	8.768652541569E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203186295040102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611812	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409733526_1469175280608335_6702688396573453758_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WRUZvvwqjJIAX9kIxJd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCmEIDl2IHRQpn-2Vn0zwyS-sVGTfb6oCV80xxGQi4rJw&oe=659214CE	person_profile	0					0	3	😍😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68675	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054162		67		1069360964251497	1	9.0603646125600E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200878835770773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701423614	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406803125_1727822671037028_5630151050055758270_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bS8RgZYAJIsAX_9jJvq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYd_av6ycDpwWTEiBLgzeOigN_HU3Q8_1jPUPvU9oscA&oe=659319B8	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406759127_893647212345981_8692848972702400176_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mDtCcVuejyAAX-xNN8K&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAQUnSEk5ksgP5pUAetI-ncN8fAMqdn_bUI4gi9zAKxzw&oe=65930695			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68811	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054162		67		299590702638114	1	9.9860367810386E+14		1701417600	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100927582949138		0	ashgreenwald			120201588425780493		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/ashgreenwald		1701277317	1.0092758294914E+14	ashgreenwald	https://scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/386915088_1740877173020723_1081652475220508820_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=J_kAhqZ8zF8AX8rPZZz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfB54u2e1pVzJ2fEg5OhIMZVsJt4rdRkHbL1Pc8AYhfZuA&oe=65921905	ig_ads_identity	1	Ashley Greenwald	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406336350_252811880856224_8111391222190401012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ejj8_qySrGQAX_98q1r&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3aijF8oW1psrFfMvVeyzj0q3lC7gvPaGkncw_dXnHLQ&oe=65926D46			0	3	Family dinner 🤍<br /> <br /> &#064;awakenandfree <br /> &#064;honeyandsoulyoga <br /> &#064;ursula_mae <br /> &#064;isabelllindva <br /> &#064;joanna_burch777 <br /> &#064;marychrisfees <br /> &#064;scopeland05		ashgreenwald		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/ashgreenwald	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68906	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		189913024116886		1.9964064007525E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6509688940710		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701210919	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406061375_707103791127427_4445371914664788707_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KD65wZZt5lQAX9xbjMI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAWQO9xWn4s7d42Kgb0obp5m3eLJYFaThWqA454up3lVw&oe=65930888	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406069874_738941334807033_5724441553933111689_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qFCX8YZihFYAX-nxS5P&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDPfxGKYCUPgRv-cfgZG6i8_stF71H9-xB-ZygoJdBMtw&oe=6591BC0D			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69010	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		1424491798463940	2	7.6574355199366E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715940560115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140275	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405713688_721031922887895_2053006576693077080_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dHZ-83yNSx4AX9O-5Xe&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDu0dUskvrzFIM4uUWTpGbOTdl1_ndvnoQgD_Xahe9aKQ&oe=6592E0EB	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404723623_367644128993122_8602128942322210005_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zSEmGod96qQAX899ek5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA63EG_7cliBNDsZWv0pDPsV6e3ze2nIWK4In8XdPKT5g&oe=65924323			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69027	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		693735759389820	2	2.0955220407935E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715936720115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140276	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406237945_900694788065543_7865226488944873817_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwjw6NteKPsAX-OoFFR&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCFiOEDTZTfWNTgQqbHQb_Qh0C37cNsBMEbLfK_FlOYFQ&oe=65918C53	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406256221_1378276356396808_4219456434894225660_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o5YIKx4WpbYAX9uWEsG&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAmAGM2EuzCnaoR9vj673X4MsXsTnewMSd-P1153ZghxA&oe=6593385C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69092	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054162		67		671923635045583	1	1.5440198896779E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690718970115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055871	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403763030_203928159354117_7416729986675207644_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qqNrByy-PiEAX9FB57j&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDJXUY_rOrINs-460ia1KtSG0OQ8hAd447bmm-ude62SQ&oe=65924377	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403745604_7150511091660496_8494212301141916267_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HeE3nO3_dZsAX_qXSGA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCBGmM_lRmH1faN4W1lx3mmO4fqRpv8M4JgDudCVkFfEw&oe=6592F36E			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69164	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054162		67		655290476791297		8.7190420110368E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145433250740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking Silence: Joanna Gaines Shares Her Voice with the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806365	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403725142_876662020747283_1763228178117892502_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rolt85kS0Q0AX9fyY1D&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhAbOm39nRj4DQ3--AO2Pc8HcWIdUTVYJratvPtoIavg&oe=6592EB3B	person_profile	0					0	3	Long Kept Secret: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband as Behind-the-Scenes Show Drama Unveils.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69384	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054162		67		362230402993556	2	1.3867805722157E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220419920404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582693	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402657308_1797662040670054_6019087261124168803_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_EXyxbOKBrsAX_h_exR&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAa6jkww5sO-BbmA4LZtRMTsIFCUkDp4tfaSOsb8qBgqA&oe=65931E65	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402660316_197377533414434_4920082074376679662_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2IsdB_vGBa8AX9Eh40H&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAxStCNItHlQF-7uJ6quWEgo5-x_S59GVqelftu2h2Djg&oe=6592CECE			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69389	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054162		67		1302154900487610	1	8.9809143833631E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220450720404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582574	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402645137_289651847388577_2158257847718234534_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6a-DELDLfrEAX9-el8W&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD9N_R2dzaX_G0cql-cfQPDoM1gwI5JwMjsYe72z1KW1w&oe=65931147	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402648736_200657696417602_7775963450332197283_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NxqDirv1jKsAX-Ng2b8&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCWYLpyH7g70QaHHSnWvGvsGQs9UGEitkKHCZLKIo4kCg&oe=659150A6			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69715	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054162		67		899382378559021		1.0911569485488E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201778980400250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677939	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402960811_3582056052051476_2480871273265367808_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xVoThCfqRkQAX-WymEp&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCMnBdkDK_V3xljqYKMmdvremQZL1zrL-_p7enkkv5lcQ&oe=65928CB3	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66470	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054162		67		1575829913220932	1	1.7320164006154E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120204007224490183			No button		NONE	image					1703195414	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413028887_631660435652179_5767115427089161179_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7l2Q6_iDPLIAX_jHk3C&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDStBqIcCP3TtjxyAoUmD8PL_9cGEXVuJSkDyQxKMi_uw&oe=6592FEA5	person_profile	0					0	3	I think we&#039;re all adults, so I&#039;m not going to sugarcoat this: Homeowners, you can&#039;t sell your house &quot;as is&quot; and get top dollar anymore. Last week, I met with a Fort Bend County homeowner to discuss listing their home and at first, they didn&#039;t like what I had to say. Long story short, their house needed some work.<br /> <br /> After all, homes in Fort Bend County ARE in demand and selling relatively quickly. But here&#039;s what I wanted them to understand: by taking a day or two and knocking these to-do&#039;s out, they could MAXIMIZE the offers they ARE going to get. If spending a weekend picking up your home could mean getting a couple more thousand on an offer, it&#039;s worth it.<br /> <br /> Sure, they absolutely could list the home as is, without putting any work into it, but that also means they could miss out on some offers. Here&#039;s what I mean:<br /> 1. There was no curb appeal. Bushes in the yard were overgrown and the front stoop was sprinkled with dirt and old leaves.<br /> 2. The inside was a bit cluttered. They had filled their home with fantastic memories, but they were THEIR memories, not those of potential buyers.<br /> 3. The spare bedroom was a &quot;catch-all room,&quot; you know, the spot where you drop everything and &quot;get to it later.&quot;<br /> 4. The kitchen counter was littered with a toaster, a KitchenAid mixer, utensils, cookbooks, and baking ingredients.<br /> <br /> Here&#039;s what I advised them to do:<br /> 1. Pick up the sticks, cut back the bushes, and run a broom over the front stoop (better yet, spray it down once you are done!).<br /> 2. Take your photos off the wall. Place them in a box since you&#039;ll be moving anyways (get ahead of the game)!<br /> 3. Clean out the spare bedroom. Take that day and go through those items you always said you would. Drop stuff off at a donation center, toss it, or package it up.<br /> 4. Put all those kitchen items in the cupboards. Clean counters are better than cluttered ones.<br /> <br /> So, if you are looking for a Realtor who doesn&#039;t &quot;sugarcoat&quot; it, I&#039;d be happy to stop by and help you get your home ready. I want to get top dollar for YOU.<br /> <br /> - Joanna		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67063	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/2/25, 6:08 PM	1703760161	1751497717		67		3633819840162812	1	6.7906927102486E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109213778210324		0	Phone Fun			120202086328040284		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Funny Posts That Perfectly Mix Humor With Science	There’s no denying that social media has changed the way people communicate with each other. Between Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, we can’t believe some of the things posted on social media these days. Nothing is off-limits and people aren’t afraid to embarrass themselves—there really is...	https://parentztalk.com/these-social-media-posts-bt/		1703082998	1.0921377821032E+14	Phone Fun	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412651895_1570328520477170_4109119434654804824_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ew0iG3ds1YYAX8XfZwl&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfADdbCkKl7h1Meyju-2UDYsayIjFOd9lJoO322M44EquQ&oe=6592F0A7	person_profile	0	Phone Fun	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412646007_346418764789570_2501191749818718416_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aqe9n1oiuiMAX9W25bP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDC8oTg3k_BKyTL6sNpARv0XsDBrltGz8EcIs90JUzqhg&oe=6591B54C			0	3	Science + humor = perfect		Phone Fun		2534	https://facebook.com/100075903887663	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67293	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054162		67		898466568328721		7.047505505317E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	275758569814605		0	Cooking 4 All			120204345063450002		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://cooking4all.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-bt/		1702956713	2.7575856981460E+14	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411798326_1316964855596949_7613937276037781506_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HCm2B4_r3B0AX9B6QOf&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC5dCYJJE3VmERIPspuBDhy-G6d9ktFzc3LbRAv1bneEg&oe=6592822A	person_profile	0	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411989635_673009548312743_5549174573115231077_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tQhArx-0HtYAX8QVNkd&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDU5hOQ5md3y3OSqKS7s4zCWkFCi9IcvFcnC1amdVO9Wg&oe=659175DA			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Cooking 4 All		2127	https://facebook.com/Cooking4AllFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68501	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054162		67		882313226725205	1	1.4135762195082E+15		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107994988993702		0	Joanna Joanna			120200847159180328			Contact us		NONE	image	2 Beds 1 Bath - Apartment		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/2379832768891890/		1701855279	1.079949889937E+14	Joanna Joanna		regular_page	1	Joey Rosado	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407971665_938109274378335_290629314251122965_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RQcLaD1ygyQAX_WGmnZ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAWozys5zctVb8_q7TAJBn8UJWwx0EmYjQHsw3HNm_k5A&oe=659184F4			0	3	2 Beds 1 Bath - Apartment - $845.00<br /> <br /> 🏡 For Rent: Recently Remodeled 2 Bed, 1 Bath Apartment 🛁<br /> <br /> Discover comfort in this renovated gem! Enjoy the convenience of nearby restaurants and shopping. Step into a spacious living area with a private patio featuring a sliding glass door. This apartment boasts modern amenities including a dishwasher, walk-in closets, and is cable/wifi ready. Embrace outdoor activities with a basketball court and a charming picnic area equipped with a grill. Appliances included. Don’t miss out—call now to schedule a viewing! 🌟<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Joanna		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=100080150565277	0		CONTACT_US						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68271	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054162		67		756569989668885	1	2.6371816335882E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672518780427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030362	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408987115_1024417142161317_7496494398094111848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YSCF3EaXYV8AX_aEJDX&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAtS1bW-GL13lambARAUDXJ6ir9UMOmMDRynBxrSSBjNw&oe=659213BD	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408986817_376754391469408_9173801267270112432_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m6-NazwzJ3kAX8EGFTH&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBjNf7Tiv4sKj8Bud8Ve5YyGrg5Dyo-u9lIjoqJBvp8Uw&oe=6591C6F0			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
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69995	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054163		67		3708816592698817	1	8.57975502639E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579097720115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632991	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403630240_671931051747684_6146042235306548239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X0JLfmCgTGgAX9RxvgH&_nc_oc=AQmjioITGf8AIezhCT1Lbcfc8ZLNOk3PQ5fJaaHWexOYROe_w8Z-QDLSVNDufR52mJUzVbcPxlLSDwJCTS2MLokv&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCcu4i8DZ3n_-yVVc1hibqJxhdJmP7VeJ7rknAWcHGJig&oe=65926B81	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403620430_1335593177094488_5183719196259860191_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UbmlLk7X_7AAX8gH2NO&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDvw5tucqng1nNpsGGwMdzK64JeSh8jNJXrQEby6uER0g&oe=65931B91			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68910	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		2128177174181312	2	6.4421679792357E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1714320658797429		0	Chris Connelly Photography - Top Albany Boudoir Photographer			6487055221810		chrisconnellyphotography.com/scheduler	Learn more		NONE	video	NY’s Top Boudoir Studio ❤️	Schedule Your Boudoir Session Today! | Chris Connelly Boudoir Photography | Albany’s #1 Boudoir Photographer	https://chrisconnellyphotography.com/scheduler/		1701197349	1.7143206587974E+15	Chris Connelly Photography - Top Albany Boudoir Photographer	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406434299_1020473649234131_6989056142508130772_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WPdpgK7OZXkAX_J3fVR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDU2eusYehBRho6BjetAcWxTVQiOm21Bw0K8xqOkbn3Jg&oe=659241F5	person_profile	0	Intimate Potraiture & Boudoir	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406422216_358350836696141_5838970049413558462_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iI-HwXsIJW8AX9_Ot9T&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAnGF_-_DKJsKjdlnu5TeZhtC2LhvLVA6mlzHB9z1WD7Q&oe=65930175			0	3	The most common thing I hear from my clients is always, “I wish I had done this sooner!” <br /> <br /> So why don’t you take the first step and schedule a complimentary consultation with our expert team? 📞 During the call, we’ll answer ALL of your questions - no matter how big or small! Plus, we’ll walk you through the whole process and give you details on pricing. <br /> <br /> If you’re thinking, “Me? Boudoir? No way! I’m not _____ enough,” 🤔 just listen to what my previous clients say about their confidence-boosting sessions:<br /> <br /> 💌 “I left on a complete high. I&#039;ve never seen myself the way Chris was able to capture me. He showed me a side of myself others have told me they have seen, but that I&#039;ve never seen myself. I was self-conscious about my body before, but left feeling gorgeous and empowered”<br /> <br /> 💌 “Chris is absolutely amazing!! He has tons of expertise and knows exactly what is going to look good! I was so nervous at first but both him and Joanna made me feel so comfortable within minutes that I totally forgot I was nervous in the first place! This made me feel so confident and good about myself! To anyone who isn’t sure if they want to do this or not, just do it!! You will not be disappointed!!” <br /> <br /> 💌 “I was hesitant to have my pictures done as I&#039;m a bit more curvy than most, but I&#039;m so happy I did! From the moment I walked into the studio, I was made to feel comfortable. From hair and makeup, to choosing my outfits and poses, I was supported every step of the way. It was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience and showcased the way I&#039;ve always felt about myself!” <br /> <br /> Are you ready to take the plunge? Click the button below to schedule a consult and get all the details on a boudoir session with Chris Connelly Photography.		Chris Connelly Photography - Top Albany Boudoir Photographer		2684	https://facebook.com/chrisconnellyphotography	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67161	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		1718265381986795	1	3.2711952698452E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202476672990743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977367	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410811252_1059650781848660_5972740901107628364_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Bxr2ZkBme0AX8Pnlu8&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDiqrIQ35uiFHR-ZNy8e7rtoZmocGiLl7LgNxTNaHjG7w&oe=6591D491	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410831904_787122286585143_5768442626639997584_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JSHTtqq-TKcAX8f7NXY&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCkY1_AwPl4stwx6tDpnWHyUG-plCdsOgbq90uisJtELQ&oe=65915A10			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67231	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		1135128977900296		2.5809983036598E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67269	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		1151215892511755	16	2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951487020043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963132	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412221627_739211344748007_7491053614213984216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WwRixcoK2eEAX9UoKQC&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCxX75ht1WP4CPeOHKlaG9MAFbFWzFYzUYiacFZGv_iLQ&oe=6592EBD4	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67285	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		323239743964232		1.7640580406882E+15		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951472390043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963076	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411079635_975606220419557_7407835480805041454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xcjGruMll9UAX-ybusT&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeRpPlJzywYI5YflksQ6lO-38v25fsefMcJ5fV3fcUzA&oe=65923888	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67951	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054163		67		744152844224132	1	3.781809379411E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434460260465		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447460	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410167494_1573902049681356_1020800714980239380_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h6EMmENPj3cAX87rGd-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAFjlksfroG3P5L8qRQy03SHucWwjRdjWyAZ4Z413pNHw&oe=6591D9D3	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409699254_317858954422161_5274834616800638825_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uYHNauJ33iYAX8Edutl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAge-X8TlspjwjCyhnO-4l3BGuq0FS_OEZl2KHZZzuA-Q&oe=659173FE			0	3	🔞🔥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68804	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		837335971468705		6.6195068276272E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1181854881965784		0	Royal Delicacy			120203290684250409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1701290541	1.1818548819658E+15	Royal Delicacy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406106349_370738938857667_2860375360001257847_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4-0_D89yZkcAX-khvRZ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAkFjxSXdr_Mz0atHil8eeQ6XcJzGJqBS6bkXZJODQpEw&oe=65925DC1	person_profile	0	Royal Delicacy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406581939_1496874887582445_204775334050316041_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IUVdqlh69Y0AX-LmdhW&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHyMQnFt9irstLfdEUgXZmwg9r-XRpGpCXLEFovLl3iw&oe=65926D31			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Royal Delicacy		85390	https://facebook.com/RoyalDelicacyFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1701504000		View Edit Delete
67009	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		750637423637447	1	1.4504440288707E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109705778305621		0	Kilby Block Party			6504242677889		kilbyblockparty.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Kilby Block Party 2024	May 10-12 | SLC, UT	http://kilbyblockparty.com/		1703172280	1.0970577830562E+14	Kilby Block Party	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412979712_394637196251355_6356606510474899444_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W1iED8fZtRMAX9iEBVf&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAJv8SKPqDxCjhDNaHxB24sxXOuOlYjUz1CyXIK24iJuw&oe=6592F9C1	person_profile	0	Kilby Block Party	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412869290_2411535159054425_1590980714592971713_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3GzvxbIhDDwAX9VoDLa&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA8OVOADHMWYHpXFMMGj2G2bDRk_cvv05Qv85bKdGSfBg&oe=65931EA4			0	3	Join us for a weekend of great music with performances by LCD Soundsystem, The Postal Service, Vampire Weekend, Wu-Tang Clan, Death Cab For Cutie, Jai Paul, and more. <br /> <br /> See you May 10 -12, at the Utah State Fairpark! <br /> <br /> Tickets on sale now: <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FKilbyBlockParty.com%2F&amp;h=AT3Bdjn3Hmw3PW6xfNTYVcVojpRphw3s5iog7YaesiD46iKOxBjirygfpEFU6G3Nhms2N18oxqcHktWA9T7Dcg6Gfch_cfngCQpDn4NX5I1TFfKkyXvGpUVQuuy5ebMlgpoRG0c0oyijjQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">KilbyBlockParty.com</a>		Kilby Block Party		1483	https://facebook.com/KilbyBlockPartySLC	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69546	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		1099115381457165	5	2.6441433323993E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207693070403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724099	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405508451_876031050792263_9011447128972709351_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1rmbGHsuQ1wAX_3Xr_F&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB_1I18VXqWlMO7r6uCaeSp0-DGfYnArCj0uUBrXcbudw&oe=65920ED9	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405521597_310789751882133_7798994383682685413_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gmu_sIetPcYAX8EpY1Y&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCBIrV0tVk73QQanWGfpFcULUB8hUSriHMCt9pZirZRUg&oe=65923479			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
70098	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054163		67		244387588409135	1	2.0853785384626E+15		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090851920403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700545030	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402656123_708735561217301_5889447677247511373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dDDj1NIwUxwAX-b-5_F&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQl-yX7f-dgPfF14VDaxq18QQK0fJXzHDbRXzwGJr6Ww&oe=6592458A	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402653336_2438884322981351_3889022818299061166_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1tIqw-xI0BsAX8_heoL&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBKXGhguyEFD3CerJAyeN5X_hoV48IdwHtOSEAN60DNBw&oe=65921312			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68514	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/21/25, 8:59 PM	1703760170	1750557566		67		351770564169299	4	7.6009832261614E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1054880307978117		0	LVNA By Drake Dustin			120201440749690249		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/lunabydrakedustin		1701717833	1.0548803079781E+15	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407687937_362629002916359_521187055794424269_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=it79EhYdBCgAX8xYgc0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC62c5JrVygFhKiqU8SHSiGYCc83zO5azYgJk9J4USSjw&oe=65916222	person_profile	0	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407721979_1597657157709230_7686680800966949785_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-jU4cibldvUAX-b9gt6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfACKYK42oJzsFywfKB0q6bfP_Q5ZhRCYSnx9qR99c35Dg&oe=6591F59D			0	3	IN HER ELEMENT. For the most-awaited April 2023 issue of #TatlerPhilippines (&#064;tatlerphilippines), #NadineLustre (&#064;nadine) stunned everyone again with her ethereal appearance that is as beautiful as a scenic view. This time, Nadine was really ‘In Her Element’ as she became vocal about the imperative role of everyone to teach the young about environmentalism’s significance in today’s world. Read an article excerpt from Nadine’s cover issue and heed her call to start saving the planet in our simple ways. <br /> <br /> Photographed by BJ Pascual &#064;bjpascual <br /> Styling by Joanna Garcia &#064;joannagee <br /> Hair by Paul Nebres &#064;paulnebres <br /> Makeup by Jelly Eugenio &#064;jellyeugenio <br /> Nadine wearing &#064;ushisato &amp; &#064;lunabydrakedustin<br /> <br /> Grab a copy now of &#064;tatlerphilippines April 2023 featuring #NadineLustre ✨		LVNA By Drake Dustin		273685	https://facebook.com/LunaByDrakeDustin	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
69057	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		308395455428893	1	1.0040287973478E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1683551441916012		0	Cissi Williams			120201642741960642		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/cissi_williams		1701094994	1.683551441916E+15	Cissi Williams	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406466859_1290447481668819_2333509054878976627_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tExLhBHE0zEAX_abikb&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBgN1vSgZZusUJysc-N6x0henOxxgjHp58lVHlTUAvWOg&oe=65924F65	person_profile	0	Cissi Williams	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405692964_3626113250967414_304484229772066027_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J_3wkUyVS3oAX_ZVAi3&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDeUjgJGvYXmu2m6l1NdM2CgVqcsnU4JlW0N9CQPEbKzg&oe=6592FB4D			0	3	Awaken Your Ancestral Feminine Power &amp; Magic with Shamanic Energy Medicine 💛 <br /> <br /> Can you feel how there&#039;s an ancient wisdom within you, that knows how to guide you?<br /> <br /> And as you tune into this ancient wisdom - the Wise Woman within - she&#039;ll guide you on where to go, what to do, what to say and to whom, so you can share your soul’s light and gifts with others.<br /> <br /> As you keep following her guidance, you start to transform deeply, allowing your Highest Path to unfold.<br /> <br /> This is because SHE is now in charge, leading you, step-by-step, to what needs to heal and change for you to live in alignment with HER vision for your life.<br /> <br /> And this vision is so much better than your mind’s plan for your life!<br /> <br /> During this Shamanic Energy Medicine training you’ll heal deeply, as it&#039;s through your own healing that you discover the wisdom you are meant to share with others, so this is not a ‘light and fluffy’ training.<br /> <br /> Instead, you’ll witness your own shadows and inner wounds, which moves you through a deep healing process where you begin to embrace your divine light, feminine power, soul gifts and ancient wisdom.<br /> <br /> You have two pathways to choose from for this training - one that&#039;s for your own personal development, and one that leads to you becoming a certified Shamanic Energy Medicine Practitioner.<br /> <br /> Both are intense trainings in spiritual development, taking you on a journey into the sacred darkness, so you can move through a deep transformation, where you are being reborn into the Wise Woman that you are.<br /> <br /> WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT THE TRAINING<br /> “Having studied various healing pathways both in the UK and as far as Peru, I can honestly say her teachings go far and beyond anything I have ever encountered.”<br /> Joanna Brodie, UK<br /> <br /> &quot;Transformational, magical, powerful…the journey Cissi will take you on in her trainings are all of these but so, so much more.…if you are willing, really willing, to surrender your old stories, false beliefs and your ego - and instead discover who you truly are and the path you are meant to follow.”<br /> Karan Maurer, US<br /> <br /> Tap link in bio for more information (and yes, we&#039;ll visit the Inner Circle at Stonehenge during the training).		Cissi Williams		9103	https://facebook.com/shamanicenergymedicine	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68476	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054163		67		332272636332196	1	1.0907295254325E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458763140691		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856255	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405480717_876270483909307_5939670098736096752_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=krhIwU6zUCsAX-zt7RO&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAQDmmNaafsRvl0hKypU8FHmMjtObWthjhN1i68iY7Nnw&oe=6591C9E5	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408367887_1597784800965853_3360968522685113110_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0oTcyJ8iMKwAX_FtJL0&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAVNlekywewz4Yt3KGgLIOmOjl7EdK7NL7_72_yyRjdfw&oe=65933CA8			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68873	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		680574507497766	1	6.765180279486E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	2174655312793851		0	Cullen Jewellery			120201573430360093		cullenjewellery.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Cullen Jewellery		https://cullenjewellery.com/engagement-rings/ring-francesca/metal-type:18k-yellow-gold		1701248387	2.1746553127939E+15	Cullen Jewellery	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406206169_1012229966523540_7186023975895443721_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uWCAnUUIXSEAX_MMmKJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCuL0C2nUcTad0rCRmnHGqNeV4pMTBid2k0bcd4PYb73w&oe=659234A6	person_profile	0	Cullen Jewellery | Custom Engagement Rings	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406206088_873789000917776_3605489737092834571_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1SFTR_KlsrgAX_o5zYh&_nc_oc=AQlAZ6OBOr-Gw3rTT2zmB6r31mxvWmKTHxQIzsPfB2TlZS-vvXXcL5N6BYsPCZE4j4A&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCZkiRak-wdLP0o3b6X9E2_FfH3axaFCuLzzGaZaT4idQ&oe=6591FED0			0	3	Francesca - a stunning Pear &amp; Oval Toi et Moi paired with: ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> 💖 Joanna Pave Band⁠<br /> 🧡 Arizona Hammer Set Band⁠<br /> 💛 Felicity Baguette Band⁠<br /> 💚 Chiara Accent Band⁠<br /> 💙 Lana Accent Band⁠<br /> 💜 Betty Oval Bezel Band⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Ring Details:⁠<br /> April Pear &amp; Oval Toi et Moi ⁠<br /> Lab Grown Diamond⁠<br /> Pear: 1.13cts⁠<br /> Oval: 1.32cts		Cullen Jewellery		6603	https://facebook.com/cullenjewellery	0		SHOP_NOW						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67359	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		3578875405685080		6.6206750249947E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	147511991787764		0	NovaNestle			6528961909474		novanestlecw.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Chip & Joanna's 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Xmas Give-away!		https://novanestlecw.com/		1702849214	1.4751199178776E+14	NovaNestle	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411131959_685543253378290_4544217852905263209_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AvZwp7GYBgEAX_laBEU&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbqszEX6etU8hGfcVLXlF4OuDIVc2HPP7a5k5fOCsMLQ&oe=6592D6F2	person_profile	0	NovaNestle	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410642861_359009996857450_3037760702733798333_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h83s1zC4aC8AX8Zlq-m&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBSv92DbuPvGSnY2KJNz2UxNZ1gI29CV8wNQoPG0lZ1iA&oe=65925612			0	3	(Backed by a Lifetime Warranty). Guaranteed, the last cookware set you will own.		NovaNestle		5	https://facebook.com/61554141392830	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
68179	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		404308938690496	1	2.8768642091952E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204871670770427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702211039	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409713496_1563446967751868_1355177338974375817_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HOWj29ga564AX9uplGJ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDMge0_AFS-H7SvoK4UWiPWJcmgEKmqBo6y8ra9w8YsmQ&oe=6592FFC7	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409756348_1394664261434919_2853479656894470638_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o1heku9pqVoAX8E7d1I&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPWVaV_QpDKxmf5P6SfWXqJ77zZF9OSj1gmZRh_Z3D9w&oe=65929480			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
67790	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054163		67		3809341076017748	4	5.891996700146E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548082409		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494398	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410179264_210343492122435_2077120091772474214_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rj7HzLbh2xQAX_SKxcN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAyXNiLE__1ZHeuaye1PdfLX5i-6SkwY1_jXfVv6rTIxQ&oe=65928F3C	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410912329_365323069314906_222432086658054212_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=be9kEo_WMS4AX-EzaVZ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCm1-ib9eZGhsBVJ-V0IP49CKZtsOM4MBPiiMJ4yd_Emg&oe=65919EDA			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69791	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054163		67		1381442785816554	4	1.0318422547396E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721011560167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678821	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404328773_1017772942786960_6287617802985419107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uQed_5J53vwAX-y9mPX&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDQd1zpJLjqetk-tjBZT1HhBBgEsS2o1QdHzLKhIDNFow&oe=6592A44F	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68238	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054163		67		915387356592202	3	7.6676914194409E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155281760476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094518	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409111705_1058100838736410_8233990693345152833_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e02bFMR2Sy4AX-ZGTk5&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCq_0x8wIoudcoeIrgEa0WgrEsmSySH8it6PCMK6luNMg&oe=6591A548	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409064987_1974172149606998_7441267663253878464_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sgwz0q0V5lkAX_u2teU&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD19WyEz5Pe5hrpQMsqD-3iXt-0u28ncm82ufLMZgOwcg&oe=65915AA6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
69529	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		726068689583253	1	1.5479762626965E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207954530403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724586	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404298901_1062504404793015_9209675765582316848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AbzfL_NwhnIAX8Aga2N&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjuthiLAejDHwxOnzWbU2qU05GXi_f2h_bQwe3MiU1tQ&oe=659324BE	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404301084_1417784205750197_2533614947528819381_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UL_CRntkQCcAX_x9Rqi&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA_XiAOlIxqfZLdRr6RF6ZRBAGtLCy8tuITrMZtCs8uMg&oe=6591DAD6			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68107	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		1079357146552944	1	1.7712971433452E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201678387050743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702368355	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409480780_385327160638057_8521406743658303094_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=crBiJVyStEgAX8rnxAy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA4C9Hk0WuFvkec4nu4bPJPKBmv2nZRLndGoH2WbCPHdQ&oe=65933AD8	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409400204_139640445910386_8854100375174411723_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TNADK-sRjgEAX9uTczK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD8VGyAcNEfmDY-4hNJt8msJ08Y66dy-sSGFxLbs7ZCKw&oe=65926A05			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67535	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054163		67		7466917366661429	1	8.9349904199102E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203925409170613		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/3bw5npofyz0yjotryds4lqbb?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702632558	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411210765_7541939825829754_4796600207141455735_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QL819K4LbW4AX8q1_eI&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfByDZjleZHzlX8TIPiNLslhCu9Rl2V3Qqb2n6TimhYgBQ&oe=6592AD55	person_profile	0					0	3	The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
66822	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054163		67		1501353957318501	1	2.0828899020459E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	136560499545717		0	ForFun-105			120203150260400019		a.read4funs.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.read4funs.com/ad/a29hbGFub3ZlbC82NDQ3OC8yMDIzMTIyMzE3NDM1Mi9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703324795	1.3656049954572E+14	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412931066_723363119722628_5772774022423439711_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ETOHEbK9tlQAX_tec9K&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDQARqc6PlmA0wh0gwFP85WmGIyFbPQiKuyE9P28kgw4g&oe=65923503	person_profile	0	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412916124_380788557945568_7931774663905500855_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=83igop3P4CgAX_0R59k&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBy0IKU9CvdeS8Sr3YWAiho5WcPvJbP8HuSkZSSQBWN2g&oe=65917C96			0	3	“As of today, you Joanna Tyree are Cancer free! The scans were clear, your labs have been improving daily. Jo, you&#039;re in remission.” Rachel&#039;s hand froze, and I froze.<br /> What did he just say? Is he shitting me right now?<br /> “You better not be lying to me right now Brian. I can&#039;t take a joke right now.” I said timidly.<br /> I know he would never joke about that, but I had to ask. <br /> “We&#039;ll go over what to look out for and statistics and what not but as of today, you&#039;re in remission. You did it, you beat it.”<br /> “I beat it…” I whispered in near shock.<br /> ————————<br /> Joanna<br /> “Today was my mammogram…” I whispered and her face softened. She didn&#039;t probe, she didn&#039;t nudge me to continue. She waited for me to gather my strength to continue and I was so thankful. “It&#039;s stage 3…”<br /> “Oh Jo!” she wrapped me in her arms and I sobbed. “That&#039;s not all….” She pulled back but kept her arms around me. She raised a brow at me waiting for my answer.<br /> “I went to Brian today. He&#039;s the one who gave me the results. I figured since Mike&#039;s office was right down the hall that I would just go ahead and tell him. He was on his lunch break, so he didn&#039;t have any patients…”<br /> I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. “I caught him mid thrust in another woman...” I don&#039;t think she meant it but her grip on my shoulder got dangerously tight.<br /> “I&#039;m sorry, what? Where is he? I know how to hide a body without being caught. Who is the tramp? Do I need to kill her too?”<br /> I held my hand up with wide eyes. “You know you are pretty scary when you&#039;re angry. But that&#039;s not even the worst part…”<br /> “What do you mean that&#039;s not the worst part? Your husband is having an affair with another woman. What is worse than that?”<br /> I let out a breath and rested my elbows on my knees and bowed my head. My golden waves covering my face. “It was Lisa….”<br /> Her spirit glass dropped to the floor and shattered. When I met her gaze she looked frozen in shock. Her brown eyes that usually reminded me of molten chocolate were nearly black with rage. She didn&#039;t say anything. She didn&#039;t even look like she was breathing.<br /> ”Rach…?” I probed and she shook her head.<br /> “I&#039;m going to kill her. Lisa? Our friend Lisa was sleeping with your husband on his desk at his work? Lisa that&#039;s also Married to his best friend that also works in the same office? That Lisa?” I couldn&#039;t formulate words, so I settled for nodding my head. Rachel was silent and usually when she was this mad and silent, it was bad.<br /> “Rachel, what am I going to do? I&#039;ve been with Mike for 17 years. Since the day I found out I was pregnant with Gage... I don&#039;t know any other life. I have never lived alone. You know how much family means to me... I was a foster kid. My own parents didn&#039;t even want me. I don&#039;t want Gage to grow up in a broken home too.”<br /> “Joanna. First of all, just because you have a kid with someone doesn&#039;t mean you need to stay with them. Second of all, Gage is already grown up. He&#039;s a young man. Thirdly, you are never going to be alone. You are my family. And lastly, how long has this been going on?”<br /> I shrugged. “Truthfully I don&#039;t know. I ran out of there as fast as I could. He tried to get me out of the car, but I threw my ring at him and drove off. I just couldn&#039;t stick around. After the news I got this morning and then that. I was pretty stretched thin on what I could handle.”<br /> She nodded and took a few deep breaths before taking me into her arms again. “Here&#039;s what we&#039;re going to do. We&#039;re going to finish off this bottle of spirit, we’re going to watch a bunch of chick flicks, we’re going to eat to our stomach&#039;s desire and get a good night&#039;s rest. And tomorrow, we&#039;re going to go to your house. I&#039;m going with you, that&#039;s not up for negotiation. You&#039;re going to talk to Mike, and we&#039;re going to pack you a bag and you&#039;re going to stay with me. After you&#039;ve given it some clear thought without pressure from anyone and you&#039;re ready to make a decision then okay. But you can&#039;t make any decisions while you&#039;re living with him because he will cloud your judgement. Now chop chop. Pick out a movie, I&#039;ll get the snacks. You can change into a pair of my Pjs too.”<br /> With Rachel growing up an Army brat, you could hear the authoritarian in her coming out. She marched off to the kitchen while I changed my clothes and picked out a movie. Hours later she was passed out on the sofa with a line of drool coming out of her mouth. However, I couldn&#039;t sleep. I just couldn&#039;t shut my mind off.<br /> I debated on waking Rachel up to let her know we were adding one more to the party, but she was snoozing hard. You definitely didn&#039;t want to wake Rachel when she hasn&#039;t gotten enough rest. She turns into an instant bimbo and I don&#039;t have the capacity to deal with that right now.<br /> I made sure to cut on the porch light and unlock the door and go into the kitchen to heat him up something to eat, knowing he&#039;s going to be hungry. Yes, I may have been trying to bribe my child into not hating me with food, but it&#039;s a risk I&#039;m willing to take.<br /> I heard some shuffling in the foyer and a few curses and then silence. Going to check it out, I peeked around the corner to see Gage kneeling down to pick up my purse that he had knocked over, but all of the contents had spilled. Including all of the brochures from Brian&#039;s office and the paperwork with my test results on it. His face was pale and he wasn&#039;t moving.<br /> “Mom…?” his eyes raised to mine. His bright blue eyes that matched his fathers and they were starting to blur with unshed tears. “Mom, what is this?”<br /> I sighed, something I&#039;ve been doing a lot of today and knelt next to him. “Gage, son, look at me” he did and I could see the tremble in his body.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want to tell you about that yet... I wanted to wait until after SAT’s and until you picked a good school.”<br /> He shook his head. “No!” I gave him a look and he mumbled sorry. “You know what, I&#039;m not sorry! You&#039;re sick! You need me! I can go to a school closer to home! I can still achieve my goals and dreams while being here for you.”<br /> This is what I was afraid of.<br /> “Baby, I don&#039;t want you to put your life on hold for me. I will be okay. I&#039;m a fighter. I&#039;m strong. I can handle anything. I want you to live your life for you, I want you to make choices because you want to do them. Not because you feel obligated.”<br /> “I&#039;m not obligated to do anything. You&#039;re my mother. You gave me life. If you think I would for a second abandon you in your time of need then you&#039;re sadly mistaken. You raised me better than that.” I took him in my arms and he bussed the top of my head. Now that he was nearly an adult, he was almost a foot taller than me.<br /> “I just want you to have every change you can possibly have in life. A better life than what I had growing up.”<br /> His hug got tighter. “You&#039;ve given me an amazing life mom. Let me help you. No wonder dad drank himself into a stupor.”<br /> I couldn&#039;t help it. I tensed at the mention of Mike and Gage unfortunately noticed.<br /> “Mom?” he asked, raising a brow.<br /> I attempted to brush it off because this was an adult matter. It&#039;s not something a teenager. He wasn&#039;t having it.<br /> “I know you told, Rachel about it or else you wouldn&#039;t have come here. So you have two choices. Either tell me what I want to know, or I will wake up aunt Rachel and we both know that won&#039;t end well.”<br /> “Just tell the boy!” Rachel said, peeking her head above the sofa. I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged and shrunk down further waiting for the explosion of what I&#039;m about to tell my son.<br /> “Please don&#039;t hate me…” I whispered to him not expecting him to hear me but knowing that he did. “Your dad and I….I will be staying here for a few days.”<br /> His face scrunched up in confusion. “Why… you and dad..you&#039;re my idol couple. You&#039;re so in love. I...What happened?”<br /> “I thought we were in love too…” I sobbed a bit knowing full well that that was the truth. I thought we did love each other. It was great, frequent, we hardly ever fought, we spent time together. I don&#039;t understand what happened.<br /> “Your dad is having an affair and I found out about it today.” I couldn&#039;t meet his eyes. I was filled with shame. Shame that I failed my marriage, that I failed my family, and that I wasn&#039;t enough to keep my family together. I felt like there was no way out of this dark place. I can&#039;t face him knowing that I failed him.<br /> “Who?” was all he said. I looked up and his face was turning red and the tips of his ears even redder. A trait he inherited from his father.<br /> “It&#039;s not important…”<br /> “God, mom! Tell me who!” I trembled at the anger he released.<br /> “Gage, just calm down…”<br /> He shook his head. “No. Not this time. I&#039;m not going to calm down. Tell me who dad decided to throw his family away for. Tell me who dad thought was so important that he would chose to break up his own family for.”<br /> Wait, he wasn&#039;t mad at me?<br /> “You&#039;re not mad at me?” I asked stupidly.<br /> He took three giant steps towards me and engulfed me in a hug. I could feel his own tears hitting my forehead. “Why would I ever be mad at you over this? You&#039;re not the one who stuck a body part in another person that wasn&#039;t your spouse. You&#039;ve never been anything short of amazing Mom. But please. Tell me who”.<br /> “It was Lisa…” I muttered knowing he deserved to know, but hating that I was thrusting all of this on my child.<br /> “You&#039;ve got to be kidding me!” was all he said before he stormed out of the door, got in his truck and sped off.<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> “Go after him before he does something he&#039;ll regret. He may be mad now, but he&#039;s reacting to emotional overdrive” Rachel&#039;s voice was sad but firm. I knew I would need to go after him. After that were dropped on him in the past hour, it&#039;s a wonder he&#039;s still standing. It&#039;s a miracle that I&#039;m still standing, but I&#039;ve also had spirit to help drown my sorrows in.<br /> There&#039;s only one place he would have gone. He would have gone home to confront Mike. Rachel trailed behind me as we all climbed in my car.<br /> “You don&#039;t think he’ll do anything stupid do you?” she was silent, but I knew the answer myself. We drove the short 15 minutes it took to get to my house, well my old house, and sure enough his truck was parked in the driveway still running.<br /> I could hear the yelling from outside. Shouting from both Gage and Mike. When I got through the door it was clear that I needed to calm one if not both of them down. Pictures were smashed, there was glass everywhere. I rounded the corner to the living room to see Mike pinned to the wall by Gage. Both of them were nearing 6 foot tall and well built but seeing our 17 year old holding such an advantage over him was shocking.<br /> Mike&#039;s eyes met mine and they bugged out.<br /> “Why?” Gage shouted.<br /> “Why would you do this? I thought you cared about us? Was it worth it you prick!” his voice cracked with emotion the more that he spoke. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder causing him to jerk before turning to meet my gaze.<br /> “Let him go sweetie…” he shook his head in refusal. “Gage, let him go…” My voice was soft and he slowly released his grip on his dad and Mike sagged against the wall while Gage fell into my arms.<br /> “It&#039;s okay sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. Rachel is in the car. Grab a bag of clothes and go to the car.” he nodded and walked away.<br /> “Jo…” I held up my hand to him.<br /> “Save it…I&#039;m grabbing a bag myself and staying with Rachel for a few days.” he stepped towards me causing me to step back. The hurt in his eyes was evident, but it was his own fault.<br /> “Can we please just talk about this? I made a mistake, yes, but we can fix this!”<br /> I scoffed. “A mistake? An accident? What did you accidentally fall and land in her hip?” he hung his head. “And the worst part about all of this is, it wasn&#039;t even a complete stranger. Lisa. My best friend. How long has this been going on?”<br /> “Well?” I probed when he didn&#039;t answer.<br /> “This was the first time in years that I&#039;ve been with her…” he wasn&#039;t looking at me, he refused to look me in the eye.<br /> “Wait….you said in years. What did you mean?”<br /> When he raised his head he had tears in his bloodshot eyes. “We called it off when Brian proposed to her. I&#039;m telling you all of this so we can air it all out. So we can move past it. We had been seeing each other since highschool.”<br /> I felt a pressure in my head and my heart sinking to my stomach. I looked to the stairwell and saw Gage sitting on the stairs listening intently.<br /> “Why then? Why continue to be with me? Why even see me at all if you were with her too? That means you had been having a whole other life for 10 years. I-I can&#039;t… I don&#039;t understand. Why did you marry me, lead me on, continue to sleep with me, frequently by the way, if you were with her?”<br /> He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. I was way past angry at this point. I picked up a vase of flowers that he had gotten me two weeks ago. Now that I think about it, those flowers were probably an apology for everything. Gripping the vase hard enough I was sure it would shatter. I chucked it. It hit the wall next to him shattering to pieces.<br /> He didn&#039;t flinch, he didn&#039;t move, he didn&#039;t even bat an eyelash. He was taking my temper tantrum and letting me get it all out.<br /> “ANSWER ME.”<br /> “Because I love you. I still do.”<br /> I cut him off. “Nonsense. If you loved me you wouldn&#039;t have strayed. You wouldn&#039;t have kept it up for 10 years. So try again.”<br /> “I do love you. But it&#039;s possible to love more than one person. I thought I was in love with her too, but I was wrong. I didn&#039;t know she was seeing Brian until 6 months before the proposal. It felt so wrong. I felt used. She was seeing both of us, using both of us for money, she was getting a high off the rush of getting caught. She was vindictive, so I cut it off. I broke up with her.”<br /> A half choked cob and laugh left my lips. “Then how did I catch you balls deep in her this afternoon?”<br /> He let out a deep breath. “I truly don&#039;t know. She had been there to see Brian but he was in with a patient. She had waited in my office for him and one thing led to another. I don&#039;t want to be that prick and say she came onto me but she did.”<br /> I walked up to him and slapped him so hard that his head whipped to the side. “You should have said no. You should have called security. You had so many opportunities. I don&#039;t know if we can fix this Michael. 10 years of infidelity out of a 17 year marriage. Do you know how many people Lisa was sleeping with in college? You could have given me a STD! Even when I was pregnant! All of those appointments you missed because you were busy were you out with her? All those conferences out of town, was it her? I don&#039;t understand it. You just shattered every bit of trust and faith I had in us. What was so wrong with me that you couldn&#039;t be faithful to me? You know how hard my life was before I met you. You know how important family is to me! Growing up in the foster care system, I didn&#039;t have a family! You were my family. Lisa was my family. I hope it was worth it. I hope she was worth it.”<br /> He put his hands on my shoulders trying to calm down my ranting. Gage stood up from the stairs and started towards us. “Take your hands off of her. Or I will...” I had never heard that authority in his voice. Mike stood back and held his hands up.<br /> “We can fix this...I&#039;ve been faithful for 10 years. Not once have I strayed in that time. Well, except today. But it&#039;s not you. It&#039;s never been your fault. I could break up with you or leave you because I loved you. I couldn&#039;t bear to lose you. I didn&#039;t want to live without you. I was going to call it off when you got pregnant but she convinced me to stay. She tried many times to get me to divorce you, but I just couldn&#039;t. I won&#039;t. And don&#039;t say we were your family like it was past tense. We are family. I can fix this. I can&#039;t live without you…”<br /> “Well, it looks like you&#039;re going to have to figure out how to. I don&#039;t know if I can ever forgive you for this. I am going to leave now. I&#039;m staying with Rachel. Goodbye, Mike.” I whispered and walked away.<br /> Gage had two bags in his hand. “I packed your bag too…” he had a far away look in his eyes.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want you to hear any of that...I&#039;m sorry, son.”<br /> “Gage!” Mike called out. He stopped walking but didn&#039;t turn around. “Please...just take care of your mother… I love you. Both of you.”<br /> “Save it, dad. If you loved us, you wouldn&#039;t have destroyed our family.”<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> The weekend had come and gone and I had a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed this morning. The amount of spirit I had drank this weekend was catching up with me and I was highly considering calling out of work. The sun had barely risen in the sky, the remaining bits of darkness still lingering on the horizon.<br /> My phone was continuing to blow up with message and message, voicemail after voicemail, and countless emails all from Mike trying to get me to come home, to work this out. Lisa had sent me a few messages both asking to talk and to apologize.<br /> Brian had sent 2 messages. One checking on me, and one apologizing. I don&#039;t know what he had to apologize for. Nothing was his fault. He and I were in the same boat. Both the people we thought we loved betrayed us. If anything I should be the one apologizing to him. If only I had caught on sooner.<br /> I had thought everything was perfect. I had thought that our love was strong and powerful. I thought nothing could come in between us. I thought that we were invincible. I now know that all of that was a charade. I knew that none of that was real. He used me, he lied to me, he betrayed me. He destroyed every little piece of me that I thought that I had.<br /> I knew once all of this was said and done that I would never trust again. I would never fall in love again. It wasn&#039;t worth it. Besides, no one would want a washed up, jaded, 33 year old woman with a 17 year old child, a cheating ex-husband, and a list of trust issues a mile long. Not to mention cancer. <br /> The cancer alone would be enough to scare the strongest of suitors away. What am I even thinking about. It&#039;s been 3 days since I caught my husband, deep inside of that woman and I&#039;m over here thinking about future relationships.<br /> I shouldn&#039;t be thinking of these things. Especially things that will never happen. I knew that my walls were being built up as high and as strong as they possibly could be and I would make sure that no one would ever be able to tear them down.<br /> Dressed in my mint green scrubs, white lab coat, and a stethoscope around my neck, I looked in the mirror. I looked tired, my face was puffy like I had been crying for days, which I had. My green eyes were dulled out to almost grey. My golden hair was flat and lifeless.<br /> I looked haggard but Rachel peeked her head in and whispered “You are the most beautiful woman I know. You&#039;re going to get through this.” her hot pink scrubs with paw prints on them only flattered her every curve.<br /> I narrowed my eyes at her lying hip. “Don&#039;t even give me that look. You are veterinarian. If only I swung that way.” She whistled and swatted at my hip and I couldn&#039;t help but chuckle. She always knew how to cheer me up.<br /> “So let&#039;s go out for drinks tonight. We never really got to celebrate you getting this job, and we need some spirit therapy. After all spirit always listens.”<br /> “Gage has football practice, and Mondays are slow anyways. Please.” She poked out her bottom lip and widened her eyes.<br /> “Fine. Just a couple of drinks. I start Chemo this week and can&#039;t drink a lot. Brian said that if I am going to drink, I will need to limit it to one glass of spirit a day.” she lowered her eyes and nodded.<br /> “I almost forgot about that. It just doesn&#039;t seem real. You know I&#039;m behind you every step of the way, right?” I nodded and hugged her. It was true she was an amazing friend. I trusted her wholly.<br /> I peeked in on Gage and saw him sleeping. I went over to him and rubbed his head like I used to do when he was a toddler. Oh, how I wish they could stay small forever. This world is too unkind sometimes. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that I would be there for him for everything. I wouldn&#039;t let him go through life alone like I had. I wanted him to know that he always had me, no matter what.<br /> “Don&#039;t be late for school. I&#039;m going to work.” the guest bedroom he was sleeping in was almost too small for him and it made me chuckle a bit seeing this growing boy nearly falling out of the bed. He groaned and gave me a thumbs up.<br /> “I love you, Son.”<br /> At work I had to sit down with the head veterinarian and explain to him my chemo schedule, which meant telling yet another person about it. In reality I just wanted to keep it to myself. I didn&#039;t need anyone taking pity on me or treating me differently.<br /> He patted me on the back and told me if I needed anything I just needed to ask. But at the moment I was currently trying to wrangle in a group of hyperactive puppies coming in for their checkups.<br /> “Oh, aren&#039;t you just the cutest little thing.” I squeaked, picking up one of the fluff balls. They were little husky puppies and boy were they working on those vocal chords.<br /> “Alright, so all of these little beauties are perfectly healthy. I recommend deworming them today and we can go ahead and give them their first rounds of shots. Also, would you like to have them microchipped for when they go to their new homes?” I looked at Mrs. Thompson, she was a spritely woman, so full of enthusiasm.<br /> “Of course, yes. Only 3 of the 4 are spoken for. This little guy is the only one who hasn&#039;t found his forever home yet.&quot; The pup in question was the red and white fluffer I was holding a bit ago.<br /> “Oh?” I asked. I knew it was wrong to interject into patients&#039; plans, but this little guy was just the cuddliest boy ever. She gave me a knowing smile.<br /> “You know, I think he likes you. I&#039;ve always called that one Finn.”<br /> It was so tempting, something I just didn&#039;t want to turn down. In a moment of weakness I thought about how every man has left me. My father, my husband, friends, and I thought, dogs are loyal, right? This little guy surely won&#039;t leave me.<br /> “I suppose he does need a home. And you are right, he does seem to like me…” she smirked and we finalized the rest of the details. I had somehow acquired a puppy. What just happened?<br /> Several patients, and layers of dog and cat hairs later and I was exhausted. The day was ending and Rachel had popped in my office several times to remind me of my promise for tonight.<br /> “Have you spoken to Lisa?” Rachel asked me when she walked into the room.<br /> “No, and I don&#039;t plan on it. She needs to forget that I exist. I have nothing nice to say to her and it would be better if I didn&#039;t say anything at all.” she nodded.<br /> “I know. I only ask because she&#039;s reaching out to me now trying to get to you. Want me to throat punch her? You know I will.” I snorted because she was being honest. I knew she would in a heartbeat. She was the brawler of the group and I was always the level headed.<br /> “Let me finish these charts and you can punch throats to your heart&#039;s content.”<br /> “So, you&#039;re going through with the divorce, yes?” she asked curiously. I nodded.<br /> “I think so. I just can&#039;t forgive it. 10 years. He had been sleeping with her for 10 years. He said he had been faithful since her and Brian got married but apparently she seduced him and he fell for it. I don&#039;t believe it. I don&#039;t believe one word of it. Even if it had been just one time... I couldn&#039;t forgive it. Unfaithfulness is where I draw the line.”		ForFun-105		18	https://facebook.com/61552095643555	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68781	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054158		67		358518456721412	1	1.3727832900094E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	125728420629928		0	Xmasgift Store 108			120201295794080557		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls18?color=black&size=&product=unisex-sweatshirt		1701331721	1.2572842062993E+14	Xmasgift Store 108	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406239892_1002464617505507_3916020637068564458_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=htuDngQT5FAAX_aEX7O&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZsVmDDSfg0kxbng5KgUB2OePg1WpyOc-8_aHETXYYZg&oe=659159D7	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls18%3Fcolor%3Dblack%26size%26product%3Dunisex-sweatshirt&amp;h=AT1G0ayM8EGMUZ6p6vHHzGomUvIpMDEepfNpuLvuDaw2An99RyOWCTuNkayIOuw_HoT_yqeWY7wlBep0kKOBuHwYCb8QRhTSa8nRH-wOh5F8ap9-UXmAmH2VB8U9aho90y1g9DAEQHy6pSE9Cv6MnA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls18?color=black&amp;size&amp;product=unisex-sweatshirt</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT03xuPUx_vrUiXALVrCqcU600_6zwg6TcQcotOLG668gF5FbIFGAu39BAOhvqQAHdCQXi6jhIfeeMFiFV2cwvdDE4qyb7VJ7zz1gF1inE-d8mclv1As1siwj-_5VK5fi4--VakxoVK4JV3QM1V7Cw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Xmasgift Store 108		1	https://facebook.com/61551749081797	0		SHOP_NOW						1701331200		View Edit Delete
69681	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054159		67		620346370111799	5	6.8907228669931E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721075470167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678939	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404304695_307157035603840_685326367727654247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TyHd4-SmwfEAX-LhUc1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUdiGqhUl_14sMkF_DBNMh2zgJsdRIUyfalzb3eC1SLA&oe=659184AB	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68445	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054159		67		743119861196587		1.0403142506366E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543259960510		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899283	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409046253_1413860032498256_4956402802396163249_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0vDkUNOTyR8AX_8LYsD&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDB5kIjiK_-ftqxEbabtXb1poGBnowa8gMFZGFnYADjEg&oe=65924717	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408832148_671086504874885_9092752524763886807_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C4XKCSStFEMAX8ERn9H&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBBeeadCi-fhFwgdXaEyxIX3l1LK3heb3tP9QWHrzJN-g&oe=6592EB8F			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69136	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		1749341645478699	1	5.8666923024781E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281121220596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068460	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404750737_987750245631107_5039982187496491856_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vpyVSmZrI90AX98CttP&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCzjvppru2wASfSSMxGa7EHjRB5ds9asPtFhV0xhn-7vg&oe=659241AA	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404639873_760755195869083_3856412743425978415_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K7W4z5Z17wMAX_POAnh&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBK_IbM4UfBX3HGTBuXkwrN_CYoaoaw90Okfnh8MosC9w&oe=65919E2A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67224	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		3641435772807716		2.5809983036598E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68862	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054159		67		1357266398247411	5	3.6876741415128E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120202102926310728		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250802	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406222540_1467596627147981_6379004189642961006_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PhzsPWd0x0IAX-8eorq&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6dIfNwIcACukPQf44X5hhHp-jMBgBT3Q7vW7r-zZiWg&oe=6591A752	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68286	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		354624180480565	3	1.0813951533077E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672498950427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030341	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408459856_710235574130847_4531124904669129102_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PJ8fhNhHUi8AX-980Zc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCoM19jVpFHcpCdGLyYivUkmrS6GVlCjcDerk7sml5d5Q&oe=6592260A	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409366284_1334643220589558_5886112847017649174_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V9pet_nNAEcAX_XplYt&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDciBgbXC4L8poAaE9Q5R13TWJu1KFwxhZetFIr0rrHaQ&oe=6591641C			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68493	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054159		67		702525355176370	1	1.5782599827073E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201881966800476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856032	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406702864_752155826725221_8943045242935961895_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hl1uBwcZRH8AX_SsqzW&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfALQjmo_-3vUFcoNnXyF-Zw4mc-kUg7SdZeq76fmPeHlg&oe=6592E155	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406698633_1806933503100133_341614838645379825_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xfWgffAD52EAX8hzaNm&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfqtn07BpboafHmzlNGkwNDeUTD8fyR_4rmNK3kYch1w&oe=6591B78F			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66709	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		650815323676899		8.851472866062E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203868614420381		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491215	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414463978_1772500389888834_6341796813999551469_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7NzMl7oPepUAX8q6Zji&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuIGVuJZtY3ZOiWBIKY8gcR_n08BPrTxLzL9J_6IQyFw&oe=65917521	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414480355_1046744119977565_4888127646286046507_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ShAB0--LhR8AX_AGfOp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRLnz4wXXob4eFjDXEGgqf94HevJoptSyZFiXQBCWFUA&oe=65916520			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67452	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/18/25, 6:52 AM	1703760163	1750247552		67		365837896030969	1	8.8905003283932E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	181611515251850		0	Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance			6516732650392		School Performance After Epilepsy Surgery: Understanding Working Memory and Cognitive Load	INTERESTED		NONE	event	School Performance After Epilepsy Surgery: Understanding Working Memory and Cognitive Load	Many children face challenges at school after epilepsy surgery. They may have difficulty making or maintaining academic progress for various reasons. This Power Hour will discuss the concept of cognitive load and offer perspectives on how it can help you and your child’s team understand how they learn, both at home and at school. We will learn about working memory and its relationship to reading, oral language, math skills, and other academic areas. Suggestions for advocacy and accommodations that can be integrated into the IEP process and in direct discussions with teachers and other educators will be provided. ABOUT OUR SPEAKER: Amy Maguire is a speech language pathologist who works in the Department of Speech, Language, and Swallowing Disorders at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. She is also a researcher at the MGH Institute of Health Profession’s (IHP) Rehabilitation Sciences program in the Brain, Education, and Mind (BEAM) lab, directed by Dr. Joanna Christodoulou. Amy’s research and clinical interests fall at the intersection of speech language pathology and neurosurgery, and she is passionate about understanding and advocating for the best possible neurocognitive outcomes in adults and children undergoing neurosurgery. While her expertise is focused on language and literacy, her clinical experience extends across other academic skills areas, including math and executive function skills. REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3tgMoZ1	https://www.facebook.com/events/573320658309028/		1702684541	1.8161151525185E+14	Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411285912_3139674519674883_3489776012242153803_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IJoHXhKApfQAX-DgXfW&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfASpHK7mjTu2qKpLt9oay2J1CKAj2NhsnaZq4WA72cggA&oe=6591EDB4	person_profile	0					0	3	Many children face challenges at school after epilepsy surgery. This important session will shed light on the unique hurdles your child may encounter on their educational journey. Here’s what you’ll discover:<br /> <br /> ✅ The concept of cognitive load and its impact on learning;<br /> <br /> ✅ How cognitive load affects your child’s ability to process information in various academic areas like reading, oral language, and math skills;<br /> <br /> ✅ Insights into working memory and its crucial role in learning.<br /> <br /> REGISTER HERE: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3tgMoZ1&amp;h=AT38w2KKag_-LEsIgL0WesnPw2So2br5N7ZFKSyy_mpHw__LNSFZBeOB6S2yOggSmhK2gOGJwmhD0H-mTgCZdhdIiJPDuKLkd_ZRyBpw2ABdXM6UyC8FF-IgjSwCQMhl1Z2wfAO4u7oXiQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://bit.ly/3tgMoZ1</a>		Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance		4289	https://facebook.com/PESAlliance	0		EVENT_RSVP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68111	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/27/25, 4:38 AM	1703760167	1740652697		67		371980041867817	1	3.3192537644129E+14		1702368000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	111803854060146		0	futureofskincare			120202935926850285		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/futureofskincare		1702332989	1.1180385406015E+14	futureofskincare	https://scontent-atl3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/337892806_1157269939003584_6088003957471416812_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=ET5NYMAt8JoAX-5jU0K&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBqjcmn5S0EtqD3CLR18m96Jod4OAS_PD2uf3-ayLG-Vw&oe=659190D9	ig_ads_identity	1	FUTURE OF SKINCARE	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409737699_717529173672459_7642816185074512212_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1jgxDfLiSK0AX_96oU6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBEHeolS2XOE151IVu5UrFjg7__wUUVFuyeRIJ-aTosQw&oe=65919720			0	3	During &#064;thecare.fr pop-up event in Paris, I had the opportunity to chat with &#064;joannaryglewicz , Founder of &#064;oiolab Lab. She introduced us to her innovative creation, SuperPause - a rich, nourishing cream tailored specifically for skin undergoing changes during the menopausal transition, from perimenopause to postmenopause. - You can read Joanna’s interview on <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.FutureofSkin.care%2F&amp;h=AT1yvpnQ6KutaJ1w3oIhBOR5OYj7tO8TG9lrOXpWvrI_k_VXPVijAPNBY1YFBVbsd6px_f-29KCPFbjrll1YtxiBB1B3W13cSB0HAl55p_5-fuR3kzMvKdnjnT4xR5xCb2sXraZJ2Zd8dS9nVcZTsQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.FutureofSkin.care</a>		futureofskincare		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/futureofskincare	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68943	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/2/25, 9:20 PM	1703760173	1751509246		67		666092042061516	1	8.9547609201014E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300660470596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151689	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404656246_1342451323044131_4317743252260102316_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ys6aJsj2AuUAX99LkTv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBbp7ydqfiHD3b1BmmF9MIbHlvmiQ2c5wa2ajBSkCOykw&oe=6592639D	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404689807_357524363622707_3342040841233155134_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cV7-nt0pXPUAX_qKi-1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCcqvOX2uSzEMQuIX2tOJ-cgCJVwBxyQlLmdqe9OVwmFQ&oe=65918253			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69286	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054155		67		378745844677020	1	1.3379662835135E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632071610115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796884	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404822891_874511964047134_3511002552780397303_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CtCRuuqXt80AX-4dznK&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDOwAUTPr1aq0pW8SeLuJXI5SPvYhG4VG9_VIZp9qWXbw&oe=659262E7	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404302524_670977118509758_49561693264532945_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UYYodDlqtW8AX8vzv5W&_nc_oc=AQmGEXvw6YUuzlBkPWajm7_uGHTDTYuFfuL4G5umMHNP66q2fAG9gWphG7-OYi5yiog&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA4B7E61c8rsZtTXq8YN6VD3tWwsVfIS0jxH02fwhJqlw&oe=65918D65			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68016	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760166	1742988669		67		2078271392515523	7	1.4010282708114E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207709758310456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702392147	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410622833_6901662766547944_4827376833882185793_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9G2niNBBi1YAX9MSTUm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCZdGoqiSCkynWRyA-YfE6svqgIk4or7oJCOYNh5bPiCQ&oe=6591DC61	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68758	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054155		67		333484846086016	1	3.2317203363208E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	711420849053256		0	Mamut Dentistry			23861766084370188		implants.mamutdentistry.com	Learn more		NONE	carousel	Mamut Dentistry		https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey		1696896130	7.1142084905326E+14	Mamut Dentistry	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387735098_989633829144444_733517180995442611_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MSdig_TicjcAX9JR97n&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfABXz_pHi13GwjbVDY0oocyx0X2sfHYo_qFI2SsScCF6A&oe=659158E1	person_profile	0	ᴍᴀᴍᴜᴛ ᴅᴇɴᴛɪsᴛʀʏ	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387747528_863670772104603_8615363955449349338_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IhOxocMXohoAX9yVvxe&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC_LCE2svgVkyWXeulTpoTVPaudR07_asK8nrnQJYra_g&oe=6591623B			0	3	🙏Queens Neighbors, this is exciting for those persons struggling with dentures or no teeth! We can now offer the “Teeth In A Day” service.<br /> <br /> I know this sounds a bit crazy, but we can restore an entire upper or lower area with the “Teeth In A Day” procedure.💪<br /> <br /> This is NOT dentures…<br /> <br /> We place 4-6 implants and then attach a STRIP of teeth to them. It’s amazing because in this case, you don&#039;t have to battle with loose, painful dentures that never stay in. You&#039;ll be able to eat the foods you want without the pain or fear of a denture coming out.<br /> <br /> Please keep this in mind if you are on the fence about getting dental implants. Every person who requires implants has a limited time frame. The longer someone waits, the less likely it is that they will have the bone required for the procedure to be successful.<br /> <br /> I&#039;m Dr. Jovanka from Mamut Dentistry, and this month I&#039;m doing something really cool to help our community and get the word out about our implant services in our Queens, NY area.<br /> <br /> 👉 If you want to see if we are a good fit and claim a Complimentary Dental Implant Consult with us, please click on the link below: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimplants.mamutdentistry.com%2Fsurvey&amp;h=AT2BVKeBNMCKmMbTkt38ylHPtRlcdSlfaeQX2i1d2vmjSjEAYsEUWEz-6MEO5a4s_TDNS8cPdiEPfTfjVAKrEUes5tOVYm5xpvI8z93Bv06EEqxcEeUSztvtC5dNOMa77aVAu-7kY1EMeqhq6K-LL6hVpu62-ya2NBffjg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey</a><br /> <br /> Best of all, this treatment PRESERVES the jaw bone. (Unlike regular dentures.)<br /> ☑️ No more closed-lip smiles<br /> ☑️ No more hand over the mouth when laughing<br /> ☑️ Finally, eat the foods you used to enjoy<br /> ☑️ Have new teeth TODAY!<br /> <br /> Here&#039;s what one of our patients, Tijana, has to say: &quot;Dr Jovanka Zivkovic is an amazing dentist. One of the best dentist I have ever been to! She is very professional, she is caring dentist and I always feel safe with her. No pain during the treatment at all. She explained what I needed and what I could put on hold for now. She is perfect, professional and beautiful! I have recommended this place to my friends and anyone who needs a great dentist!&quot;<br /> <br /> 🤝 Also, we work with you to help you get started… we can do this because we’re not a big corporation focused on prices, instead, we are a private practice focused on our patients and getting them the care they need.<br /> <br /> Claim your Complimentary spot by filling our survey!		Mamut Dentistry		615	https://facebook.com/mamutdentistry	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
66883	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054155		67		3536869653236043	1	3.4373143804611E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	995107887233488		0	Boulevard			23861514807420575		joinblvd.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Salon Owners: Meet Boulevard	Get your demo now	https://get.joinblvd.com/salons-paid-social/		1697671074	9.9510788723349E+14	Boulevard	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/391646417_567014512222830_8375852360221290242_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WceeklzBDSUAX9aiyAd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvSMbZUEbhY6Y8XUpQ3xVU1tpuc7i4rHNJyn2smExmhw&oe=6592DDBB	person_profile	0	Boulevard	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/391657229_2326477697561005_2788320494332299720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LX0XujkP2HEAX_MX_oF&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvnSFQdNTc3gFDWYhgxZRqdn6H_C5pnQqousHdsuzubg&oe=65931218			0	3	&quot;Boulevard is the Apple of Salon Software.&quot; - Michael D., COO, Joanna Vargas		Boulevard		2487	https://facebook.com/joinblvd	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68372	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054155		67		676409374603872	1	2.0758963694761E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997441900476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701941030	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406851652_1012306223159937_8209872872590158514_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=08xPGlDMFPcAX881u5L&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBMZZrrfte8XU6Z1EUYtXpXden_WBPYKRS-QEnaQ5JnMA&oe=6592C316	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406806780_1825876304538169_1614806044932515544_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QnTLdVnnnWIAX-yMZka&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDva_DXth81HT2MXBQMUtecOMRcQsoezjhE4q5a9M-Y7g&oe=6591C4B6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66514	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054155		67		290267016877020	1	9.0444343439342E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361670040579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657238	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414136154_3736814556549020_4579740007851842163_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7WsJO6nDmFcAX_dMaqS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBztwN7IeXsatnycy90pQb8ukZH5rppu2UwB7EfoQ5qCA&oe=6592932F	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412803590_1564275377740777_7788414670479152969_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tT4aKrClPiIAX9tlC1s&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB4oVkM93piQMJdTvajmxJyzaEXnWX2Gidw8DOAYrPI2A&oe=65923921			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68140	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054155		67		7324956244217608	1	8.831801967482E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	311136718916927		0	Leonis Summer Houses			120201986702620647		leonis.gr	Book now		NONE	image			http://www.leonis.gr/		1702292176	3.1113671891693E+14	Leonis Summer Houses	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408476791_1009640686760613_7363818524127732107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JwkOsquG9dkAX_5VQdC&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDr976EkmGSvdDQtkCMUxvW5Yq5h39FfHYxudiPjTjY8w&oe=65920167	person_profile	0	www.leonis.gr	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406825562_3598161450473036_6281783793428032350_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CfpV7AmeRNwAX8btgfm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDZZcr9i5-Pkc2fpmQR5soDACDK9CUSgUgOdO8bEg2GFg&oe=6591A3F6			0	3	There are several words that keep showing up on our guests’s comments, such as “view”, “relaxed” and “friendliness” for example. One word you won’t miss though, even if you read just a couple of reviews, is “breakfast”.<br /> <br /> Probably the greatest evidence of how seriously we take our guests’ experience at Leonis Summer Houses is the love and care that we have put in creating the hotel’s signature breakfast. <br /> <br /> Every morning, a local bakery brings us different kinds of bread, all made with traditional recipes. At 7:00 am, we start baking butter croissants (that’s right, butter, not margarine croissants, we just can’t stop spoiling you), along with savoury treats like the adored spinach pie and sweets like the creamy “bougatsa” pie. This way, you get to enjoy the rich flavour of freshly baked goods with every single breakfast.<br /> <br /> Breakfast preparation includes all the vitamins you need to start your day, with the cutting of fresh fruits for your colourful fruit salad and squeezing oranges for your juice. As if the Greek yogurt we serve wasn’t delicious enough on its own, we provide you with honey that we buy from an actual farmer - not from a supermarket - and traditional sweets that pair incredibly with your yogurt.<br /> <br /> The marmalades we use consist 100% of fruit, there’s no sugar added. Every day should be a cheat day when it comes to our chocolate spread though. Use that thing on a croissant and moan like Meg Ryan on “When Harry Met Sally”. <br /> <br /> To top it all off, you get your morning boiled eggs and a variety of cold cuts and cheese. Once you’re finished, you should expect to get hungry again at dinnertime. What raises the breakfast experience to a whole other level is the fact that you get to enjoy it on your terrace, with a breathtaking sea view.<br /> <br /> Treat yourself to the LSH experience by making your reservation online at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leonis.gr%2F&amp;h=AT3ZvCBe62wBwcvXto7dk0ZRevSDnSFXQDKiLgsRU4ep5vvdLnjzzetkFnlrM7VfqXgY6TSgWWLB50_g9Yd_V-ehnl_QXs_hAm7e1kdhTgq4cCbHEbS5Tkm6mfhmWSyU96i2CaG0lNjLp2eu7CTQUryVFDI" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.leonis.gr</a> or by sending your request at welcome&#064;leonis.gr<br /> <br /> Season Premiere on 20 April 2024<br /> <br /> #mykonos #greece #travel #hotel #photooftheday		Leonis Summer Houses		9128	https://facebook.com/LeonisMykonos	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66502	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/8/25, 4:31 PM	1703760158	1739032266		67		921933342688828	1	7.4135032741932E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868933250268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_9D466DC8A11FADE18A94E219A939B61D_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699156	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414458609_363501496370059_6728933583235252760_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y-aTg-LNrKkAX_y3Hup&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMEldGOFw3QD0m8d285XVHib6VdlZwWv7Qw1FVmuKw_g&oe=6591BE97	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a junior at Colorado University, is a bookstore clerk with a strong disinterest in sports, especially football. She’s determined not to fall for the charm of campus athletes, haunted by a past relationship that left her cautious and independent. But her world tilts on its axis when she meets Knox Maguire, a senior football player grappling with a knee injury and dyslexia, who seeks her help in the bookstore.<br /> <br /> Knox, struggling with the pressures of his final year and the weight of his player reputation, is intent on changing his ways. He’s vowed to abstain from romantic encounters, focusing instead on overcoming his academic struggles. Despite his intentions, he’s captivated by Joanna&#039;s natural allure and her stark contrast to the women he&#039;s accustomed to.<br /> <br /> Their paths cross, leading to tutoring sessions where unspoken attraction and professional boundaries blur. As Joanna and Knox navigate this unexpected connection, they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. Their relationship blossoms, but not without challenges, as they juggle their personal insecurities, Knox&#039;s sports career, and societal expectations.<br /> <br /> Can Joanna and Knox overcome the barriers between them and acknowledge the depth of their feelings? Or will their differences and external pressures force them to keep their love unspoken?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66885	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054155		67		385506237247051	1	9.1041461384194E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	995107887233488		0	Boulevard			23861504514170575		joinblvd.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Salon Owners: Meet Boulevard	Get your demo now	https://get.joinblvd.com/salons-paid-social/		1697660087	9.9510788723349E+14	Boulevard	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/393300738_200845689697170_8648082447194007503_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YiCqT5RY6c0AX8gBAt8&_nc_oc=AQkaTjOT2t7l1A5IsFcvSRAksi-CGXxxvSFlplHMW2d-xX_bvLS9S06IaMvGLNCuRrWFh1DlLipmyJ52f-Khv5ye&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDxsJT_TzeWoVOvOvIBgTT2TA3lRncuUJMajjETMnsHyA&oe=6592011F	person_profile	0	Boulevard	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/393211260_860324582166774_219146360726513048_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C8iz_aLIJ6YAX8VNa-e&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBY8b5wWNvOxKbD32SD0XdWScTckW9FIufl3luk2ZcBQ&oe=65925E99			0	3	&quot;Boulevard is the Apple of Salon Software.&quot; - Michael D., COO, Joanna Vargas		Boulevard		2487	https://facebook.com/joinblvd	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67110	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054155		67		1084384492746764	4	2.6439084330318E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120204900222330036		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1703065075	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410046892_857150876101287_6349139291172753503_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U0biSWQOJZ0AX9Ny135&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvrizpsQt964kruOqSkbl8XAsv1eJrsJufyXs7hbd-hQ&oe=6592C250	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67349	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054155		67		1086870408996371	3	3.1589290310703E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	105343545334758		0	Culinary Creations			6577364627618		culinarycreationsre.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Le Creuset Cookware Sets are now On-The-House 🎁		https://culinarycreationsre.com/		1702850432	1.0534354533476E+14	Culinary Creations	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412050417_296014376762174_5147780337320228992_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5AaRxvwSrPkAX9FA_Cc&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCZT-csRdaAyxMZM6c4qNulAN9hqRBHzyWZnGujGUxL8g&oe=6592498C	person_profile	0	Culinary Creations	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411721121_324045907112662_7148736415263624966_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a6SMOaxrBuEAX8k-8hp&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBNFpnaN7SyaLO9deMyQjEorzWpe5wO_9iStCJyJNfT4w&oe=65924F3F			0	3	🎁🎄DAY 9 of Our 12 Days of Christmas Give_away Sponsored by Chip &amp; Joanna!		Culinary Creations		8	https://facebook.com/100090339347603	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67399	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054155		67		324484807188066	2	7.3397771482276E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508578830427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806192	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409983839_7058427787556624_8089379301517309842_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ttUS9gIeRNEAX9we5yO&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB8Kju_rPPcdsESkFCm7yWRucgWgSGpWDKy_V1MxQQqGQ&oe=659300FB	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409984746_2289682054558299_6649374262654374419_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lZOMsw0wDXoAX8hV6xY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfACwHeTnoFwsmRSKVh2AJAAn-uTnOumKLuFFZLIw3bgEg&oe=65920E31			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67438	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054155		67		1306332066739237	1	8.5960942924984E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765571020465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702214	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409835378_1465409674034812_2632701869489335095_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DQyRw-Wu_6wAX88ct9I&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDpsJSEDA6qv5pYmhmtlFTBddigv1SPX6pZlf6zKAbymg&oe=65914B3A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409806819_1078111760010223_4859992656989455970_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0lcP-iKtqUwAX-RA89W&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBV5jyW8dqBGyrUGyte92o3xv4LREZHMJARJl-T9WQkZA&oe=659299D2			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67394	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054155		67		2415141405356364	1	9.1679196604791E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508619450427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806459	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411092676_1174529616854101_4904865144927799774_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4g-jbfREtGcAX_6d_nd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDvxem-7tkoka5iahIuxqEf2SKID5wHSbKIoKMoY_BULA&oe=65933314	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411089131_903007258070206_2043311770545414098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n0KCOW7li8AAX-UCxak&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC1CjJeiSm8gFeYrQkG-9s2dYtiwRJN21xUWeq_FH-odg&oe=65932741			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
68163	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054155		67		225104420622666	1	1.4554569353855E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974523770427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287515	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409208629_1405558853677370_6917994297025345982_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zB8VU0obgRMAX8CDq2v&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDG9L0ixva5WGW1dPQQKZeeSaYBdxlDHTKIZcrFtSlq7A&oe=65917888	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410176097_875527577426291_6938110016756690382_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZbKoCrHyjWcAX8RYbXi&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBWSKVcvFSgVDzPlrZKk21akYyIzeR9Ba0Rbjxy4BQNKw&oe=65926CBF			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68197	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054155		67		730803791906917	1	3.6997009877908E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202260039280476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702181102	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408838510_4489856314571893_5159500688726156747_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6i0cIfCtgN0AX9JYMsW&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfB79KmEr4utE7IJ5z_d_E2gfkAAaj_S3UBK1VNPbCNf_Q&oe=6591E6C1	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408801612_770902611720440_7169179455957372973_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TfeDV1mjXoAAX93yeNX&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBt2-m-kcYASmZHETY6_FmWryCD0BRmGZAl5clFgk8piQ&oe=6591ED50			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68209	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054155		67		341595098490410	1	2.6236346685337E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	157384851487469		0	Joanna Rengel			120202520362130024		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannarengel_corp		1702173403	1.5738485148747E+14	Joanna Rengel	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409486862_328435406655467_3007316692506167704_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ne18gt8KRZgAX-SVk6S&_nc_oc=AQldbfbKMK_tEaNIAluxhfDrqUT3Ty3CrofDCt3GqjDgpvcLCjbCYkLw4SrsNGSO1mk&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfASZY5VD5Viirt5heA1olInkTofvlTHEIn_ZuEZnzkwCA&oe=6591A99E	person_profile	0	Coach Creativa & Espiritual	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409480645_717251787011884_5113235207494559153_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dVaTYzETXdUAX9DSnn3&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCTup3QU07oO_tv8BYSCSU5EfA3cFX4G9LymwokZJoUFA&oe=65919427			0	3	✨ Escucha tu corazón a profundidad para que puedas tomar decisiones sabias y te lleven a cumplir tus objetivos. <br /> <br /> ✨ Todas tenemos esa vocecita por dentro que nos dice que todo lo podemos lograr y a veces nos cuesta creerlo. <br /> <br /> ✨ Nos cerramos por el miedo y por falta de amor, pero cuando sigues tu intuición y te dejas guiar, estás dejando entrar abundancia a tu vida y en ese momento comienzas a sentirte más auténtica, más libre y más poderosa. <br /> <br /> 👉🏻👉🏻 Si sientes el llamado y quieres comprometerte aún más contigo misma, escríbeme por interno la palabra<br /> 💛 CORAZÓN 💛y te ayudo a conectarte desde el amor en mi mentoría 1:1 personalizada ♾️🤍<br /> <br /> #creativelifehappylife #creativehealing #creative #crecimientoespiritual #energia #mindset #creativelife #selflove #amorpropio #selfcare #innerchild #innerpeace #intentionalliving #marcasquevibran #creenciaslimitantes #poderdelamente #escuchatucorazón #coachcreativa #mentoriaonline #coachingemocional #healthcoaching		Joanna Rengel		1141	https://facebook.com/joannarengel	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68864	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054155		67		387708053644944		3.6876741415128E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120201714816210520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250801	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406018208_225011497280861_674139263032395191_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tB8GOmwm3IUAX9ajMOT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCTkXDddpOqyJkFAxy9dkbUm6wg8QXj2jqKQUaRoVBYCQ&oe=65932977	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68856	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054155		67		372132411841510	5	8.188272099976E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120202064925940319		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250805	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406375987_1274332369903776_8361207424606508038_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nwyA1nNAvr8AX9zwy8f&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBCopecNpjboJiZajC7sr8YpowYz40wk4rT1VgNSs5cqg&oe=65914963	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69429	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054155		67		1803331690173030	1	8.749779505911E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107090068642820		0	Book Lovers Hub			120200815339870645		dynamic.chereads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Search <The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake>❤️‍🔥🔥		https://dynamic.chereads.com/noah-ssg/wn/202303091/27109457006677105+1+4+facebook?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}		1700818595	1.0709006864282E+14	Book Lovers Hub	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404330018_333614032698869_7679565587660449329_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y4ElgnS8VV0AX_-6rAt&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD0R5QyimDpkR-i64PB6392mVYvGDDTff-v6VHhU7qPaA&oe=6593177A	person_profile	0	Book lovers hub	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405617386_863380908626623_1401296625287397993_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xCSowjacEBAAX8-eJd-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBib8cpiPDkFTGUt7gF--ldeHaOqF4fqIz828zqkeyGRA&oe=6592E6D8			0	3	Manhattan,New York city.<br /> 8:06pm.<br /> In the vip ward of a hospital, a tall silhouette of a man was seated on a cushion. His long legs that were cladded in an expensive Italian shoe, sprawled out, while looking at his neat three piece customized tailored suit he wore, gave off the fact that he was wealthy.<br /> The expensive Rolex watch he wore fitted around his wrist perfectly and gave him an endearing look, on how dripping expensive everything he was wearing was. <br /> Everything about him could only scream one thing. <br /> Money! <br /> Power! <br /> Dominance!<br /> The cold look on his face as he tried hard to not lose his temper, made him surprised because he knew that he didn&#039;t have such self control right now, not for the situation at hand that had landed him here late at night in Weill Cornell medical center.<br /> It gave off the notice to the gossiping lips of the female nurses, who couldn&#039;t help but keep his name out of their lips, as every now and then, he could hear them outside the ward, as he had his mind prepared about the news that would probably be scrolling around the news headlines about him by now.<br /> Well, it wasn&#039;t everyday that someone of such high social caliber, would grace the hospital, especially at this time of the night that it was rare to see such a man, with the exception that he wasn&#039;t here because he was injured, nor needed to see the doctor.<br /> But rather, he was here because of the young lady that was sleeping on the hospital bed, a few meters away from where he sat. It was appalling that he sat and watched her sleep, the way a lover would do to the loved ones, while hoping that they get better.<br /> But no! The woman in front of him was not his lover, nor a family member that would warrant that he gives her such attention. One that anyone who knew him better, would confess that he wasn&#039;t a man who had such a loving heart, but just like they always say, there&#039;s a first time for everything.<br /> As he wanted for her to wake up, he could slowly feel his patience running off and all he wanted to do was to jerk her up, and have her repeat what exactly was the significant conversation that had brought them both here.<br /> &quot;Sir?&quot; Leo, his personal assistant called for his attention, and for the first time he looked away from the red hair who was sleeping soundly, towards him, his face showing how annoyed he was, for him to interrupt his thoughts.<br /> But he had to remind himself that Leo was one of his trusted men, and the only one who could put up with a jerk like him, so he snapped at him, arrogantly.<br /> &quot;What? Don&#039;t tell me that mother is not feeling okay, I have a lot on my table right now,Leo.&quot; He said, his cold green eyes searching Leo&#039;s own for the affirmation that he had settled everything, that brought them out here before coming over here.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s not the point,sir. Unfortunately your grandfather has been notified about the situation.&quot; <br /> It was like a bee stung him, when he heard Leo tell him that his grandfather knows about the woman lying on the bed, and he wasted no time standing up, pushed him to the wall before grabbing him by his throat.<br /> &quot;Who told him about her? I had everything covered, how did it get to that old snake?&quot;He roared, but the door had to open at that moment and the doctor in charge of the young woman chose this ungodly hour to walk in.<br /> It made him move away from Leo but not without his eyes, threatening to kill him if he didn&#039;t get away from his sight, before he snapped at the doctor, he was done waiting.<br /> &quot;I must say doctor, I am a man of little patience, but now it seems to me that you think this is a joke, but if i were you i would do everything in my willpower to wake that woman up right now.&quot; The young man pointed at the sleeping lady, it was very evident in the tone he used towards her that he loathed everything that made him be here tonight, but it&#039;s not as if he had a choice.<br /> &quot;Actually Mr.Russo, i am afraid i can&#039;t release the result of the test without the young lady being involved here too.&quot; Dr. Rosalie said, as she looked at the intimidating eyes of Giovanni Russo, the youngest billionaire to top the business world, before then looking at her poor girl, who had no idea what trouble she was in because the young man seemed not to have any intention of being here more than just a night.<br /> But it seemed luck was on his side, because as intimidating as he looked, she couldn&#039;t let that fear overrun her instincts to do what&#039;s right, because as soon as he was about to say something else, the young lady was up and rubbing at her eyes, before she finally looked at their way.<br /> Marissa Diàz.<br /> That&#039;s her name.<br /> Her eyes widened when it fell on Giovanni, and the doctor could finally see what this was all about. But she could do nothing, since Giovanni could wipe her whole existence from the earth and that of her family, thereby she behaved.<br /> &quot;Well, look who finally decide to wake up?&quot; Giovanni said, unamused before he strolled over to where Marissa sat on the bed, his hands itched to strangle her to the wall, and get the truth out of her at a faster pace.<br /> But he reminded himself of the possibility of what she&#039;s saying being the truth, and besides a doctor was here after all, so he waited but rather smiled at seeing that she was scared of him.<br /> That&#039;s right, darling. You should be scared.<br /> He grinned, before looking at the doctor beckoning the woman to do her thing, to which she walked over to where Marissa sat, with her breath hitching up while she prayed in her heart if there was a god out there to hear her prayers.<br /> &quot;The results are out, Miss Diàz and i guess congratulations are in order.&quot; Doctor Rosaline said, and looked at Marissa who touched her stomach and on cue, she smiled at her.<br /> &quot;Congratulations Miss Diàz. You are pregnant.&quot;<br /> Chapter Two: Marissa, The Loner And Introvert Is Going To A Party.<br /> &quot;Finally, it&#039;s a wrap.&quot;<br /> Marissa said with a yawn, as she loosened the apron around her waist, while getting her clothes from her locker room, in a haste to get home to the comfort her bed provided. She needed that desperately since today was a long day, and she couldn&#039;t wait to close her eyes even if it&#039;s just for two hours.<br /> The young lady worked as a waitress at a famous diner in the city, it was a competitive work in the sense that the popularity the diner had attracted a whole lot of customers, and ofcourse interested workers who wouldn&#039;t mind taking up the job at working at &#039;Malcolm&#039; diner had made the employees over there, to step up in their work of they wanted a place right there.<br /> Marissa Diàz is an orphan, well that was what she told everyone, because considering how terrible her relationship with her mother had gotten over the years, since the death of her father. She ran away from home, to escape an abusive mother who remarried just to curb the loneliness that spranged up at the death of her father.<br /> Marissa didn&#039;t have the best life like any other girl out there can boost off, having to fend for herself at the age of sixteen, the daily struggles and battling with depression and loneliness were the only constant things happening in her life.<br /> Whereas the young lady has lost the zeal that there would ever come a time where things would get brighter in her life, just like every other girl out there, Marissa always wished for the Barbie girl lifestyle, but as always it&#039;s always a wish that never comes true.<br /> At a point, when she experienced her first heartbreak, when her first boyfriend, Ryan was banging another girl on her bed, in her room. She fell into depression and the zeal to live was gone until she met her,Sasha.<br /> &quot;Boo!&quot; <br /> &quot;Sasha what the hell is wrong with you?&quot; Marissa said, touching her chest to calm her racing heart, as she looked at her side to see her best friend laughing at her scared face.<br /> She does this everything, and she always falls victim to her playful tactics. Marissa got annoyed with her laughter, as the other girls who were present in the changing room were already leaving for the day. She took her bag and flung it at her, but she caught it &quot; You do this every time.&#039;&#039;Marissa said with a frustrated grunt.<br /> &quot;And your face gets me everytime, Marie.&quot; Sasha said, coming closer as she took her clothes from her hand, while Sasha wrapped her arm around her neck as they both stood in front of the mirror.&quot;You look horrible.&quot;Sasha confessed.<br /> &quot;This job is draining the life out of me, but i need the job i can&#039;t seem to bear the thoughts of going astray one day and Mr.pere….&quot;<br /> Marissa&#039;s anxiety about her work took over, and she couldn&#039;t help it ,but as always Sasha was in cue to stop her.<br /> &quot;Hey, sweetheart. It&#039;s okay, nothing is going to happen okay. You are just being paranoid about this work, you need a break.&quot; Sasha suggested, but she looked at her immediately to tell her how impossible what she was asking for wouldn&#039;t happen.<br /> &quot;Girl, am just kidding, okay.&quot; Sasha laughed, before she relaxed her mind.&quot;But i just want to tell you that no matter what happens, I will be here for you Marissa, you have got absolutely nothing to worry about, okay?&quot;<br /> Marissa tried to control her tears, but she wasn&#039;t strong like Sasha. Every girl needs a best friend like Sasha. God! She didn&#039;t know what she would have done without her.<br /> Sasha didn&#039;t really have a pathetic life like her, her family were among the middle rich although she hasn&#039;t really gotten to know what exactly her parents do, or the reasons why Sasha works this job with her, the only good reason she got out of her was that she needed a distraction from family problems.<br /> Marissa said nothing but hugged her,&quot; what would i do without you?&quot; She asked rhetorically, while Sasha rubbed her back lovely.<br /> But their moment were ruined when the door was swung open, and a<br /> an angry looking Mr.Peters asked from the doorway.&quot; Ten minutes more and you get to sleep in here, Marilyn.&quot; <br /> &quot;It&#039;s Marissa, Mr.Peters, and thanks for the update though.&quot;Marissa said with a frown on her face, she watched as he left before getting rid of her uniform. He always gets her name wrong and did she forget to say that Mr.peter hates her?<br /> &quot;So, do you have any plans for the weekend?&quot; Sasha asked, a little giddier than she is, and Marissa didn&#039;t need anyone to tell her what this was about.<br /> Sasha was a social butterfly, unlike her who would rather spend her free time reading romantic novels, watch binged horror movies and sleep for the rest of the day.<br /> Unlike Sasha, Marissa could say that she hated being around people, she preferred her free time and Sassha was not going to coerce her into leaving her comfort zone, no ..no. it&#039;s definitely not happening.<br /> &quot;Oh! Please don&#039;t tell me this is what i am thinking about is?&quot; Marissa said, while she took her purse and they were out of the diner.<br /> &quot;Seriously Marissa, you didn&#039;t even let me tell you what it is before showing that you are not interested.&quot;Sasha complained, giving her puppy eyes so she could give in.<br /> Marissa looked away from her, but she hopped over to where her gaze was.&quot; Fine, what is it about?&quot;<br /> &quot;My brother&#039;s birthday is on saturday, i got invited, but i don&#039;t want to go alone. You know my family and i had been having issues…&quot; Sasha paused, trying to find the right words to express what exactly she wanted to say.<br /> &quot;And you are taking me along for support.&quot;Marissa completed her words.<br /> &quot;Yeah, Sweetheart. I heard my elder brother would be present and we aren&#039;t the best cliqued brother and sister. So please, Marissa. Come with me, I promise it will be fun.&quot; Sasha begged.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t know Sasha, you know party and stuff aren&#039;t my thing…&quot;Marissa tried to complain.<br /> &quot;I know sweetheart, I know, but it&#039;s time you stop wishing to find the right person by just reading romantic novels, Marissa.&quot;<br /> Marissa rolled her eyes when she understood what this was about,&quot; I am not dating any of your brothers, Sasha. I am not good with people.&quot;<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t say that yet, you would love it, Marissa.&quot;Sasha clapped her hands, while making a dreamy face. It was evident that she had something planned in mind, but Marissa wasn&#039;t prepared for any of her match making plans.<br /> &quot;Yeah, as long as you keep the men away. I&#039;m good.&quot;<br /> &quot;So, does it mean you are coming?&quot; Sasha&#039;s loud voice was heard, as her overexcitement made the passerby to look at the both of them, earning a cautious look from Marissa.<br /> &quot;Do i look like i have a choice?&quot;The young lady said, and Sasha yelped in excitement, making Marissa worried, because for someone who said that it was her brother&#039;s birthday, she&#039;s over excited.<br /> She didn&#039;t know if that&#039;s something to be bothered about, but she had to let her wandering mind rest. She gets worried easily but making going out with Sasha would not be a bad idea..<br /> So yeah, Marissa Diàz, the loner and introvert is going to a party!<br /> Chapter Three: Where Is Giovanni?<br /> New York city.<br /> ~~~<br /> &quot;He&#039;s running late again.&quot;Edward Russo complained for the third time, to his wife who stood besides him, while trying to keep a happy face while all is not well.<br /> Apparently, they were under pressure seeing that very soon they were going going to take the words of insults thrown to them because of their immature son, Giovanni Rosso, who had refused to be on time for the private services that was being hosted in their hometown by his grandfather, has been an active member for a long time since the death of his wife.<br /> Standing besides a worried Edward Russo, who turned to look at his father engaged in a conversation with an important guest, who was doing a good job keeping his mind away from noticing that Giovanni wasn&#039;t here yet.<br /> His ever so lovely wife, Amrita Russo. The first daughter in-law to grace the family and proved her worth to the family both in business, and everything.<br /> She was the apple of the man&#039;s eyes, besides her who was trying so much not to show how panicked he was, but right now when she tried to speak up on behalf of her son, she was tackled arrogantly by him.<br /> &quot;Come on, huni. He&#039;s probably on his way here, you know how Giovanni is, am sure Leo knows the best thing to do is to make sure he&#039;s here by all means.&quot; Amrita tried to calm Edward, when it&#039;s just for these few minutes that the reporters were busy doing a job to interview everyone present and Giovanni is not here yet.<br /> The last thing that they want right now is another scandal, that would tarnish the image of the Russo corporation. Their son, Giovanni, had made it his primal duty to be on the bad side of the media every single week.<br /> The Russo corporation was among the top five world leading oil mining companies to exist, its original founder Paul Russo was dead, his successor after his son being the man who was the reason they were gathered here today, Christian Russo.<br /> Edward being the first son of the old man, followed by his brother who was not here yet, although he&#039;s sure that his father would not miss having his whole family here, on a special occasion like this. The old man would like to invite everyone of his family, just like old times so they could dine like a loving family.<br /> &quot;It better be just like you said, Amrita. Your son has caused me nothing but blatant headaches in the past few months, I have had enough of his immature ass, it&#039;s time he sits and assumes his responsibility as the heir to the company.&quot; Edward spat, which made her scoff at his words.<br /> &quot;My son? Seriously Edward, you and i both know you also spoiled the boy to the wits, you can&#039;t just pin the blame on me when he starts behaving just like how daddy dearest had taught him.&quot; Amrita sneered, before looking away from him in anger.<br /> He always does this every time, when Giovanni behaves like the spoiled asshole he was, he would rather she takes the blame than him. But apparently, it was no one&#039;s fault that Giovanni was this way he is. The boy was difficult to handle, especially since he came back from the states from his studies.<br /> &quot;Amrita..baby, I&#039;m sorry.&quot; Edward tried to apologize, but then they were interrupted by the all familiar car that parked with a screeching sound that attracted everyone&#039;s attention over to them.<br /> The both of them didn&#039;t need any soothsayer to tell them who it was as the car door was opened by the bodyguard and Micheal, Edward&#039;s younger brother stepped out with that ever proud smile on his face.<br /> His wife, Joanna, was dressed to kill! Today was basically all about their grandfather, but she dressed like she was walking down the runway.<br /> Edward couldn&#039;t help to control his smile when he saw the annoyance that ran across his father&#039;s face seeing her. Thankfully, he wasn&#039;t the only one who didn&#039;t like the b.it.ch.<br /> The reporters were on cue to start taking pictures of them, until the next car to slide in revealed Diego, the second grandson of the Russo Family, Giovanni&#039;s cousin.<br /> &quot;Grandpa.&quot; The bubbly one he was, as he wasted no time to run into the embrace of his grandfather, who was all smiles. No matter how bad everyone&#039;s dislike his mother, Diego was different and apparently the smile keeper of the family. Grandpa loves him.<br /> &quot;Congratulation father, on your new hospital.&quot; Micheal said, moving forward to pay his respect to the old one.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s not my hospital, Micheal. It belongs to the public.&quot; Christian Russo, replied back as a slight annoyance ran across his face when Joanna&#039;s voice was the next to be heard.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, father. You didn&#039;t tell us you were back from the states?&quot;Joanna asked as her eyes scanned across the room in the hope of finding the favorite daughter in-law, Amrita.<br /> &quot;Maybe if you had kept in touch just like Amrita did, you would know my schedules, Judith.&quot;Christian Russo spoke harshly to her, but no one could interrupt him nor challenge him because they knew better not to do that.<br /> Joanna tried to speak up to correct the old man who didn&#039;t know her name, even after twenty years of marriage to his son. But she was held back by Micheal, who grabbed her hand as a sign to shut her up.<br /> He clearly was showing signs of Alzheimer, but no! This was no sickness or whatsoever.She knew that he was doing this in spite to remind her everyday, that she was nothing but a secretary that had seduced her boss, got pregnant and earned her space in the family register.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t see Edward and family, perhaps don&#039;t tell me they might have forgotten about your special day, father?&quot; Micheal teased, a wave of happiness running through him until it disappeared when he heard his brother&#039;s voice at his back.<br /> &quot;Finally, you all are here.&quot; Edward said with a smile, as he watched his brother grit his teeth seeing him and Amrita, until he noticed the absence of Giovanni.<br /> &quot;Since you all are here….&quot; Grandfather tried speaking, until he looked beyond Amrita&#039;s back to see that someone was missing.<br /> &quot;Someone is about to be insulted.&quot; Joanna&#039;s said lowly with a chuckle, but she&#039;s sure that Amrita heard her quite alright seeing how pale she was at hearing Grandpa paused during his words.<br /> He turned instantly to look at Edward and Amrita, disappointment clearly written on his face that his favourite grandson was not here, yet and there&#039;s a big sign that he wouldn&#039;t be.<br /> &quot;The event is about to start.&quot; Micheal reminded everyone, a satisfied grin plastered on his face.<br /> &quot;Father, I can explain.&quot;Edward moved forward, but the look he gave him made him shut up instantly as he bent his head down in shame.<br /> Grandfather looked away from him and Amrita, towards Micheal and his family.&quot; Let&#039;s go in.&quot; While Edward had to leave with anger emitting off him, with Amrita going after him before he does something he would regret.<br /> The question on everyone&#039;s lips, where is Giovanni?<br /> Chapter Four: Narcissist Prince Charming Named Giovanni.<br /> While his parents were taking the insults of their lives at the charity event center, Giovanni Russo was asleep in his room, in between the arms of the girl he had brought home last night.<br /> He sat up with a groan, and pushed the girl away from him when he saw how clingy she was to him. This was what he hated, the ridiculous aftercare after getting what they both wanted.<br /> He&#039;s not a fool, Giovanni knew what women see at just one glimpse at him. A money bank, so instead of falling victim a second time, after surviving the first heartbreak from the woman he loved. He had given up on the quest to find love.<br /> His ex,Angela did him good and that changed everything about him. So instead of being the one who ends up getting hurt by the opposite gender, he would rather the girls fight for his attention which no woman on earth would be lucky enough to get once again.<br /> Giovanni Russo, aged twenty four years. The first grandson and heir to the great Christian Russo. A notorious playboy, who would rather spend all his money drinking and changing his girls like clothes, than to take up his responsibility as his father did.<br /> He&#039;s arrogant, a total jerk who makes everyone around him see reasons why he&#039;s such a loner. But anyway, that&#039;s how he wanted his life to be, the only thing he loved was his parents and his money.<br /> Giovanni touched his temple, a groan leaving his lips at the headache that was forming early this morning, while he scanned his eyes around his room insearch of his assistant, Leo, but the motherfxxker was nowhere to be found.<br /> He tried to sit up, but then warm pairs of hands wrapped around his waist, before he felt the body hug him from behind made him remember that he still has someone here with him.<br /> &quot;Good morning, my love. How was your night?&quot; The girl asked, and Goivanni being the douchebag he was, moved away when the stench from her early morning breathe hit his nostrils.<br /> &quot;Your morning breathe didn&#039;t make me have a good night rest. Get out!&quot; He said coldly, looking around his room for his phone. He needed to call Leo.<br /> The horrified expression on the girl&#039;s face didn&#039;t bother him, she should have known her place to talk to him like this wasn&#039;t just a one night thing.<br /> When he turned around to see that she&#039;s still in the bed, holding the bed sheets up to her chest. He became angry.&quot; Hey, didn&#039;t you hear me, I said get out. We both had a great night, and this was supposed to be a one night thing. So what else are you still waiting for?&quot; He asked, a prideful smirk on his lips.<br /> &quot;I..&quot; The young woman tried to talk, but she was dumbfounded by the cold and aloof attitude coming from him. It was like she didn&#039;t expect that from him, but that&#039;s her hurting herself to say that, everyone knew Giovanni Russo.<br /> The biggest playboy in the city, so she was rather sad that she wasn&#039;t the lucky one to tell her friends that she had his attention.<br /> A bundle of cash was thrown on the bed, and she looked up to him.&quot; That would be enough for your transport, get new clothes and the remaining may keep you from whoring your ass out for the whole week.&quot; He said, a sarcastic laugh leaving his tone.<br /> &quot;Hey! That&#039;s rude of you to call me a whore, who do you think you are?!&quot; The girl yelled, her dignity has been insulted, and in as much as she was here because of him. She wouldn&#039;t allow him to question why she choose to live this way.<br /> How dare him question her life?<br /> Unlike him who had everything, the rich parents, a good life and whatnot. He shouldn&#039;t be an asshole to laugh at her face about her bad life.<br /> &quot;Aww, the b.it.ch had got some fire in her.&quot; He scoffed, before he added,&quot; Now, you would learn to seal your lips, and know when to talk and who to talk to or not. I have low patience for ungrateful girls like you, now get out!&quot; He shouted, this time around with every seriousness that had the girl scurried away for her life, but not without taking the money with her.<br /> He sighed tiredly, as he walked towards his drawer and took an aspirin drowning it down with his drink. Before the front door to his room was swung open and an impatient and worried Leo walked in.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s got your panties in a twists, Leo. If this is about work,I am not leaving. I&#039;m just back from the states, you can&#039;t listen to every single order from my parents.&quot; He said, turning to leave for the bathroom.<br /> &quot;Sir, you didn&#039;t remember what today is?&quot; Leo asked him, gulping a lump down his throat when he looked at the wall clock in his room to see how late they were.<br /> His grandfather is going to kill him!<br /> &quot;What do you mean…&quot; Giovanni&#039;s words was cut short, by the ringing of his phone behind the couch and he rushed up to see his father calling.<br /> What does he wants?<br /> He thought, but the worst mistake he did was by not asking Leo what was happening, by what he meant about what special thing was happening today, before he accepted the call.<br /> &quot;Dad…&quot;<br /> &quot;GIOVANNI AMIR RUSSO! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!!&quot;Edward shouted over the phone, that made him move the phone away from his ears until he caught on to something.<br /> The music playing behind the background, and his grandfather&#039;s voice shouting at his mother. His eyes widened in shock and he cut the call before turning to throw the phone at Leo, who was swift enough to catch it because he always does that.<br /> &quot;Why didn&#039;t you tell me that today was that old man&#039;s day, you fool!&quot; He cussed, before he ran into the bathroom.<br /> Leo said nothing while he took his time to shower, dress up and leave the house with him following behind him, as they drove down to the event arena.<br /> He was used to his ways, Giovanni was never serious with his life and everyone knew that, everyone including his grandfather, who would probably skin him alive today. He&#039;s sure of it.<br /> ------------------------------------------------------<br /> Install our App and search 🔥&lt;The Billionaire&#039;s Beautiful Mistake&gt;🔥 to read more exciting chapters		Book Lovers Hub		19963	https://facebook.com/100083240766650	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69573	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054155		67		215451021586774				1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111590884348619		0	Scoolinary			120203959583290679		scoolinary.com/christmas-desserts	Watch more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.scoolinary.com/courses/christmas-desserts		1700692286	1.1159088434862E+14	Scoolinary	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402660776_1040966863769376_4220542829248208802_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hxOjNzIAdDwAX_-R86_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBB7b3fXimc76QSrTcCbEWe8P8WLBIGp4a8M-6YYVJI8g&oe=6592BD82	person_profile	0	scoolinary_en	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405048638_1052905675950525_4497060050318871690_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0DRkZGpLByEAX8ihcI0&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA4ZIuZH40KKy6DioPiFd4bpq3qYLWmnNo_5Rype_lcTQ&oe=6591BA08			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Scoolinary		180771	https://facebook.com/ScoolinaryEN	0		WATCH_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69641	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		353506007360907	3	3.0928944528021E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117390571392405		0	The Crafty Collective			120201779029030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678023	1.1739057139240E+14	The Crafty Collective	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404665006_3577870452454325_6287188178643273559_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=adCukoK_T8UAX9PqQP2&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAtPr-UXurydq60JGpfmA-p_B_JGqvbjyPOZNpI80k4hw&oe=65932E9D	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		The Crafty Collective		825	https://facebook.com/100094121992035	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69661	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		668598175255555		8.5894191571687E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201778904010250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677851	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404641104_695922715605664_4661830556968240599_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z4uoTqIzfScAX87UsGY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBQmyohwU0jriNzRQhDkXMiLKS_JHkAm32p7HXKBQSmoA&oe=65927F5E	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67872	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054155		67		240397298929921	1	3.0081070961072E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169454740427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462311	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409179791_1329805031000652_1113919301027345853_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=9sjPFbYQsRgAX8WqMaD&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD4GImFxdH0jbAujbgapuqNS4G0GRnl-QANqq8v9reODg&oe=65933401	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410768884_576855231265029_5807836947363620355_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=75l1zJrgbrMAX_9WBr1&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCED4Ygzcu6qzG60DsRCA_D_EmnPuWuz9pCxx11zC6fcg&oe=6591AE29			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69561	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054155		67		1492941871560310	1	2.9469844686573E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207901940403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724559	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404593703_1024057368897565_2868077685423265758_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0fg4D3hgBlsAX9DbYsB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJvZOKT0j7G8AR8VuHEpM-NlQZn_9ErWJ6YCWx18a8-A&oe=6591554E	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404868347_878723200194244_4118334881443007649_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_IF8EnLCf44AX-nbeRX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfALPM-X3-EiurfN2qgxx_ZFWM08WAozrewOOq3VpKMZGQ&oe=6591C05C			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69663	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		361481579718653	3	1.3615746614205E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721229280167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679210	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404277972_1474047976500268_5505304021207958587_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c8ws45odZQ4AX9PP3uF&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDYpzxVTsc9G0lyz0_6-D0wFCMXBarMtKaWcuzUur-T3w&oe=659272B8	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69591	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054155		67		172654779207651	5	1.0021451142252E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779372070250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678800	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404635050_871400307801914_6122253990712761384_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FmV43zEDciYAX_AvaVs&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCzsEuNovtL2yunR1GTy3friJ5lInTk9MWt3vebCGelLA&oe=659149E6	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69826	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054155		67		2755908371225642		1.1104183366128E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105318458419634		0	Fully Delicious - Images			120200721278410167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679319	1.0531845841963E+14	Fully Delicious - Images	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404558025_3293112430978708_5909986734546003458_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tI8-4PNSIbQAX-6GmQx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDaA3eWF0pp4Mw9S0g8TjmogwVqxnTpBJ57Ngwj9XOIcw&oe=6592C2F9	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Fully Delicious - Images		714	https://facebook.com/100069380589760	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69496	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		1514649339270833		1.297378697477E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495714867956		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video	40-50% OFF | Cyber Monday Courses & Certificates	Start your New Year off with Wisdom.	https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700485661	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404251549_255243274214151_1221995075631680717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WH1Fh_ESmjcAX98eVkW&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCa6BY3C8gAePM-NhuQoHvBWQ2iz4KQAK7WcIrvIfiQ2A&oe=6591D644	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402885485_879294740226766_4330294722598361797_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GLtkFL8LZ_8AX9vvdhJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfAkWiXZDm9RDt300Ujzcrb1SkszX7Acgw6J8oVXRKMs7A&oe=659145BA			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68753	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		819261766624277	1	2.8665761601487E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	311136718916927		0	Leonis Summer Houses			120203672218000230		leonis.gr	Book now		NONE	image	Leonis Summer Houses Mykonos – A complex of 4 houses, 2 studios, 1 suite and 1 villa, built according to the traditional Mykonian architecture in a 5000 square meters field.	Joanna and Orfeas always shared a passion for traveling and they loved the sea. They learned how to sail and they loved to cruise around the Greek islands. The island that had a special place in their heart was Mykonos, which they discovered long before people started yelling “Mykonooooos” on qu...	https://leonis.gr/		1701351078	3.1113671891693E+14	Leonis Summer Houses	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406374327_6408297359270469_5252889787024315263_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gJ2iTKmMQoAAX8fkZ4G&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDFLdOha1kZ5UqFyt4dmKTn79q3mTDLoqWkggY1nRgG7g&oe=65931712	person_profile	0	www.leonis.gr	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406233204_6460083070763301_3150064974303887988_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7yqUX_xAXnsAX-zfJcA&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCxAQdL8BKpwpigPk4b9TAomO7uCLNU4dp9cakJMb8u5A&oe=6592BABD			0	3	Time flies and, before you can say “suntan”, this hotelier will once again be taking care of every single detail, so that you get to have the most incredible holidays in #mykonos.<br /> <br /> If you haven’t picked your sea view room yet (don’t forget that ALL rooms within Leonis Summer Houses offer a breathtaking sea view), then you should probably head over at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leonis.gr%2F&amp;h=AT2XmCo61nP55h6KbRToALpbapfUWUIeJvFeNtYRKJNvKIK9f_PzrrrZyNJZD_qKRGEeXgBpl5FZgJPQCjrvlLo4pyfH2zMO5vQ6HE7Ab7fWOo2n0bn3O2NWvljv6yhotq7Z3HkEcy_Qcv3EF3dDx83HIgKbLVitwFU2mg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.leonis.gr</a> or send your request at welcome&#064;leonis.gr.<br /> <br /> Season premiere 20 April 2023		Leonis Summer Houses		9128	https://facebook.com/LeonisMykonos	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67461	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		891193462282413		1.1651691944621E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774769530385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633139	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409850935_379346391268301_3984958208843198676_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p5cg1IoiTT8AX-3uMl0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXdFGVGOuV0s8rSQ7I7YG3QgotH3gruEZVD13lZ1gn7g&oe=6592D9D7	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411102115_870648201387701_1027004953492587972_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XXwgzkPwRwwAX9eCddT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD7a1qAEwAMQ8mo6McE2i52omYd2o2aRvBknnPfZweBsA&oe=659281EC			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
70092	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054156		67		201197972957545	3	3.3691307565019E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201539250210115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700547873	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402098235_645582011101053_763335977911357003_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0bo9doNPRxcAX-7wV0u&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBe0ramuLdR0f-orQxaadYo7OUcq-1zCYm0WaOLgj_IDg&oe=65914C42	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404523608_1141460937008526_8615582926128067521_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tjDiAgfjj74AX_Uzl3o&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBtz0ExaZ3u27WXl-3cp1QsnME8e96FcCgfkfdKXJ3TuQ&oe=65926EBC			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
66716	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		1033321891233230	1	6.1330204754834E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1827269397536091		0	Lifepro			120203409668580133		lifeprofitness.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Boost Serotonin, Burn Fat & Detox 🤯	Sweat out toxins & heavy metals with our premium infrared sauna blanket. Rejuvenate your body & mind today.	https://lifeprofitness.com/products/bioremedy-infrared-sauna-blanket		1703501691	1.8272693975361E+15	Lifepro	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412757126_884192086690716_3485921859025352327_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aYLH6dlNsYcAX83K47q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAt6NFWKgCfLrPm21dvJDp4Y77spfVJbRBxokEIFxjAuw&oe=65922216	person_profile	0	Lifepro | Wellness, Fitness, Recovery	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412714167_1348645486041136_196166534723904886_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cBzb_u_W0HEAX-EiHGT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjZo3Bm1hmkpENx9okOdVtLdTQEBg3Tlug4kdCWqbfww&oe=65932682			0	3	Burn up to 600 calories with our BioRemedy Infrared Sauna Blanket! 🔥<br /> ✅ Boost detox and fat loss<br /> ✅ Slow signs of aging<br /> ✅ Reduce inflammation<br /> Feel the effects of our BioRemedy Infrared Sauna Blanket and better your quality of life today.		Lifepro		48473	https://facebook.com/lifeprousa	0		SHOP_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67481	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		1081394426547555		1.2402546101146E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011751330506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636953	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409781642_345985614691348_6392871215556371807_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YEA-H0UbbPEAX9wNtzZ&_nc_oc=AQle8km8WV08FU_4EW9gJEojnT7tm1bxRuIjpjIirQZFiBKTWHKG7Iid-NEf4ki1WPs&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAjhsNZvmC8z4DHsnA1nSQCxV5YL8x3Wg1LOHreIhFf_A&oe=65919869	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410213381_2252608621595632_8397726778152540258_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-ACKSdkTLQsAX-hToVg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIH906mq4ncP8rDU2v-mZfeXXaJeopVPNKWICBYwSOEg&oe=65930E87			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68808	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		749917753732646	4	6.5157521705526E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	6435441794		0	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital			6476729275525		stjude.org	Donate now		NONE	video	Join Chip and Joanna		https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N575301.1960500FACEBOOKAD/B26771615.370237279;dc_trk_aid=561206512;dc_trk_cid=205408967;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=;dc_tdv=1		1701283981	6435441794	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406245210_1407381813461430_3453301633332921659_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lF98YZ1vnFkAX8Pf-pD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBO_DgfQiRpLJu2yh8r51IKx62lI__yAe6oxgZdSWzeow&oe=6592448A	person_profile	0	St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/399588804_1087543152416865_4711166481303681378_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7M7WmSStFdoAX_eRyzA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAj1Y9YcA8ltadhnrYrBUiXjbTApVPxJw89eoz7-CLtIA&oe=6591EDBC			0	3	The best gifts keep giving. Donate to help the kids of St. Jude today.		St. Jude Children's Research Hospital		2826776	https://facebook.com/stjude	0		DONATE_NOW						1701763200		View Edit Delete
70008	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054156		67		936671827887812	10	1.3650113674381E+15		1700726400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120201464651420536		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628554	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404914076_310898741837531_253131398014365006_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cgTt89pCfKoAX9IeRum&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC16XPINiNVFR9-R-rJnbqaeVosX5GseP6RKgdD8PtptQ&oe=6591D00B	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68870	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		731981541696134	2	6.5250852625715E+14		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103144986091260		0	CMG Daily-Choices US			120201714798430520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250782	1.0314498609126E+14	CMG Daily-Choices US	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406123740_730621145161837_390819043400759784_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wsiyr2qlKIoAX-TwC2k&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBled97u67aXJGWzhPb56Bo3eokV5VTk6nUL1oae9qeNA&oe=6591D23F	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG Daily-Choices US		113	https://facebook.com/cmg.dailychoices.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68611	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054156		67		734622588696629	9	1.5123013262127E+15		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202285830460275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667516	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407651007_654968866834235_424919544243847536_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HCPlleC_ijUAX8QMjnD&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA8Nb2S2oWSKFN6D8sB7S2FYqeKEfeUpoeW8AEJJaIh7w&oe=659158EA	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
67191	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		1027966948491563	1	1.3456836396457E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202473306720743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702975813	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410000447_1059022068765068_1067591605929920498_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lmUIDh02ycQAX_LOhTw&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfB_2WNo6Ohu0Kcv6MEyU-CE-SfakieqkSBNhTu9rNh-rw&oe=6591D8D3	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410012690_1019882445748911_125369922221432771_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DQn1Y4519IcAX-QWJLZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCDvFHBgQ9Yzjx9E9kefSj93qtTvr_TyUy6nPuoGIdSQQ&oe=659169F4			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
69683	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054156		67		683402680552275		6.8907228669931E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721075470167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678939	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404304695_307157035603840_685326367727654247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TyHd4-SmwfEAX-LhUc1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUdiGqhUl_14sMkF_DBNMh2zgJsdRIUyfalzb3eC1SLA&oe=659184AB	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
66771	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		1524451308340519	1	7.146017906304E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	575104275932120		0	The Greatest Gift			6507927835937			Send message		NONE	video				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?","response":""},{"title":"I'm interested. Can you tell me more?","response":""},{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?","response":""}],"text":"Hi! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703440483	5.7510427593212E+14	The Greatest Gift	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412848642_1530615221071268_997954114033311813_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2nufoX4JW18AX-glX73&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBbT6jdxJfI6griEmcDLCGSiaie6H0MQZCDp_-PlbQ-FQ&oe=659322E3	person_profile	0					0	3	Sunday morning worship		The Greatest Gift		1262	https://facebook.com/wearethegreatestgift	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
69292	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054156		67		726571152715601	1	7.805413174165E+14		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632036590115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796658	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405788386_881775970139987_1822419931548237970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vn7TYEQUiAcAX9n2j6j&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCSr0bKLIwYclrlxj0eZbISEnBO3dzjfpc8n7frl7gCEQ&oe=6592B346	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404318331_1063413041746293_3100961399915045145_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YifOoVQaASEAX-XpoCP&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBWOw-ZP4uJnGI-87cXJdG-HyGpkmvfFvaDTz_dsu3kbQ&oe=6591AE8A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68920	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054156		67		1264285984252598	1	8.3728974148114E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201210414290123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701171825	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406401670_6796601527114419_6525129402137693634_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mTp34lHD6kEAX_yhCC4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA4RBGbBn_yuYO-ZHwejMNbO8YhrbF8xK6_L_kcUptVdg&oe=6592F08C	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405713599_352674360642592_4581674969548163814_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cCNvrXNnNVEAX8hBDDn&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD1sBW9DUudwI3nIMwikc_-bABaFvtOMF_iTgprr32Wfw&oe=65921F18			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67337	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054156		67		869853351284922		2.0712646832072E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107782662260298		0	Tony Johnson			120201983927360452		gotonyjohnson.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Run 3x A Week For Your Marathon		https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit		1702864281	1.077826622603E+14	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412312042_1581909142619462_4353899382226679806_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hK-R8X2RktwAX8P0rFq&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA1ROd43dBZ_oG1Dieuz-vPUBIJKadii0SyvaPZgKKlGQ&oe=659149F1	person_profile	0	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412352283_1067245151292803_3719203602251358760_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Gx_0xuq3WGUAX_Hgne2&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBrEigr_WNatkCZMC5AK4OAPYUBBcq3AYCUuNreHnvXtQ&oe=6592A5F2			0	3	Attention Marathon Runners: Run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or less for ONLY $17<br /> <br /> (If you don&#039;t run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks, I&#039;ll give you a $100 for wasting your time)<br /> <br /> Introducing The Marathon Training Starter Kit!<br /> <br /> This unique style of training has not only helped me, but also 200+ beginner and seasoned runners run their half or full marathons like…<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Joanna won a gold medal on her first half marathon<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Abby ran her first marathon in 4 hours with just 9 weeks of training<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Salma ran her first marathon in 4:28 after overcoming a pelvic stress fracture.<br /> <br /> The &#039;Marathon Training Starter Kit’ for ONLY $17 helps people like you easily run their half or full marathons in 16 weeks or less…<br /> <br /> ✅ without running 4+ times per week<br /> ✅ without running speed intervals or hills<br /> ✅ without dealing with constant overuse injuries<br /> ✅ without getting burned out or bored<br /> <br /> Run your half or full marathon injury free and finish with a time you are proud of, while also becoming the strongest, most confident version of yourself…<br /> <br /> Click the link below to get instant access to “The Marathon Training Starter Kit’ and start your training today for just $17.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gotonyjohnson.com%2Fmarathon-training-starter-kit&amp;h=AT2ZJ9y3svyjinJe8oF9Q9Cu459z0pBA-jmlFEQm4D25QngMnE_6RhH0CK0Tv4_Qhl-yeHh3eNpl4dKEdOtZwnrkeXZiARZugmcx5ounIhkHit4eK1rlTc2tyWpRUg1zgVLsH4ilr--_gkk6u9DO8Hp4YDE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit</a><br /> <br /> See ya inside,<br /> Tony Johnson		Tony Johnson		450	https://facebook.com/coachtonyjohnson.10	0		LEARN_MORE						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68166	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054156		67		1400524254005746	2	6.7668274464497E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974499620427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287506	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409625717_374421851813467_4329999258354937563_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q4zQjjx_NYIAX-XIJyP&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD8OMwrYz3VfvjRHIII38-y09v0NuozLCWdHVKvLoHHZQ&oe=6592C2FB	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409898150_1523765721755112_2231649327298250466_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vwZ6Hlr2LZoAX8f7beb&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHoae8qll4sosC6OOtnp5hpjjDS9AArsgHVFzXvDQ6kA&oe=65932EE5			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67576	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054156		67		369318832301806				1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	129725353553172		0	Cruising in Style			120202287048260593		yachtsandcars.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.yachtsandcars.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702565620	1.2972535355317E+14	Cruising in Style	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411077697_2303790876478437_5685403719510257428_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JadFaG0cI_cAX-KsnGx&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2pGyBUAVY3LsqWidJU-0BdPoYILPhgxLyXD3YQp3uGA&oe=6593343B	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Cruising in Style		12	https://facebook.com/61551040686233	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68678	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054156		67		1442915686289013	1	3.6975337551115E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200878836410773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701423631	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406442633_239298392342337_2283296466817735296_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gTb7nEVsPT0AX_ejwWb&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAt3JcxqF4M6GCbcWpEvTgGEM3pCI6NK1qDXKsAphSoCw&oe=65929481	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406402202_2070181980002531_8012725384908943971_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qk787qpvLawAX8QOErQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC9T3BrPv5KB30QSAYwxeCAea4_SaQ4DLtl6djBBHSh1A&oe=6592FD1B			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
70102	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054156		67		308197185450129		2.114637285704E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090843280403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700545019	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404679368_724231049590692_2583948021018381049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QE2xaoUWnZoAX9V3X7i&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDApNyBR4-yN1cY-FhzD5Zv9XQzxRLHWlVzGaATWogaEw&oe=65921233	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402883523_1171452307593304_2061987364965698127_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BwJoCYcDlgsAX_D1aXQ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfARJoxzuy8o8vhDRSXCSLRmMxvAsTyjzspuc5qEB5e5kQ&oe=65926CCD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67969	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054156		67		1100141748006105	1	1.0665786643789E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203220209950670		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702449377	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409929054_880577036773209_3031551670960812277_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ODOnYXei2ycAX8XwS7S&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEZ5D1UQe3jxIH46t3daJxBfIOM1dlGZG_jb1oov_I7w&oe=6592A000	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409923867_813381850561189_2466372437167804151_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dx57GIY2oKEAX9Xq0oM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAzghlZm9LI18l26Fnw1V3dBz4VRfr1oYQQ1bh-Yx2Rzg&oe=65922603			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68500	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054156		67		1025086182084433	1	3.1280028496003E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458412260691		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856006	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406694816_883537956407830_5504197743169930989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VUnYwls6SY0AX9044Wg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCp7OMnRUzXC0zbTeVix4K1LVkzlp5CQMj47EzO27ES0A&oe=65922E04	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406735166_211240488696353_2350711015444950828_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tLfJvyT21RIAX9Zu6Yd&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzruU3_CxmfIQ-pTjBSbCGifaK_YKrEulrAKgXm2KzvA&oe=65919723			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66827	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		7377918075554468		3.3739535257836E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104321446078990		0	MentalGymnastics HQ			120202795857540240		thedaddest.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://thedaddest.com/trending/creative-cover-ex-tattoos-tw/?utm_campaign=Creative%20Cover%20Abhinab2312-v2%20Dynamic%20PPI106%20b32a%20-%20Unknown%20USA%20FB%20CRG&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=WC&utm_content=DC&network_code=CRG&v=8		1703335618	1.0432144607899E+14	MentalGymnastics HQ	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412399377_838225298057207_5660629612576968716_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UUh-0TOyng4AX82OKIE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDPF2sgVbMMhW9HNQiefSdASjQX78hgH8257GNCUro6IA&oe=65930724	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		MentalGymnastics HQ		78	https://facebook.com/100095154452872	0		LEARN_MORE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
67471	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		1723550394809071		9.0481120115712E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774769450385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633136	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410196708_217678431299117_2141635223489200214_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0jallVzC6j0AX8cD0EL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDb7JXFQNWK0Pnq0MIUxhz0uJxhDdf9aMm5Xw4zeNl8SQ&oe=65917D08	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410113837_733171738862435_445818067181560746_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YO7egTT38UoAX_yaGlM&_nc_oc=AQn9rO3bsnyi7b-lr-j3xvFOFKGN8cm-YMeWjcZzHwnytN9lmyZinzVD_cEfG0_r7Ok&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD_38g1yTqAUvrVr7TeLIsBT_TheqgxyM4TFz_6wM_TRg&oe=65933147			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67101	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		1501623004013400	1	1.0624707951018E+15		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	328574304457733		0	Joanna Rubio			120202986256560620		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joannarubio_voicetalentspain		1703074201	3.2857430445773E+14	Joanna Rubio	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412591323_739639084250603_7531310488991588837_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tl0ca9tC2H0AX9FROtk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCbGqsQEgd1c7CMEZAAoanhjiPf5-Sscb3WW4Ppi9O6cA&oe=65928401	person_profile	0	Locutora de Publicidad & Actriz -Joanna Rubio	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412612935_345769141529180_4912083727901560676_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Llj0ebljkz8AX_XSOv5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXW_8rH9ZJMSDDe1Hjon3HOGHo0D_jRp3G5AkzX1Zjuw&oe=659306E9			0	3	¿Joanna Eres tú !?-Si no puedes con el enemigo ÚNETE a ellos !! 🎄🎅🏻🍾Feliz Navidad y 🏆🥳2024 para TODOS 🔥🔥🔥yo seguiré apagando incendios !! 🇪🇸Spanish Online Voice over ON DUTY this Christmas 🔥🔥🎅🏻🎄!🥳🏆		Joanna Rubio		13	https://facebook.com/voicetalentspain	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68959	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054156		67		1018963519210248	1	2.8544993782379E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300651210596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151638	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406256728_2285645704978859_4696435774423076637_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=33MZS9CKIZMAX9uBQIZ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqJA3Ha7VQd9J8PFK_cJwHA8pi66onj_vjKABF7Wy8Lw&oe=65924150	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406332179_1549064142529138_5770979680497344248_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2ieOcyhEauwAX88XLqv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAxWJjsV32QeXw2lM2ct9UVC1OE628_CxxguzunU3MO_w&oe=65918F42			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67384	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/22/25, 7:54 AM	1703760162	1750596867		67		1059065915293398	2	3.3820330224427E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508889500427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806310	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411600854_628232465995382_8955298327816266775_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oVV12QqBhyMAX_4UWyl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDp9E23NIHDREEBFsBY8iopKhO74uGAYOUBDFXkUKYWLw&oe=65933178	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412061384_674224531494186_7381820303663721669_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nczAYdXxCIUAX_wuHWw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDlCpf-pK6dgxijOFI7sDEZFTnSdyOBowBQp6s4bTrBSw&oe=6592B5BE			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67460	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		315882974655517	2	1.1651691944621E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774758770385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633134	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410987466_1086919735666694_3190065212206483631_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RZMjSgXTkwoAX-7U4DN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC4pG-kMWZ9loLWU26WYgvUf84-cmRC67lGI_kTtGFuHg&oe=65933394	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410729875_1572925596872742_5491588759265783961_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2pRYMMbj4BcAX8XFfmU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmtjsIWkWtRx5aKv7AhIfIVbFPPTgBmmEJzPUSQWD9yg&oe=65919FEE			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67229	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		1505917606858837		2.5809983036598E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69628	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/11/25, 10:47 AM	1703760177	1746978475		67		322900867349471		7.2234098268851E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109657078608486		0	Learn Something			120200721153830167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679055	1.0965707860849E+14	Learn Something	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405499495_6696053400449536_785684262627965749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KsGTOzKqL7wAX-quTeI&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfC_aIRSNV9QdHUS8FenprFHU9FNvKm1ozzyloLZWOJkTQ&oe=65925DF5	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Learn Something		5447	https://facebook.com/100086954096959	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67889	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054156		67		905681180891419	1	1.044026520152E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169336420427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462107	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409704588_897456521476274_6563719753379201992_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6Cm1vTjXqB4AX8VCXpT&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBPxAuU83zxRk9AFQsEzAyguEA6_7M7urEdk1K6zHaVIQ&oe=6592FBAA	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409726829_1002714354156472_5953993610458900005_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=llKGqsvqL6wAX8WWmV-&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBzFi2CP2q2WQHxhTKA74roxUOefnfd26agE4F03oSi9w&oe=65925986			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69102	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054156		67		729675709093788	1	2.6589937648063E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281134110596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068325	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406115544_1888458148279588_5737998802703126028_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JDmjEEMWdUcAX_5th8F&_nc_oc=AQmu1jmL6qIes4N_wFAxYH0dBpntfcEgE0ZjWDC0AF8ESrn9wBg6wF2UM2lMcYzodaBpK_7sf06W57_Cn4cJ9JAI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDaTKZoant8UwsQqqi7GSDPFTpZG_xXBzqtBnUTkRVkw&oe=6591D742	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404673269_754439519849358_1171581009445741586_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y7dsKLqF4bkAX8fbFH1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB1VMJCRPY6ox3leRMlBbmg1GCe8P9BPHwO8MNzHIUrEw&oe=6593377E			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67196	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		733723251985287	1	8.3260585522176E+14		1703145600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	102366206250537		0	Family Gift B1			120202182986200572		mfamilygift.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTION	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilygift.store/joanna-y1		1702972501	1.0236620625054E+14	Family Gift B1	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412284707_1080420750071048_187984532208421749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Th3tDDq1ZiMAX8Lpmfe&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfA7qsXTu9WpIk56PhVg7CSUkT0ohWG7_gvJgJOKq6zNXw&oe=6591FD5A	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilygift.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT12MDUXTSR8oNhBi9WDbruKV6m2IR-JMhwxY1IAj7UkWCG9lhyERSMRlDoL7Mg-wemnBAKNcNcvPfu2RfxyReOIqll9oE5H-Ck0StRXY5rEM9U--Fbr_WyY_QKvu899OoPOxOjsTQm7tJ-JqNJYab_oIyhOB5KX15o8oA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilygift.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Gift B1		14	https://facebook.com/100094197610389	0		SHOP_NOW						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67473	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		1410749483213185	3	3.3370405270608E+14		1703145600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	119292717940871		0	Family Shirts M02			6531613039684		myfamilyshirt.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D8	Best gifts for your Family	https://myfamilyshirt.store/joanna-things-d8		1701886805	1.1929271794087E+14	Family Shirts M02	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408391508_1717008085444427_3826645872387921374_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e3JSyq2xkeIAX-drLVe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCuDT07Vfm_4w8Uu5YAhsWRR5vHTUtKJoq2v9UTitkaZA&oe=6592EEFA	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyfamilyshirt.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0rN6RkdZQS1yG8ZjM4en4SkUa5pl6aNCV027-0xzjvW58MXzsBe-2H2rOyx8J4abiqZP4xfvgj4AbCwNW2zv9VX7PFnLy9doFHv0Op55bNd15mOvPS31bRM2DG173H8_P1GbkAAVUnkQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myfamilyshirt.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Shirts M02		57	https://facebook.com/61551643250696	0		SHOP_NOW						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67785	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054156		67		1608386739969755		5.2879826379927E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548031009		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494394	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410089784_1139022263735320_5296897664052275987_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lPIwBNouj-YAX_d8BK8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCM51FrwhDXpYuZWWOvGR6MujTwLNqG2MKIt84FY-i_zw&oe=6591AD92	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410145919_317226854474554_490698248447136510_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OO49umDPRW8AX-Kcos_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAjVkfNFzP8tDHaR36QpRf1O4NsJS7XFwOCa6Q1PMZnwA&oe=6591D39C			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69624	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		291900446527649	5	1.0051758140478E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779083570250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678135	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405259946_862600855406763_4157166056653863836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f1q50EotfcAX-QYgAO&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCmOlp-Y1SIXSaKu8RiIVRgevzCkgD_Wu45LT2tUCxeTQ&oe=6592CF3A	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69198	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054156		67		3578190719116983				1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145445040740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Speaks Out to the World Breaking Her Silence.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806380	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403698688_758485642990061_244931910203647469_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0KOQdZfNsGUAX98mglc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBI-6yDDul9DNcFXx4vVGJ9JIn_-OvzjwQfq-nhddMhLQ&oe=65920566	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers Hid This for Years, Now Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband and Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Show Ending.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69272	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054156		67		898208155301528	1	3.4974605089998E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	733844546757862		0	Waco, TX Local - News Break			120201031232540465		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Waco!	Chip and Joanna Gaines used their "Fixer Upper" success to transform Waco, Texas, into a tourist hot spot.	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0pYGtXwo?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1700902613	7.3384454675786E+14	Waco, TX Local - News Break	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406024755_357953186726871_262273596234865588_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=01wsTuXsdjgAX8cIwmX&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvxqQOM1h30XRSDILbP4ahgudcMgrf0pN6Nk5qVmgYZw&oe=659212FF	person_profile	0	Waco, TX Local - News Break	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404634201_3657139671197370_2450622213615906047_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BfYfpqVVKaMAX_p64gv&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD9bXvF8OIPGpbnx6onu2iX2y3Gqby34DNkiyOaL5w9rQ&oe=6592E66C			0	3	Waco News: Chip Gaines &#039;can&#039;t believe&#039; he and Joanna made Waco a hot spot. Some locals aren&#039;t sure where they fit into it.		Waco, TX Local - News Break		4290	https://facebook.com/WacoTXLocal	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
66728	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		1715909565586030		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204367956730400		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703490937	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412715237_330005936547062_3550222687105991642_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nAlS7zYXHHIAX-eIfLD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEWzlUUIdwpvEze4mt5aR-4TdIXpGEdE5yiLNu6HXPdg&oe=659249EF	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783826_388595710206327_4192630617525670597_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_jy-xzUZAKgAX_MTQAj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMXVODrChuQdO7OMAUfN2g83Wt-5xpNyqnHNTPSBX3HQ&oe=65931B8C			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66602	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054156		67		349760534437713	5	8.1753333644742E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105570775961220		0	Cozy home			120204100063250782		homeknowledge.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.homeknowledge.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1703589756	1.0557077596122E+14	Cozy home	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414850036_394091393183818_8352818455851734156_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gmtI74jldcwAX8PTFdv&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXuTNEDg9DkPG9b5q1IvMfMOhiRIz4-g0JirVEPOcEHg&oe=65918E8E	person_profile	0	Cozy home	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414843610_1259229708357713_2584260034848701918_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ojHevtLojsgAX_04zXd&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfABXT3eO0V-tfDnw5PtRIRUckwyZlILVNxqeX-Qj4eWVw&oe=6591928B			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Cozy home		1055	https://facebook.com/100095409212705	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67186	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		886440813117270	1	7.1715811036632E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475363990743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976636	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412409142_1095848965110904_5915987851888466508_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Fi7GNLSebUAX9T3jLd&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBJkChFU5DCDXiI5PZdSdbOpx0foE032FN3sZgVJlg0UQ&oe=65931A38	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412371063_1330249167695060_2658743964258952387_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P54xMtcwcKIAX-pH2Fe&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA_SYacY4VHGs5ymuGygWQAHIe0I6Tv_Zff6AmBWJtnyA&oe=65930AF0			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67238	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		1107454757096518		2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951487020043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963132	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412221627_739211344748007_7491053614213984216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WwRixcoK2eEAX_5Whnc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZx2IIq625OK1M_vTlr8N-_BpqpEWP5pn4DM6FZmZzCA&oe=6592EBD4	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68165	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054156		67		3440112969467471	2	7.3060463228822E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974498590427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287495	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409617596_398807652470363_7174206782008383566_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LGRQYUxz7KEAX9khmNv&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBlu93gcSb_juVxq0zuzVAjbe2bzlzxsnSfhqV_DlwqQg&oe=6591BFBF	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410078481_675534401429200_6703120422649474217_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fTSnwkReLdMAX8K9gwq&_nc_oc=AQmT6NL1t8NR1g0lb9IVESJKohmEhDgSrfQ4U0O9d_IjlbU-tsmQt7qI24f7eXVItbw&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBE376tzTw4RmyJvTHX3PzI5yoPBs1IR57yD6qIsbu_ZA&oe=65922F08			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68208	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		3224282497873912	1	8.573517292053E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259701920476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180908	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409152070_713127643826556_430913722573609140_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0b_AaI3w7AcAX8_9Lod&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDa73RkSem9J1ePnxlS2MNBrFe81pKFj9Ac8H_KTBcVYQ&oe=659222E0	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409440829_637014808404983_2416653902502638540_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Co-2UPM7VOwAX8v4yNn&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAjhajwd1Qrl9j2v3774tecHdbp5gtxnx6kpZtGiOtWQw&oe=6592D925			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
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68273	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		1118270942868111	3	3.7245110544223E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672514610427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030370	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409019251_1466290550609463_6148920676473390081_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SLpbR6Y5ObAAX814DQl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCsR3uwaiTdUHNyd1SHse5dsLyBIDT_ybDFFARCBa3NYg&oe=6591FEE1	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408984892_2434777736711297_7130797190134727201_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IM2llAjaywAAX9kIZBN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDF1cWkWUhlXw0dA_ozwZ_TgR2YxZMCLdMfPsjGJmiwxA&oe=65922CAD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66993	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054156		67		607327224835293		1.4371639972232E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	91318443534		0	MCC Theater			6518629720992		mcctheater.org	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://mcctheater.org/tix/the-connector/#book?Social_Media&Meta_Display&THE_CONNECTOR		1703194230	91318443534	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412840786_1396607200958060_5559835836711352298_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yxqoRL3fVgUAX9t6hAB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB6w2yeS5AcHKmlrmgdPDWmQVdpQZfrITwA0rCXJ0i03g&oe=659241A8	person_profile	0	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412703362_1030851728219489_5854665901150846073_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8aeQp7jMUioAX_EdQtC&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCUQ-kKwrYqHavACgYSnD0B8_r3Tq-DwfB2d-mmbjPE-w&oe=65920420			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		MCC Theater		19795	https://facebook.com/mccnyc	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67981	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054156		67		3600244693555511	1	1.0203046423834E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434477910465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447739	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409983714_302644249425860_6797206439093851882_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MZe26riPCg0AX_XPnLN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZtJicPtgiKP7R0vHvNHGoMXa-eqI4YApDmNojjgYDRA&oe=65915382	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409937786_1098003334527180_2084004830227083951_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2763O0eX9kwAX8E42Uq&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBFsEjbLDib4ixJkWdqZSem9QB2GQAfUnD_Vt99mRqpQQ&oe=6591ED4B			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69467	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		863984105226979	1	8.5836888910345E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200341095670122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/n2ubobd0mpzo0eypph03lps0?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700807836	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404939041_689493183157059_4106909989403566302_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eNhf2lb4VIQAX8sQCNY&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfAwdu9Q7h3QmSvwF_WUo0nDkWe_ZrFFO-zv_R2znEHzvg&oe=6591A055	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405521861_1736210930214672_3359399069699073211_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nsWWm6Iy75kAX_iKyiz&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfDU9ALkpEF-Ohi6t-p0RSPR_mNY2SXK2i7LOUThtnJwGQ&oe=6592A291			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68229	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		368383365865552	1	2.6649183309576E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155275790476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094693	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409054523_1119944696046852_5113317945279334999_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eSmfkFDYrTEAX_wur-e&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBYVMZ2djaX6lJj2YnoevX9gajrexGt4kQeKvNbj71Y1w&oe=65922A49	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409057522_194780613714102_1594678573136791628_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SHA7s_8uYiIAX_fs0qe&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCiIME150oO09nGil5vls9NDXcVBbOTfDb06MN3gA2g9w&oe=659249D4			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68281	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		1008758063517609	1	6.8749367992927E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672503340427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030323	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408994430_358160219952624_3305097327669218943_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UC0_KN_7qhsAX-MRq4l&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfuHb-f6eN5cZP4lNxH5NjrSNjB1wOXJQ9npUsV_AMdw&oe=65933740	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408980029_1281031715926098_5000005326508588826_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FoVvwsifrOEAX9qAFHX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA9ALEVk04_uQvozk9cZNbpszm4WPwz5NUMLi5JFJEV5A&oe=6591FCC7			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66377	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054156		67		791547432730213	1	2.0918993544803E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	505582332845919		0	Joanna Galant Photography			120202629834870378		www.joannagalant.com/woman-and-their-loved-ones	Get offer		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannagalant.com/woman-and-their-loved-ones		1703024883	5.0558233284592E+14	Joanna Galant Photography	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412415246_1091779615605445_3928528659813906382_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HX_jJUf6Mq0AX_vbyAH&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCuxGUj-apAjFMtE0E49jgld6owiisLgMPxIkdhPNZ6eA&oe=6591F56F	person_profile	0	Joanna Galant | Family and Kids Photographer	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412437994_6857031617727234_6732468334132039390_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SA3ZElyR-KcAX_eDAuM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-XzlRLi7Iq-k6LIopkq9Ye6m8uHVYPYE12Ql6YWZKfg&oe=6591E4A8			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Galant Photography		6759	https://facebook.com/joannagalantphotography	0		GET_OFFER						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68510	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054156		67		1686243938534831	1	6.2731084361244E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	114280725065050		0	Joanna Tringali			120202337857450687		www.joannatringali.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Best Professional Buccal Massage Training	ADVANCED FACIAL MASSAGE & BEAUTY AESTHETICS	https://www.joannatringali.com/buccal-massage-2024		1701773335	1.1428072506505E+14	Joanna Tringali	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407732080_1396015127721056_4545233891295223874_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cXgXz6etaUoAX_sFryp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAY_bHodaZW2InqKF8N20FSylp9-KSRrqsQ_M481d1Adw&oe=6592B562	person_profile	0	Joanna Tringali Facial Massage	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407691587_1867012617047603_2080423122000293831_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PnC-xVD1IZMAX9cQDuh&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBDwO-7bpU92IFAniPpeLHxvmTVzjCIAYoI5PlDqHydSQ&oe=65929E12			0	3	🎓 LEVEL UP your Professional FACIAL Massage Skills! Be the Go-To Aesthetician + Facial Massage Therapist who gets consistent face lifting results for your clients!!<br /> <br /> This training benefits you and your clients for the advancement of your professional career.<br /> <br /> ✅ Learn Buccal Massage to EFFECTIVELY Lift and Sculpt clients’ face<br /> <br /> ✅ Combine Gua Sha and Lymphatic Drainage with Buccal Massage to BOOST results for greatest client satisfaction<br /> <br /> ✅ Earn your CERTIFICATE in our 2 day LIVE class<br /> <br /> Upon successful completion, you will be awarded a certification, demonstrating your proficiency in these specialized techniques.<br /> <br /> Start now, by visiting my website, where you can familiarize yourself with the &quot;Buccal Massage&quot; and have the opportunity get an update for my upcoming training program.<br /> <br /> 👉🏼 Click the &quot;Learn More&quot; button to the elevate your professional journey to the next level.<br /> <br /> #buccalfacial #buccalmassage #buccalmassagetraining #buccalmassagecourse #buccaltraining #facialmassage #naturalfacelift #guashafacialtraining #greenbeauty #slowbeauty #estheticianlife #estheticianschool #skincarecommunity #soloesthetician #holisticfacial #holisticesthetician #holisticbeauty #myofascialrelease #fasciafacial		Joanna Tringali		55	https://facebook.com/100094864748834	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
69655	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054156		67		722951702630909		1.7938580343989E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102865022224801		0	Tell All Know All			120200721466810167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679791	1.028650222248E+14	Tell All Know All	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403762291_1473273089884334_200510394569536447_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yudTj2MGRfIAX-hUVs8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDjSfixthkuTcn1Ze6l3E2iTF1rqnr8j4TQhWdf17oLVg&oe=6592F000	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Tell All Know All		340	https://facebook.com/100076181432751	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68878	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		252675991147583	1	2.0221106948293E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100802715811938		0	Best APP to release stress			120201140436070070		dynamic.bestnovelapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	<Meu Marido Bilionário Secreto>	Leia online！！	https://dynamic.bestnovelapp.com/noah-ssg/wn/202309192/27884910600562805+1+3+facebook?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}		1701246865	1.0080271581194E+14	Best APP to release stress	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406089541_1836555383430285_4305747837051764715_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qagQsZnszoQAX_sYKew&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB6lTGf5CT5Iiy5LOcSRZCq6J1-n2NUPIJ3UqraRfW1Xw&oe=65933B2F	person_profile	0	Best APP to release stress	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406068279_1077781516571933_4678592689515397299_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QHkMNAUiiiUAX8Ei9pm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsCs2JY0XX7tPp2mumGH96ZQC4Kuy3oyF04sqGfeIeNw&oe=6592E7B6			0	3	&quot;Marido, eu não quero mais, me sinto péssima...&quot; &quot;Amor, seja boazinha, termine de tomar esse remédio.&quot;<br /> O homem bonito abraça a mulher em seus braços, acariciando-a delicadamente enquanto a alimenta com o remédio.<br /> Joanna Lawrence se depara com Ashton Heath, o herdeiro mais estimado de toda a cidade de Closia, e acaba passando a noite com ele. Depois que ele oferece benefícios em troca de seu casamento, a recém nomeada Sra. Heath de repente tem o poder de ter tudo o que sempre desejou.<br /> &quot;Marido, eu dei um tapa na Rainha do Cinema Faye hoje, eu exagerei?&quot;<br /> &quot;Amor, sua mão está doendo? Deixe-me massageá-la para você.&quot;<br /> &quot;Marido, eu estourei o limite do seu cartão de crédito, você está bravo?&quot;<br /> &quot;Amor, você está feliz com suas compras? Avise-me quando precisar de mais.&quot;<br /> &quot;Marido, estou cansada hoje, não quero me mexer...&quot;<br /> <br /> Clique para ler mais &lt;Meu Marido Bilionário Secreto&gt;		Best APP to release stress		4921	https://facebook.com/100079851744054	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69130	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054156		67		1074989050326433	1	8.344264317976E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690783140115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701056096	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406015971_657467629872336_5023187371836312871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k0Ro5Z8q1w8AX-p5pfR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCmLzlBulY5HnXtpXlb0UHBQG1SA8tHpd7lyqVtZ26_ew&oe=65925DDC	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406011472_763946985649099_7423085315741799789_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4YGD75xYAfkAX9oU6cI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPtSQ1lhK6Ej5dkxy8iHjCTy6qA9Rn_Q-PchMuC2oBoQ&oe=659240B0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69665	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054156		67		662267829230439		1.3615746614205E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721229280167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679210	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404277972_1474047976500268_5505304021207958587_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c8ws45odZQ4AX9PP3uF&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDYpzxVTsc9G0lyz0_6-D0wFCMXBarMtKaWcuzUur-T3w&oe=659272B8	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68748	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		1796368784136649	2	2.5285951779224E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497692590404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357849	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406376360_1030441618208645_8031832755248174969_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ddh8tl72g8YAX8oLqai&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCdcXCvM6Jx3HDMOhAnyDVlPAxplrROARR2HaWbKl0ltA&oe=65917393	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406334487_1046704479907520_8803389083567292619_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YWv5PAXagCMAX_YroWa&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD4j7Hzx5YMpcyiYDx4C38HpEDzbNlrzYa0ibKMuaTGvA&oe=65918501			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68224	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		187112304484103	2	6.8365060797666E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155244060476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094414	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409611104_318448204438886_8638835221095434688_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9_szc--B2MkAX_UVEnc&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB7FpBNseqfezppVneai5jbowyNRgGmybZkV3Fn-0iwIg&oe=6592DF10	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409454440_372683605156633_2767042502382784483_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vgcetGawZMcAX9bJBa7&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD3lwPCBYiq7twxBoyR3_BaJ-4hEKBn-af1SNgWmtaLuQ&oe=6592F1E8			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68887	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		855966836260972	2	2.6384812298732E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201748962320115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701227696	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406111971_333400846084402_6471138385137026165_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cU9xQrusj1sAX-eLGBn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCBub-aMSrLQDz3ZlOpFlTA5-wR2wIIlDSAJ4onU7dolA&oe=6591B070	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404662921_648711477337903_7529690685008585812_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KyNPlSNWnO8AX_Hihy0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWliaQvmEs_Gg6AowYzZnbcM4ya74vTF-2TL-qUbdiBA&oe=6592CC68			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68467	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054156		67		1531387154100396	1	6.9077052326547E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458939680691		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856480	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406756242_355281147094651_4526639798125937834_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fUpNNorBtfIAX_TI2hg&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjvXBeePaGwHHxd_Z_U0ErcPBJzOHh1nK8EBnrK_D1OQ&oe=65921865	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406808711_885610203194149_3376425804537818167_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JmIWPNPrwKYAX-_lX7m&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfApWvp_PH9c-k6cZ98NFvA_OKMz3WuMd9BBOAQujbZc0g&oe=659331B3			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69611	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054156		67		265123946157297	5	3.5632109572798E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721409990167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679679	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478545_996064758122985_9149296117747152661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hUUWkjfAGPIAX8i253O&_nc_oc=AQkA_odKSVu943-DHTbtoDczS7mFEFKkeawTABHMZbP5kQ0fE2m-l1g4kbdKxQ7HFrE&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDwhOhoE5hel-sDXJo_NgNIHRRai8fbfc8kAL8Wjpl1zg&oe=6591F4E3	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68918	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054156		67		1012385926649123	1	8.9445812229072E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201210412830123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701171823	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406245564_877513090826276_6455461630920113696_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XQx9dCKuVQUAX_x50O8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBL1sa9W3ULCqRxFQdN-49i9Sbga-Xz7wufy3rqnTSZSQ&oe=6592BE4F	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406213007_689518513278439_5577387788219369785_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_pE5DR5ZnVMAX-Tgtva&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDzkvCqi01hNPtboTFoF1MASV8P4kTUBNsqGfMMECR5Fw&oe=65929132			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66981	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054156		67		1508663656584615	2	3.635981763981E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120766401101493		0	BioBursts			120202829687320756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213224	1.2076640110149E+14	BioBursts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411783091_737379744606269_5041442403642476674_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XjhYTbF_9AAAX9ozy2L&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzlSPDy_yF56PvoPr4Rduxc5zRQ5nXGswEkBnnW0JC2A&oe=65914943	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		BioBursts		5440	https://facebook.com/100095312214573	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66439	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/31/24, 4:05 PM	1703760157	1725138321		67		1775074486259056	2	1.2240310095171E+14		1694415600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23858300666650562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	🔴Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości	Dla kobiet kochających, czułych, z sercem, dających z siebie za dużo które powtarzają te same niechciane historie w relacjach ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI Natychmiastowy i trwały sposób, aby ODKRYĆ I NA ZAWSZE POZBYĆ SIĘ bolesnych, trudnych, nieuświadomionych wzorców i schematów, ...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1692631707	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/368242123_2506831992818648_8365173657155055232_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BfU4dqD1z68AX-HeMdV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBsJDmAh8tKdPA6rmP3_PulgVzcpsvlY9MBOSGRYgk4jw&oe=65914D84	person_profile	0					0	3	Co …On. … Żeby on, ….dlaczego on <br /> <br /> TYMI pytaniami zaczynają rozmowy ze mną kobiety, które być może tkwią w nierównych relacjach i powielają bolesne wzorce miłości. <br /> <br /> Wiesz, jak to rozpoznaję? <br /> <br /> Właśnie po tych pytaniach<br /> <br /> DLACZEGO ON…<br /> ŻEBY ON… <br /> CO ON…<br /> <br /> Nic o sobie, mało uwagi na siebie.<br /> Za to cała uwaga na niego. <br /> <br /> ……..<br /> <br /> Ona- ostatnia w kolejce do siebie. <br /> <br /> Za jego potrzebami<br /> Za jego czasem- to ona dostępna bardziej<br /> Za jego bez decyzyjnością<br /> Za jego ….<br /> <br /> A potem u niej<br /> <br /> # huśtawka emocji, <br /> # udawana radość, a pod nią ból, tęsknota, lęk przed samotnością <br /> # pytania- dokąd to zmierza, <br /> # co dalej, <br /> # co ja naprawde znaczę,<br /> # co on robi…<br /> <br /> Albo jeszcze<br /> <br /> # co ze mną jest nie tak, <br /> # czy On mnie chce…<br /> # co zrobić, aby wreszcie się zdecydował …<br /> <br /> To powiem wprost- wzorzec miłości BOLESNY <br /> <br /> I krótka mocna teza: <br /> <br /> Jeśli nie widzisz siebie jako priorytetu<br /> <br /> On też Cię NIE WIDZI JAKO PRIORYTETU. <br /> <br /> Ale, to NIE jest Twoja wina.<br /> <br /> To NIEŚWIADOME Twoje zachowania, emocje, myśli, reakcje, które działają dokładnie przeciw temu, czego pragniesz w związku. <br /> A on swoim zachowaniem, jak w lustrze tylko Ci to odzwierciedla. <br /> <br /> DOBRA WIADOMOŚĆ JEST TAKA. <br /> Że możesz te wzorce &quot;odczarować&quot;. <br /> <br /> A jak zechcesz być priorytetem. <br /> Siebie musisz postawić wewnętrznie jako priorytet. <br /> <br /> Jedną SWOJĄ decyzją zacząć GŁĘBOKĄ transformację.<br /> Siebie i tej relacji. <br /> <br /> Kliknij i odbierz 1 sze wideo/ Poznaj 3 ślepe punkty, przez które wchodzi się w nierówne związki<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT13a3ymYAPjUm8x259DtSih3YoETQhFZyN2RBQbmzGU72VsA1JJW01wIPPmcVZs-Lvojz3MNg3KdaxFr4laPA5ezmCJfAXVV0gIxLtFowjPQx2gNr6jn2tN7lfWcA28taf8AwNjWzO1h5IV0vhvyw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a> i dołącz do kursu Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości.		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694156400		View Edit Delete
67479	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		673858704605111	3	1.2402546101146E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011778960506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636971	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411333432_1324154071612569_5274704891226462999_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WWX9IYCY1ygAX9t0l3r&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBIUbH_SOoijabLAciia_WWv2UffzYf4o7QybjNUAB0cw&oe=6591F158	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410416878_328894506577828_3695638269227316823_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g5JeEPvo9gQAX9Pf3aF&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhkPXNlKaAHS3QC5GFQ8kGUVP25meieVaa9KuqxLHQtQ&oe=6592CEA8			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67165	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		6685568528236086	1	1.0037554606896E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202476007050743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977099	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410807536_661337256170833_342973555984157247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hIP9xNnVRl0AX8movhY&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBoIVwiAD3bovHuo44r5VufUI8igEivUyZzuBzreEaNtQ&oe=65915B0B	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410676897_332800289697336_5590951382735954857_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T7avKv0Ur9QAX8HCxFT&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBXJFOHdzMYlvoq-6E4LW3LvoVPlITUSNENRbx9vtYwPg&oe=65932B0C			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67809	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054156		67		741079374016369	5	5.2879826379927E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548021409		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494394	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411136979_2091854954490706_3951087862953203066_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lhod_9FiYWAAX8EmCp6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAUs6BJlF6OKbm0FjJ-LJdWFLv9G8KVD_CEDDI4pNHDPw&oe=659275D5	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409564003_764789262147693_1411357855336527115_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5o_UbU8AsSwAX9RKIp_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD2axnI6g4TdOz9wPhnouBTGwi83D3oeodcRlbYHSFD_w&oe=6591E753			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
70011	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054156		67		1357122141835858		1.3650113674381E+15		1700640000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120201856736150245		beautifultrendstoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://beautifultrendstoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628581	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404295805_1116941459741664_400074370733891092_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ajtBUnVY9ckAX-JgijL&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDp2AiYfbtaMNN9byhznfV_zkVAwlOjkoB-OF7wi3ohWg&oe=65915ED0	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70048	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054156		67		1277591582905976	1	1.0090776834969E+15		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112194400243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554681	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402972761_665882612251252_1110152085474712257_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ub52ldUjULUAX8LBWUw&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBoHPXEHDgCKhOM0fEyCCOBPsRXNytSpwiiojVSch2Bxw&oe=6591958D	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404313124_339921491971198_7436036189857442905_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lgptdR6blYMAX-_oEyH&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCrpVXSIijxS4NCcPt184iPqeFClW0fOo7gQq6JjT1fsA&oe=65917960			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67868	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054156		67		1854298071653882	1	3.2417970661291E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509774780308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462355	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410776058_697095635510542_7466485299552637762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LLMzZ0gqnIYAX96u8Cn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3XosmaIWDQqAEaWzjp56eb5MIX2YQ8ZatjoJOz3wuDA&oe=6592C40B	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410757170_254624984064930_3446191483105838450_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MXqkidg8i1YAX9krbNT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBnsH2xE25fLqFck1jiBSi7T90r7VGBOkCDOiLI0I9w3g&oe=659208B9			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67233	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		865801521688030	16	2.9387042645447E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951487020043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963132	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412221627_739211344748007_7491053614213984216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WwRixcoK2eEAX_5Whnc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZx2IIq625OK1M_vTlr8N-_BpqpEWP5pn4DM6FZmZzCA&oe=6592EBD4	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67426	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054156		67		397450069302857	1	1.0308712147965E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765648650465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702236	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410424256_295802736788160_2040507829472496085_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u7evhNZb_GQAX--0diM&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC4FkseoSX-0j4Abq9LwO6sB-EGb9a1edtl1AhYFzpoyg&oe=6591DECD	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411307938_893427532152033_5863337762254486961_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f2NbTeXGrWEAX_xsCac&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-KwrQisMrPc5toWiFGvCtpa5hmM3B1Mlwkzpu8mauOg&oe=659168A4			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68940	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054156		67		1353267888917566	3	3.2064938726789E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109697740494976		0	Word Farm Adventure			120200905414540413		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Renovate the farm🚜🌾		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wordfarm.scapes		1699945556	1.0969774049498E+14	Word Farm Adventure	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401477561_305144019051944_7934218180320646014_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYyFp7IILroAX9-B9F-&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCcuz5g877QS2hwKiGBja4zIM2AgGS-Q7tZCywYblDJVw&oe=659319EE	person_profile	0	Mad Brain Games	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401501200_273020822363616_1793185702756614349_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xoJpKL_f12oAX9dORcg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVUyCeAxkTZCtNWm9-Jd8BEevDpjaw2Lf_Onh7pCgmNg&oe=6592284A			0	3	🌙 Word Farm Adventure: Find Peace in Puzzles - Unwind, Unplug, and Boost Brain Fitness in 10 Minutes! 🧩		Word Farm Adventure		18123	https://facebook.com/wordfarmadventure	0		PLAY_GAME						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67267	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054156		67		1789275118178750		1.7640580406882E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX8Hp38R&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCP1m5y71YuLDtXKrDmWCjEPww53bqPqu--jX5a8PwEVw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68285	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054156		67		2506634536181798	2	9.6986490755586E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672498300427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030476	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407648177_3599858346925791_2482798467530470749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fCmp0V5r92YAX9UouV4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgVYmG7arCQ9xWA5wZcMXfSq0XqlElDgLuVD2rSmENWQ&oe=65922B72	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408004552_891403172166961_1445014270506449206_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RB1q3C5FDLkAX_TF36Q&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfXf8G3CN44IzBhaRuO8wByUvjDIExk5eyipxQ_IDI3w&oe=65924CD6			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69694	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054156		67		717849213255813		6.4373481125526E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721249030167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679265	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402946191_307574395500084_5630667761958460280_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CAwUWy1e1YAX9E7DCS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZ9jvLiTSOMupnZtHjyGJMaXtP0BZyzZNtRS8B6dpWSw&oe=65914E8C	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67761	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054156		67		675389168040609	5	1.514792399362E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548134009		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494406	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410391020_335858322487827_4963781805394886314_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=umKqFpMvTcUAX-Xchg5&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC4LWe8MLUn89THBdc5x57CIJRcAW1FbGgIwOvec4NIBg&oe=6592BD29	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409680102_3490899881160127_8282289174309674016_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cXb9_5sxSPoAX8B9JVH&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCavfMT_v_EkbJLSm2TsqJ9x6Kh_At57DeTSI5xfEKCIQ&oe=6591E78A			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66577	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054156		67		2124253717918131	2	1.1921031117698E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107164218415409		0	Shortviral			120204141622000512		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	From the Depths: Experts Delve into Dinosaur-Extinction Crater, Unearth Astonishing Findings	Millions of years ago, the planet was ruled by huge reptiles. From long-necked brontosaurus chewing on leaves to Tyrannosaurus Rex hunting with deadly accuracy, dinosaurs roamed the earth for at least 230 million years. But 66 million years ago, a catastrophic event happened that changed the world f...	https://cooking4all.com/dinosaurs-inside-this-bt/		1703603432	1.0716421841541E+14	Shortviral	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414142103_1387141768572615_4944671084278263699_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HYj5OKh5ij8AX9CqTaB&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDKYoQUWmizMys51Suy5_7XRm3YruPb1kxqUq_T7iQAaw&oe=659245A0	person_profile	0	Shortviral	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412920397_1033832594358632_5085723991950968884_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=beahn3PCudAAX_3Cduy&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBS6x4tu2_mmPa1vE9p8I8mBggIREByE54KHCAJdFmiIw&oe=6591E722			0	3	The Chicxulub crater was supposedly made by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. But the sight scientists uncovered concealed inside it makes no sense.		Shortviral		2010	https://facebook.com/100077397738026	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68337	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054156		67		1127853548592202		1.040888780364E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202409462710520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702008111	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408959532_665774492092257_2709160348683179025_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T4A7BX10D-gAX8EuLbg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBoI8mQMGvMx4fhMAfvfmM0uNkkyscj4n1cjGOVDQYCg&oe=6592FFF8	person_profile	0					0	3	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68354	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054156		67		810752477488592	1	7.3796488169906E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111818025279545		0	Wehear Good			120202279620710709		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	More free chapters		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joyreading.wehear		1701940135	1.1181802527954E+14	Wehear Good	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408730928_885131606349284_6845274844157765637_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ko_klNS0MnoAX8t_aTa&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD0hNuAw3t5ktrVJutJIg1oliwlzdA9vYdUtx8aduYngQ&oe=65924122	person_profile	0	Wehear Good	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408681728_885868059993495_5085254319525793165_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7lK6-6JaBdMAX8VgPa2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBbLjLJTUjrPXHdYi0IVR-foXQg_gcd95aLl1Iv5wNxQw&oe=6591DF1F			0	3	Ronda smiled maliciously at me. She was the most immature adult I had ever met including the triplets and that was saying something. The triplets had me backed against the kitchen island.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry,” I said, “I had to do some extra math for Mr Johnson.”<br /> <br /> It was not a complete lie. The triplets knew Mr Johnson because they were his football stars back when they went to High school. They also knew I had won Math competitions before. They had really enjoyed making fun of me then.<br /> <br /> “Ok,” said Felix simply. He took a step towards me. “What’s all of this?” He gestured to my outfit, makeup and hair.<br /> <br /> “My eighteenth birthday is tomorrow too. I’m just trying out how I wanna look,” I said, looking down, waiting for them to insult me or call me fat.<br /> <br /> “Do you have a boyfriend, is that it?” Asked Alex, anger rising in his voice.<br /> <br /> Why did he even care?<br /> <br /> “I’m too fat to get a boyfriend, remember?” I said, repeating one of their classic insults.<br /> <br /> “Don’t play games with us,” said Felix softly. “Is all of this for your mate? Have you figured out who he is?”<br /> <br /> “No!” I said. They were acting so strange like I had done something underhanded.<br /> <br /> “You’ll only know for sure tomorrow. Your inner wolf will tell you who your mate is,” said Calix.<br /> <br /> “I don’t want a mate,” I said honestly. I had never had a guy be nice to me and I could not picture it happening.<br /> <br /> “Why the hell not?” Alex asked like I was crazy for saying that. The Triplets were eager to find their real mate. They talked about it every birthday. They would visit other packs hoping to get a whiff of their mate. They thought maybe their mate was younger than them. That would explain why they could not pick up her scent. Only mates who had come of age could be discovered.		Wehear Good		1	https://facebook.com/100094062726569	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1701936000		View Edit Delete
67138	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		1089255102092524	7	8.7645791741112E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104283046272649		0	Solid Sound Festival			6585508452280		solidsound.frontgatetickets.com	Buy tickets		NONE	image	🎫Solid Sound Festival, June 28 - 30	Tickets on sale now!	https://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/?aff=ebpredboostfbandigads&td_campaign_id=611034		1703014969	1.0428304627265E+14	Solid Sound Festival	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410032031_643940741285047_898063397504808738_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=emtD2dI0hMgAX8V_k1q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAbQ90sej1b4USwLLPRYtCCatn9rnY-AJHaYrH4q_jUDA&oe=65916BD7	person_profile	0	Solid Sound	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411281987_271158222614626_9141740645766111879_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qTrvUxtRlLkAX8T9EXT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2Z2_RR_IkTL-Iog_35HDxIn3iwCmWcL9xVbn-_-IXIA&oe=65921E1D			0	3	Your 2024 Solid Sound Festival Lineup is here! ✨<br /> ⁣<br /> Tickets are on sale now for June 28 - 30, 2024 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. <br /> <br /> 🎫 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsolidsoundfestival.com%2F&amp;h=AT0fxaPgnt47WJd_hwhxSnJ6wCgEQzKnVwcbSW37Fy47rp6baa0YDnCGGf6BqGRiHqIasBFyfUlhlI-s4soTAEKICbzKbuKbYKs-y9OfKkU7l_zeFtj1IrDiLoBz7MsTWqf3VojkTVaC03rAAVhdaNi3CWgd76LWznhXFQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">solidsoundfestival.com</a> <br /> <br /> See you in June!		Solid Sound Festival		16355	https://facebook.com/solidsoundfestival	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68428	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/28/25, 1:51 PM	1703760169	1748458299		67		914543483355300		3.6476807956901E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202295959490520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines' 'So Called' Marriage	A Look at Chip and Joanna Gaines's Love Story	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701921710	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408138304_262740003125787_1411803594968057142_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KYZjIkawJhcAX9XJR_2&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfALxkJbzwKMPaITJ4MS_vzd0oAi-3zxKPVMvYd-PlX21A&oe=6591E025	person_profile	0					0	3	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines&#039; &#039;So Called&#039; Marriage		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68415	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054156		67		1424831578414640	6	3.7523690827598E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997239550476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940590	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408118502_1736045236899934_4997535034756952065_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hMzur4_vvdsAX_1h9oQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD3mdo-fW1rWWdgTGfY86R9tDTq8vEG4U9k473DYKUerg&oe=6593272E	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408172176_385027250754344_2978245375606607267_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z9nn4hjgEBYAX-dPoJF&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCMWzZiUPbjgdVKtTlUs-niJDTaHiDMDT_kJkPRkbwpVA&oe=659187F8			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68481	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054156		67		1489085734989639	5	4.0040837231424E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201882111000476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856244	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407721753_729042542445467_2830779637474001260_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8JlGMPa6oewAX8XYUmT&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDZ6F4iejkfM4SCaWiEC21GBiObcf_VUACpU_h5wHBE2A&oe=6591A571	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407633697_1276593093003540_4964797814790128809_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ro0BlQxDK_EAX-Jdg99&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCaHbebm9ytcsRtlSnV0ONDA8IN1_86w6kgbjBcE4pWPA&oe=65926BA4			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66699	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		788889933268361		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120202512516600122		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491565	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414604321_693185739624951_2245707465439767603_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gix3rta5rUAAX_LjdLY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAMLO8sjpkHnmQ_FNvn03c8U10T0Jd8-IwAw36rxW_8A&oe=6591BB4F	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414620446_1104479800964513_3624753788227088913_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G4q6N6zhjQgAX8IypVd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmT9NXUiNWwN7IlTknoM7ILzIKG19ZGZ0Anm8urBzc5Q&oe=6593272F			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66447	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054156		67		7103650619679521		2.6792356532018E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120201694007030087		www.joannaczech.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Biologique Recherche Skincare	The 'facial in a bottle'	https://www.joannaczech.com/products/lotion-p50		1699635961	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400361400_855562966030364_219397152437980229_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=juPDoCQyoHAAX-0s-vh&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfA8gFjCHDJd55KzqdVlTxDl-X4UUXC9NKv0yotJOyaysA&oe=659240EA	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400340476_3614281172194272_1074907424329682813_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SFWPSIktHSQAX-mzq9K&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAny9EOzlijy5YM1XhIwC0bTvHRG5LUhlMR1L1Kj_AsYg&oe=6591F3F3			0	3	Hailed as a ‘facial in a bottle’ Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 is a progressive, purifying, cleansing, balancing and re-conditioning liquid exfoliant. <br /> Shop the Lotion P50 Exfoliating Toner for radiant skin.		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68506	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054156		67		24397202503259359	1	1.3955615877223E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201103321510540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701850908	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407367522_1347174002572036_871535947778314765_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=98BQUX8orL4AX_w4pGN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCGMzI0jG7fZw1SqdBwdKRncCQmaAoiqY6KwmJTOF1svA&oe=65926F51	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407474733_879862496873504_979436122956556577_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EAykQ8dpDawAX-qcpzD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCm2wol94lrjPSMAvQdAfsMTa8xoKf6b82LQNMTp3XMtg&oe=6592D1E8			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66734	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		7427746953911111		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203030888130143		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703490115	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411970589_1312785305927590_6639676099983168523_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GThnaeUsPJsAX_fYdEE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqpyo8HvJwjvGRTWNHDEWKHL63Fz5Z7BnPNbCLfDD7AQ&oe=6592A7A4	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412981208_373582051856626_1434835187044878461_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MjUWxN28w2YAX9GH0hD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGdSV5S0YaDuVmfNIrXwss74RjzjznpmehwhlarMI-1A&oe=6591EB97			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68290	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054156		67		312548311623905	3	6.7167257495275E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074124570476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016011	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408762786_367373465666148_838932991125758585_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=12rp-AIZ_yMAX-zbdju&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA-4tAfohRVFcdYLMBu0Ch_J5uO3txboYjIxG8aa0dtQA&oe=65932AFD	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408806618_1743556899463523_905578318595927019_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sba5fCCzs1YAX_vDmWx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBvBOIX4ggJr1eTcOFjBxivlfl2T1YKyHlKvb7K0KtBmQ&oe=6591DFE2			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68137	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054156		67		1093598231799191	1	1.1004339943023E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	125049494030694		0	Luxury Wheels & Waves			120202148524550239		yachtsandcars.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.yachtsandcars.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702293013	1.2504949403069E+14	Luxury Wheels & Waves	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409827750_1502742053617002_5867478174680337945_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z_BlvFXCy0EAX_lmrA5&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfClL68uLupE8Ao63gx7rENK0t-rMgJ7bCBhfQK7cHg8JQ&oe=659267A5	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Luxury Wheels & Waves		3	https://facebook.com/61552050682375	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66848	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054156		67		736447378540155	13	8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967298310018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703300046	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410851669_800126055255219_1354080169940781415_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KBbT8i6RmSMAX8c29YI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBRj7BdZyzwV2bsWoXx5iHEF557fPts0NJmycxryYzXBg&oe=6591790A	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410886490_728166149232149_1593096293793665979_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jVyFu7ijHRsAX8-HvD9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDiDpNB9zue-jUMheSxDww4PYJhLCWyseeDoXcwjFjYgQ&oe=6592ADF3			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66873	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054156		67		253837140855313	1	7.4650404359015E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	176776402399955		0	Freak The Disco			6524736440107		linktr.ee	Learn more		NONE	carousel			https://linktr.ee/freakthedisco		1703272668	1.7677640239996E+14	Freak The Disco	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413892680_720913546769055_9204417311282707685_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gJyJERsCiFIAX98J2P5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDaF9Jgqgf3mhZmKen7SFd8-Tw-9SZVxbvUjkO_gOfSag&oe=6592C1D3	person_profile	0	Freak The Disco	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413894026_889527462495843_7102231485746825188_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gTE9WgMRcZEAX9_fI94&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCWQRAA_1iV3ePtNEpfmuyXLfaOPT547OSDJlTA66b5tg&oe=6591A8D7			0	3	Super stoked !!! &#064;eagleroom_ take over in Belize !!! Making our debut on &#064;thefriendshipofficial January 6th-11th with the crew . Cabins are still available till January 1rst . Let me know if you want to go . Link and promo code in my bio . Ahoy matiessss		Freak The Disco		5094	https://facebook.com/FreakTheDisco	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67246	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054156		67		1374920853154753		2.9387042645447E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX_EH7C_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZVeKhb3QsqmOPd_6ifILDimyN_R_ywSx4VUWe9eozBQ&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68619	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054156		67		368828092311257	6	3.622513731536E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202285783750275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667412	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408224309_669020025385010_4164907800202188574_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SeQMLXhbDgUAX8gw-My&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAwuFRfI8uUanin12ikusAkbtp9k4bAiy38kMdLBN9tVg&oe=659222A3	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
67149	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/6/25, 3:52 AM	1703760161	1746521540		67		372558955439981				1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	248653532188760		0	NR Kosmetik			120202851962960508		https://nrkosmetik.dk/	Learn more	232	NONE	dpa	{{product.name}}	{{product.current_price strip_zeros}} - {{product.description}}	https://nrkosmetik.dk/collections/gelpolish-farver		1702995545	2.4865353218876E+14	NR Kosmetik	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411263214_890392245943585_2743802521913994444_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o_oG7kdZRccAX9eavDD&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBzGEPfKEURNlSBy0HSjTag59AbGAPtJqqIH7bOM7LtNw&oe=65929B87	person_profile	0	NR KOSMETIK - BEAUTY SHOP	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412254445_1713775142439711_2120945348478359123_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OnaK4ms9iJYAX91Ohqd&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBW73NpBH83ZErHreYaVP8Gpg-dRCm6BKzMcAUrqXW4-g&oe=659331A3			0	3			NR Kosmetik		2961	https://facebook.com/nrkosmetik	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68705	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054156		67		1514834219353798	1	7.3638215116742E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200728691860540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701403307	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405209221_391446936562479_8468435753878102442_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cPgzVMvFvx4AX8Mn-co&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAbXYFSmT54wkoCznsTV6x0N1zZBjV54IToc6jQE2oZEw&oe=65930BF2	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405268437_243587298740794_9102305322760746336_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7ONDYfUhlkYAX8-pAo7&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_wa_bIMCELzRN6ij-MnIXrXeL1m_Kb80BrLWISlF7Qw&oe=65921903			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69090	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		375199541564328	1	3.6358165605982E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690720100115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055876	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405876451_581778200746971_9097629088212944225_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ru8x-vaZTI4AX-h_Cy2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBDc0gtJPbnFHAHFPP5ovA0QRa9sklIdFrYuqD2mF2BGg&oe=659238B6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405838910_1004000557353860_834521670710162304_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7AeiwD_5mLcAX_4kN_f&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfATxQuZ05H1Rapr5WOKJdDp2zgkfJZWXzcSfK5QjxvjTg&oe=65917EB6			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69132	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		1164873407817232	1	8.9943949451334E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203280982540596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701067775	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405704034_1005427300760751_9045898617846662539_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vYmKVoXbnakAX98LLiN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDpYu2l2a5xBS_U_5gR1TDZnAHPWn-OKG02pHZKJ1PFEg&oe=6591768D	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405704212_2034959193527747_7163482781750894897_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2ZdtwldIGssAX-Rd9yt&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDQmkmA_nviNaf4RvDJYVZJ0LcghfjIGf33GgmjsjQtAw&oe=6592EB7D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69176	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		2092736834412371		5.7974953763093E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145433180740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	World Exclusive: Joanna Gaines Breaks Her Silence for the First Time.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806365	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403105330_896790692063636_1676512468964830182_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wg5uQ9hEuAYAX930yGV&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDZO5jgNcvgzxGKqHNsOD14KcowVfuNIfb7dH_9FRb35A&oe=659281B6	person_profile	0					0	3	The Untold Story: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband, Spilling Behind-the-Scenes Show Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69259	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		1405044210361858	2	3.8743572048648E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1987069611516146		0	Les Femmes			120202417543830300			No button		NONE	video					1700917368	1.9870696115161E+15	Les Femmes	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403629561_901080718209379_4275248214818764806_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lqEemilofJAAX_uUT-o&_nc_oc=AQlPnA_Umg2nk3z0beNqoImB1z3Lsvdx5Je-KZGvyfYjy71vxdX1fdRdmnTC91b8zAw&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBiUDehHyoGt02Qo4c8HGvKTdvCQ6jLmNjlr9hkh9AZHA&oe=659303A3	person_profile	0	Les Femmes Opera	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405243197_860568052319718_4378437874203989596_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7jJrLWoxmSEAX_Z8SL3&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBP_ygcL8mEVfqoospMl3tQ5mUUqxT-KIDYWEMBZ0itmA&oe=6592D17B			0	3	Ś𝔀. 𝘾𝙚𝙘𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙖 dzisiejsza patronka.<br /> <br /> Nasza najnowsza perełeczka ❤️<br /> 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 - 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙆𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨<br /> Uwielbiamy ten utwór!<br /> <br /> Joanna Sobowiec-Jamioł sopran<br /> Natalia Krajewska-Kitowska sopran<br /> Emilia Osowska - mezzosopran<br /> <br /> audio: Kamil Słowikowski<br /> video: Monika Gut- Jarecka, Grzegorz Ciecierski<br /> live, 08.2023 r. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oblackiecentrum">Oblackie Centrum Edukacji i Kultury</a><br /> <br /> &#064;obserwujący<br /> 🎶 Idą życzenia w świat! 🎶<br /> Życzymy wszystkim znajomym i tym śledzącym nas z ukrycia;-) <br /> Wytchnienia, ukojenia, zanurzenia, eksplozji mocy, podniesienia na duchu, podtrzymania radości...w takt muzyki, którą kochacie 🥰<br /> A naszym kolegom i koleżankom muzykom - kochani, spełniajcie się i niech Wasze muzyczne dzieła wypełnione będą Wami po brzegi. Abyście w pełni mogli się dzielić z innymi swoim niepowtarzalnym &quot;językiem aniołów&quot;...<br /> Muzyka jest nie z tego świata!<br /> <br /> #cecylia #acapella #contemporarymusic #sacredworks #paternoster		Les Femmes		1733	https://facebook.com/LesFemmesOpera	0		NO_BUTTON						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68125	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054157		67		1015011626275920	2	3.1601919460082E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216203040123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310303	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410185314_727065475648059_5334322599643134163_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e5qD1Cb7SxwAX8IeJTy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCY5rzXFArLv8UvZPOnUDpa6lmaHoWGpqH7iCFrPtd-bw&oe=6592D365	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410227843_797134682180251_8281978493609046885_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A-r0GvzMaWkAX9TIPAt&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzC3BGvtpaYLkUQ3yLxjPBr7bMCwcpIDgsVRn_lMf5DQ&oe=65917654			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66673	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		742192941289322	1	6.9819613208439E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	177958972067978		0	EtherealExpanse			6504940666442		big-wins2.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaines Announce HUGE Giveaway		https://big-wins2.com/blog/how-to-clean-your-cookware		1703547942	1.7795897206798E+14	EtherealExpanse	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412743682_736354618389818_4771175614711526464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sdmPsD_48QYAX-JYMwu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAYz7si5X_GZl-tbVRR6Q3-F6qXczHXrHp0dGZVMk3pGQ&oe=65926168	person_profile	0	EtherealExpanse	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412743622_1373782066589431_6036259939976195550_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7wGxaURKly8AX-3F6MH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6iMTzxnJ4gQtbGpH15BRWPlkhnrGvJYMYAl088LZgpw&oe=6592FDC1			0	3	We are back again with another wild giveaway from 𝗟é 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘁 - This time we&#039;re giving away FREE cookware sets!		EtherealExpanse		44	https://facebook.com/61554393921676	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68942	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054157		67		342300498496630	1	1.0273482749918E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300663160596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151547	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406034908_367551262403330_155013292048576146_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zf0DT-o0BlQAX8Opcjo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCBHZVjRmwOhb48S6C__xYaWNfrOmOm5aFN1ElWnsmvkg&oe=65932761	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406048581_228836180228616_7123002792598365609_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j9mU81pbFMQAX8DDXRb&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2c1LkggBSQLQcack3Jip0LZJccsZI9XbnNujNc-HrQQ&oe=65920412			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67263	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		923726278639393		1.7640580406882E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX8Hp38R&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCP1m5y71YuLDtXKrDmWCjEPww53bqPqu--jX5a8PwEVw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68657	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		3627952774150754	1	3.6340862287943E+14		1702368000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	183323721531789		0	03.mgifts			120201987902750603		mgifts.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D6	Best gifts for your Family	https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6		1701427839	1.8332372153179E+14	03.mgifts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407394075_1067557804570866_7014688119880180333_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aTL0_spKnaoAX9_kHIS&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBwRaDszd1gl19tNYQOSq_ITJAjz60UwEKUCZ_rhoxVEA&oe=65917C77	person_profile	0					0	3	Get yours here : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fjoanna-things-d6&amp;h=AT2MXi0K_g4BsCvoF28zSE8bmUFsmtixR8XKHsrrBjDn61BGgxcBXeoLXguEzzY1b2fMot72gv6CTjkiIoN5XcHVAMLxMr-6fJRODveamZq6ziAz37qwLC0G5qsKnlH90xeJYOYYyvFCHHgJdQwLBFtorA_6ZebnWjUMYHH9zRE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6</a> . Visit store : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3LGTleC2MWzhpV0AiQyHFPGSywMJoduODO0emryAVUzweYuVvbiShoB1wrQf-XOlJ721s--JF5JwiWUygng5fB09mNBoB9DzZ4jxuP_rcufR4nAKFk_krMWOlyGpIsoqcmBfzlUncRsDoWQk1Vt5eaaaI-0EF8NOWqpNyoM9E" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mgifts.store/collection/joanna</a>		03.mgifts		4	https://facebook.com/61553817238437	0		SHOP_NOW						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69337	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		3741105702780817	1	3.2085689089052E+14		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632202660115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796878	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403620808_1057876878688978_1823078307119018907_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DVkp6l3LP74AX_NQa2x&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCLVSot3aCwpvc3mTQxu3tOUiNl1HBGBn6bzPyA5R7PyQ&oe=6592EB5C	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625814_1061223721998034_56634128847218437_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hs_tOhUVBigAX8lF3TJ&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBggErdqwp67UAvb6k5w0wgmEovyv_GdtZ-SNuc8VttRQ&oe=6591C252			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69237	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		1378150323093278	2	7.2171919612122E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674065750115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969810	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404640097_860173359113729_6731397493697596601_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NKdPW8UP1ekAX8lrMBJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA7rRIHLrFUcMhlYUsdSyIWV0KG8i9sEGraUHEaPGfgCw&oe=65915B55	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404747588_1004387350674921_6348991184780773022_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SU_sOuHT0iYAX-BZ88_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVSIsomN_QNMlRepeefdUI8k4HSTPbhUm7nHR4ZjsZog&oe=659238A7			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69391	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		990694981997171	1	3.1692191443933E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220428420404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582732	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403605753_1580561682702137_2144844309263027268_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A6kUt9UjY8QAX_s5uRf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB-fHIchVwxdtokrl_sWjxgEy_mcQbvp0cR5-4d_YNkeA&oe=6592021E	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619240_1339564903590718_2126769996089295646_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NlFNC5x5iCQAX_dLbTJ&_nc_oc=AQneypM9DBTOntD-0dg-Loh8rZObxhY5SSjLL3BmWuov79ZcwwIQ8yqctIxf0vuLNtTz4fhuCH2Qvhnb4qDHcNbQ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCaFP0oiRpoM1jJ1BmT_iuQqDgBKjeQClTwe-ey_wOO8g&oe=65915DA6			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69998	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054157		67		6881484411933079	2	3.7049479884375E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579098690115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633028	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403072054_1739899013101700_3361110569824563328_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NLzK4CRvZyMAX_o_AJp&_nc_oc=AQkKtPkpfDrUrCG7FEphQ3VCOWkia6sZTjdWnmMMvjrWeQ742Z3aTtdgDzBIcYJNTIzYDzrt0QZGa2uxJiM8pQMa&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDTR1m136WbjXSpJhEAkFU-sk68UzV764lXuIHBdHYImQ&oe=65926A08	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402996095_864342105071733_6150949852239213203_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x0o8WkkQJIQAX9tUmCw&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD9GMHk-nW8_knEoiB3Y1fTmGWfy9lzMU1t35AbN_V6Yw&oe=659271CC			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69535	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054157		67		847483077058765	2	1.2862751187325E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207901090403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724558	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404312303_307820152164115_5863131350545221614_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1hcge6fJxc4AX8AvV0r&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAj4l1xAswDKxRpaw9GrjvGLxhivT1DCp0Lzy2HH2Whqg&oe=659316E5	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404292890_892405562487673_6143366633045735439_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wn5yHeHD5fwAX8UEX3P&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfALjer6UpYbqxb1VB5cZqPvh40hHjBHQKO7eIpUJje2pA&oe=6591FA54			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69375	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		363796526312616	1	6.8171877817073E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343744480404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843446	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405544848_7027106610735895_2655429592733156373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fYOOE7wRycAAX_LiJr3&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCeajgulRTRGJVQXuM1UlZ1WsztgWgE6dPCtroIS-Hfpg&oe=659231C3	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405559045_1015446859708714_4905458001072768483_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IUTSV4PYgvwAX-gy7V1&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBoR6xdj6YdcFrj_xRIzDBj6nJie5KNSpEPd8MXROaLmg&oe=65933100			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68852	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054157		67		1410002279870318	2	1.0621226348372E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734070226		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256549	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405723184_244581505100081_1755424207230272702_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WXpbd3nSHnUAX-UObwS&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBLhfeqUX1_snwd0m0vdO3MSqV4AaDbkC0S_cFtQNjiaw&oe=6593295C	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406433553_900414411048183_3707869285371380712_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QgeGuKSHygMAX_mcWAl&_nc_oc=AQkj71tID0cvCxT24jH69T7Q8zS4SMP6JDael-hJJKxroTQNMX29TlX7p4Tl9JxNRaM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQ2NAr3sRbsoR7uO0iz5bqJoy0rnkgqC9SBTms5kfIFA&oe=65918299			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67617	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054157		67		1131132781192411	1	1.414812329102E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204045259090514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702610951	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409827481_3505026656478156_406034287203480130_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=L48ArNZNjIkAX8FztUO&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDpg6xqtpiglVxBqSmyBZTUxnrzWN7HBn7K3-mRICHO7Q&oe=65925542	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411086117_6840335756077658_6848402113689941637_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DIdHDyQIg4gAX_3WC53&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAxAwrpluqHmVdWejkFbSBo7xIvZDvzY-JA1ZKRSqVsJg&oe=6592FE98			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69022	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054157		67		2085738108436372	1	3.0015366298071E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715937200115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140264	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405876466_710724801021427_607997595908166252_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IrJHa-l9FHkAX_fa1Ox&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDQuYO3oFqXuJEjNlNKyuBRqdLLfrf7pVF1v_CYoJ23TQ&oe=659292A1	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405795882_590487616536617_5406588653728452806_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_rBYuKw0azUAX9uQqBL&_nc_oc=AQn-ARZNYJJuT1f2jtJVeJ3vmxOFHCZeJrI2PnbfUJuiflN8iinNwQMzOVtBJaKRJfo&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCA0S5M60xzw-9qSzFKCBOjYfobTbvROBdM4vNv6o0jdQ&oe=6591FE29			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68108	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054157		67		319371520917313	1	1.8083430429354E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1724526554225273		0	Domesticated Companion			120203269905500682		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Chip Gaines Addresses Rumors	Trouble in Chip and Joanna Gaines paradise	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702367733	1.7245265542253E+15	Domesticated Companion	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409974965_390239330095549_1649557504848014790_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OI0EVw2zrOAAX9Q8UTf&_nc_oc=AQkrkwmt8qEq4QHQjolv_Qbnc-8T3FsYi8fdXpYkLlrWgDGWPQGQy2YbMzqy-PSGpQo&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCR95JDdAJlCpu921QSCJq2ylnd-C_E6uBtV6LIrl_VjQ&oe=65920719	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Domesticated Companion		37098	https://facebook.com/DomesticatedCompanion	0		NO_BUTTON						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67714	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054157		67		1383896435899261				1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104330432453055		0	Savvy Change			120202889390440722		savvydime.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.savvydime.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702469127	1.0433043245306E+14	Savvy Change	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409188086_387569633699985_5651066118777395750_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DsnYtf29rggAX856-nv&_nc_oc=AQmkVTx2qPCCBErM0kaSlJ7OJ75j7iV81XtxXdkX_jagzAoABHSphBYO6rS3ags0neDET2U7rbWfZ4XpR6EGFfDL&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB81242oOiC_fb8KLAk7UEhspjPoxOKPvnEQfuMP0ntpQ&oe=6592A734	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Savvy Change		1148	https://facebook.com/100086447139091	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67656	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/16/24, 12:17 AM	1703760164	1731737880		67		664180845912609	1	1.0784543466717E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203186046980102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611579	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410121191_291668457202631_264080945151647310_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YrFZrz1kIXoAX_yW-Rb&_nc_oc=AQmosH5RAWf2djhPE4xDamySvNODrSSnnoqa7dsqA1T0bd-Qs7DacNdLDHfyb2Cx4w8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDwMgU2MVsK1qj5zaIvJR3heSWNtX1ErRtH7ulh5h0AtA&oe=65931D29	person_profile	0					0	3	😍😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
70073	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054157		67		1323243568341549	1	2.9606311006843E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112116150243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554387	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404257570_721927666061239_1085829856725484440_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c0QzzgvcCmsAX8Rezjg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXZyrcnz5mzFUDtkmLsSnOkOzQCL6WyHcktwE2Vnh8DQ&oe=65919C78	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404396776_900852487597762_4591214725342948854_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a2fwv-gM0BkAX_xczH1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAouGz9pxd4tvZ2a4NpRoyWbrVudGBdcrRVfSJVVyTXlQ&oe=6591C2EE			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69121	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		909812567358227	1	3.878162469124E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690716140115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055858	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404616693_998852988081412_2037122530473282412_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S4yoQf-w6lkAX-xYfjl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC44y8lwioSyyXpqlwWDNpfAhn4cV1Xt43Dk3Unh91Bsw&oe=65925544	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404658838_679057984328417_6056340225919283593_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WBDrOduxF0oAX9obu55&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBGjZkWewd5c5RQAJxJQ8c-pNoaXaMVb4iiOOkZmVo4DQ&oe=6592ED98			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69601	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054157		67		192880393897926	5	6.4373481125526E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721249030167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679265	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402946191_307574395500084_5630667761958460280_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CAwUWy1e1YAX-mhr68&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAoZmSny7TK7uohc5zErv21Gh4zlzfYb3fbWJY4AfFO9w&oe=65914E8C	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68155	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054157		67		1790837594717501		7.3828715763484E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498171050278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287773	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409683218_993880831711090_6809761663754488305_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DSfjqdPRayMAX_ZajYI&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD9aB82-iZRdmzA-OreBR1RiRRY81cOi7XyyrEQnVPMvw&oe=65917D32	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409827467_374221158531881_3157226512683060420_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pWQfbpuTISYAX9E8Xuu&_nc_oc=AQle1xrEZRGxL7xQQ0DwtJLYgM5EcdYs0LZIPlY1Qqx2IEBLbMJqNhw2-P09Iil97Vw&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA8j4JiHZuL1ftAxVLScpew6RVAElqP9PxlOabtD2XV0w&oe=6592CAB9			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69838	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054157		67		6744655838963034		8.4403303105709E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114866079891340		0	Trivia.com			120200721167820167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679091	1.1486607989134E+14	Trivia.com	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403062126_649605070587053_234047071631406610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fkmSHS6SykIAX9VjD-1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXcfCUYwm0IDh-hO_15OyYQKMbEuDpEU2B8Kr2uCqhjg&oe=6591BD67	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com		19830	https://facebook.com/100063472063438	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
66494	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054157		67		1344617429749967	1	8.8977239273040E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868934690268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_14508DB94BE7E306585495C766AE6166_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699162	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414721618_1716134188878428_5684327505104509438_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=elvbst_OLGUAX8O87zY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAIbbn2xZwZvgqdSuDE90cip32x0dw-6TIGenC9avk0dg&oe=6591F906	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a junior at Colorado University, is a bookstore clerk with a strong disinterest in sports, especially football. She’s determined not to fall for the charm of campus athletes, haunted by a past relationship that left her cautious and independent. But her world tilts on its axis when she meets Knox Maguire, a senior football player grappling with a knee injury and dyslexia, who seeks her help in the bookstore.<br /> <br /> Knox, struggling with the pressures of his final year and the weight of his player reputation, is intent on changing his ways. He’s vowed to abstain from romantic encounters, focusing instead on overcoming his academic struggles. Despite his intentions, he’s captivated by Joanna&#039;s natural allure and her stark contrast to the women he&#039;s accustomed to.<br /> <br /> Their paths cross, leading to tutoring sessions where unspoken attraction and professional boundaries blur. As Joanna and Knox navigate this unexpected connection, they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. Their relationship blossoms, but not without challenges, as they juggle their personal insecurities, Knox&#039;s sports career, and societal expectations.<br /> <br /> Can Joanna and Knox overcome the barriers between them and acknowledge the depth of their feelings? Or will their differences and external pressures force them to keep their love unspoken?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68609	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		384967577292013		2.8484499086294E+15		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202284846580275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666336	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407702607_3583903085272169_361772654523461223_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O77bheNos90AX-9pepH&_nc_oc=AQlmvbczykw06u6t_11irN2ILfVaC_IowQfsi4wIJOPr_MWVi8U-RJl_-sFlQUr5SsLFFVeRAk_QMKTjx-rikQuI&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMVNd55BnFphExbvCkDYwNVhoeuhYwoRsqFWqo3wLPYw&oe=6592BA29	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
67512	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054157		67		738866964777022	1	2.5769812891434E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011748170506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636945	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411102092_393774843004015_417448910520034730_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UoNKJZkx90cAX-wwSRm&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAh05AmQQkYBGBEBXl3f6HhWEkulZgq7GdAnkcMTpNVdw&oe=65928FE7	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411079938_1346859516196665_1377788025915588157_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cnBWjT88HtYAX-YML_K&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfASNAvDH4lrA9PB4VIcMbGw-A8T_0kYpxdoZiDCiy0JrA&oe=65930BB9			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69093	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		710495111011980	2	7.6574355199366E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690713200115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055846	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406061155_311693035017567_6618794421494456214_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=azym7j5qwagAX9y3Y6A&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAkSEfzTXfAwwES7IFgoLoiAS3zY7FholKqD01wL1QijA&oe=65927F28	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404763250_3603294633250689_7747790512933093745_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=B6gduOihLbQAX874DKg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOmGQVtt3FqDE-ho6PhFjDdAhR8p3PUoakTzwNHqLMKQ&oe=65915303			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66511	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054157		67		252335097702305				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106172978929252		0	Simply Health			120203979631510702		springsap.shop	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://springsap.shop/products/holiday-gift-set-cozy-breakfast?ad_id=BM100_Ben1		1703666084	1.0617297892925E+14	Simply Health	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415273037_899442444957197_1630219015974006179_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uYX2Vl-PlvEAX_a4m-9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCj0H6Wq2GlWtvpfBAAkh7dmyXLUjCrg7ug5K2ApIYcVg&oe=6591FDE8	person_profile	0	Simply Health	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415215256_1029256968336791_8545220557639562218_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_VFWiMQIByYAX9cb75R&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA0HM4T-jcEBZzeNI2n0GbZoKUiXtosUGPS75spdn8UNA&oe=659252E1			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Simply Health		2414	https://facebook.com/100086257367870	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67424	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		372062801977544	1	3.6755545993483E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765560050465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702360	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410637154_651566273575143_6230926687895575042_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UL1FgD-1b_4AX_SpwcA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfALgVNXD1tAiOEY26TCl06SvMV4u_3kOAvFlrsgsgTwlw&oe=659264B5	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410692544_2523268544517802_1888092742560660695_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oqalIXvntCEAX_UbBgr&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzhAr4Z2jV8At_3mYhnj079CJFqtqJQFCVPZHJmrtSMA&oe=6591E890			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
66837	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		330964076532003	1	9.6067441560979E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	151773461354106		0	01.CherrySneakers			120203197612700490		cherrysneakers.com	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA SNEAKERS	Best gifts for your Family	https://cherrysneakers.com/joanna-sneakers		1703320072	1.5177346135411E+14	01.CherrySneakers	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412703600_1075133503836688_760967344485483246_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eTDxZw2vR-kAX9vg_or&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD5hhr70xi2k2qxYCoXRRid_vS7nukkqPDNAm3iK97NIw&oe=6591452F	person_profile	0					0	3	Get yours here : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcherrysneakers.com%2Fjoanna-sneakers&amp;h=AT03aZTgV9h-bXAQzOJE5Ucso1Mv_eGap5Q581DuUmPCumgyK3-tIAENS2Xied9PNPn6Up2S2Z3EmhY1R5VQXP_YkyBzy27fkTt7smLefcckKjNeIaTmcIotFBZlS96sys2pgmShNaNluUYA3qqkMX6dycM" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://cherrysneakers.com/joanna-sneakers</a> . Visit store : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcherrysneakers.com%2Fcollections%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT2KBi6xqPUjoPbmEHnHno9VjXiUcJsFmquDzF6GlZ80eZOB0ljj3A9Ltwa-7WglOEB6kH7pDlu_05yAmic_r9ICB2VQxYGYrpqEVZW5BYFeIi9sc4rNXsWklE6RYbxMaRS-MEYEsY22TdPXBzPuZUWwAt8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://cherrysneakers.com/collections/joanna</a>		01.CherrySneakers		7	https://facebook.com/61552526206101	0		SHOP_NOW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66987	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054157		67		736642771691806	5	1.4371639972232E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	91318443534		0	MCC Theater			6518629720192		mcctheater.org	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://mcctheater.org/tix/the-connector/#book?Social_Media&Meta_Display&THE_CONNECTOR		1703194233	91318443534	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412665125_1136284394421623_8273653436406940727_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2u0VrBu0KpgAX8U5ahp&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB6CRlDIjeG6SzVdnDsucCfe6hPtUgpdjzrOlx_W-Qofg&oe=6591D64F	person_profile	0	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412947895_737849674452373_1023788646049681693_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y97BgrwtcUkAX-P3YiW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBkenKg9bgsu0AAxAv7mkGKPzVRYznYz64eu6qdGSwv_w&oe=65926D60			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		MCC Theater		19795	https://facebook.com/mccnyc	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66458	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054157		67		1033806717677882	1	2.4770763152111E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120203873821540183			No button		NONE	video	Beautiful New Construction Here in Sienna				1703100775	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412395935_2010271689329111_2574272235284261759_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TUmJVVWLPo8AX8e7tHS&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB-eZZ7PQar65YQ6b95GfBfqy2ap2l43YuXqT8pR8L87w&oe=65927F72	person_profile	0					0	3	Check out this newly-constructed home here Sienna! <br /> - 3 beds/ 2.5. baths<br /> - 1,750 sq ft<br /> - Study room<br /> - Close to amazing Fort Bend ISD schools<br /> - And much more<br /> <br /> These new construction homes are priced in the low $400s!<br /> <br /> - Joanna<br /> <br /> P.S. If you have any questions about new construction listings similar to this one (or other homes for sale here in the greater Fort Bend County area), feel free to call (281) 845-4155.		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67126	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054157		67		856520039540700		3.622513731536E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202810577000160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703053762	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412255386_2125287541139849_1524754322027508266_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M4q7hRLlbDkAX8SGCyg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDnKcni2APqGG5X5zvNPEMz9VFZsQAIeXYkKWMjE7Yug&oe=6591E216	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
66897	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054157		67		911950750544742	1	9.1148420699426E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	203854546140943		0	Chip & Jo's Xmas Gifts			120203434749640171		heliotropeagility.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Gaine's 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 XMas Giveaway!		https://heliotropeagility.com/		1703261239	2.0385454614094E+14	Chip & Jo's Xmas Gifts	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412582146_677652724514897_6671912187997845690_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aP_lOm3_jdMAX-HRRZi&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDfl-K_2halJpy-vX-uPKGvlVP5ERdZT1-ygaXaVrMmzQ&oe=65928C60	person_profile	0	Chip & Jo's Xmas Gifts	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412537923_1163494587962245_526646643300507722_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1h7TfJ7w8DkAX_3p0kr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBn_53nA3izYwKpuF9uM0HgemnfowBjNHHGtTGp1CzZmA&oe=65921858			0	3	(Backed by a Lifetime Warranty). Guaranteed, the last cookware set you will own.		Chip & Jo's Xmas Gifts		0	https://facebook.com/61554772595167	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68679	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		292084949886574	1	1.4682360807616E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	481779868692063		0	Roanoke, VA Local - News Break			120201236114580465		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Roanoke!	Another historic Virginia church is closing its doors as a house of worship. The Roanoke Rambler reported that The Rev. Joanna Paysour’ led the final Sunday worship service at Trinity United Methodist Church on November 19. The reason is the same that has shut the doors of other congregations in t...	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0pwXGF7w?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701419970	4.8177986869206E+14	Roanoke, VA Local - News Break	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406657554_708169664711485_8611640578771368020_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O9TxwqlvOPEAX_0_Gru&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDJZvhqAkqJgn3dyf31prtLQRsetKDJybZc-E0q9NoMhA&oe=65927012	person_profile	0	Roanoke, VA Local - News Break	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407384607_6745952372168627_5623228573028638181_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Lykc0vN-QFQAX_1nbYs&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOaDQGb9sPzyJaSvbXthiPSPwDpn_cC8_AbK0DnwsNcg&oe=65925D2E			0	3	Roanoke News: Historic Virginia church shuts its doors but they will reopen as apartments in Southwest.		Roanoke, VA Local - News Break		3062	https://facebook.com/RoanokeVALocal	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69390	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		878132753617579	1	1.7036319801553E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220435630404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582528	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404396967_7337840226260438_4049755920724035499_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iOZjB8UQRk8AX8MHFBp&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBeZ3lgtx8Ia386IIS1OFEMdFedvUYpgeJl91HMWbZOTg&oe=6591EC0A	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404270913_679423837317960_4435853124083871690_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OERMYJp-Jv0AX8z689v&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBS7kc_kCROOtQI22sFnPvVMO6f6f8zpt1WUwrDbJ5ukA&oe=6592FC6F			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66783	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		1129582448031575				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	700454319976130		0	Druzy Dreams			6410337724784		druzydreams.com	Shop now	1151	NONE	dpa	Druzy Dreams		https://www.druzydreams.com/collections/discover-hidden-treasures		1694537548	7.0045431997613E+14	Druzy Dreams	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/377555789_1483903142407832_3260961522992704840_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-7gdTm712ikAX99tXfb&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAuWrxjjAyUbY1MkMqkMPRUeCe_AYrg1ZQlG7_tRmPVJg&oe=659298A1	person_profile	0	Druzy Dreams 🌙 Magical & mysterious silver jewels 🖤	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/377542372_1428713764358485_6182844386899809687_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kEaDmNBDsgsAX9p5ZXM&_nc_oc=AQnGCYkYNZ9j8HPtThGJO_wQKKrZsRFijIG1iCUfWiYLFHcV597dSdYFRlhN1TrQvZc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBa0d-3KTecYuBaBRyUwNcPULi_on6hYgZ8WHiPtBSOrQ&oe=65929AE8			0	3	&quot;As people with chubby fingers it can be a nightmare trying to find a large enough ring that still looks beautiful. My sister opened her gift and was absolutely in love. She said it was comfortable, beautiful and really good quality.”<br /> - 5 star review by Joanna H. 🎉		Druzy Dreams		106224	https://facebook.com/druzydreams	0		SHOP_NOW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
68577	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		363057319466708	4	6.5157521705526E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	6435441794		0	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital			6497352755725		stjude.org	Donate now		NONE	video	Join Chip and Joanna		https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N575301.1960500FACEBOOKAD/B26074128.328369140;dc_trk_aid=520452087;dc_trk_cid=205855480;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=;dc_tdv=1		1701700409	6435441794	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407470751_1301898623847369_4596250717816495994_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FAL1HED4_60AX9NSTjE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCgQKo8NZf40cfgsSHW4nMqTZ2-aWTM13b4Hpgo_g8ang&oe=65920DDC	person_profile	0	St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407480083_369310562146743_7466777339284087482_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1f1-id4IVa8AX9g1m8X&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHzJnoaCasha_JzHBJTzaXAo-qiHjqIqUyFzDm8a042g&oe=659299B7			0	3	The best gifts keep giving. Donate to help the kids of St. Jude today.		St. Jude Children's Research Hospital		2826776	https://facebook.com/stjude	0		DONATE_NOW						1701763200		View Edit Delete
69079	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		361544139684044	1	7.5598732655484E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203280985690596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701067784	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404759693_1399538900773427_4006900751328766408_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EIdUKrwn2k4AX_jIy-x&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBxL7wdfESt8f7azvGPfV33r35o3hcEcbsMslLaGQ1KSQ&oe=65917257	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404622499_338755772094357_8524569076293719453_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HsZ_aZHLa3YAX8hGF5f&_nc_oc=AQlU7omRx2yt1JR231zaHoyVk1D3hXfLCRByCdXlbyxaiS70xTRIuiBvzIXRyCbUA7I&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCSXqdAqjqDPENuKlhCQOHWbF1vvyv9HsJZXUCvnTL5Pg&oe=65923B6E			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66380	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054157		67		387391560402818	1	1.0712381809737E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	505582332845919		0	Joanna Galant Photography			120202630167320378		www.joannagalant.com/woman-and-their-loved-ones	Get offer		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannagalant.com/woman-and-their-loved-ones		1703025121	5.0558233284592E+14	Joanna Galant Photography	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411640785_1518104192313652_7380655399122107215_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8szQdVq7I9gAX_2cZDC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBt6CLUJO4-YeceGN-UqUsNET5rgS516ZEa95D8_4KGGQ&oe=6592BC27	person_profile	0	Joanna Galant | Family and Kids Photographer	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412045691_1380353072583085_2823589961769310191_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hKNUo1UWYyQAX8cttbi&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB7y1KPM8-C05m6kDfxfSyCqNb6DPvNfJHF5tJuattxmw&oe=6591E5EC			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Galant Photography		6759	https://facebook.com/joannagalantphotography	0		GET_OFFER						1702972800		View Edit Delete
66375	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054157		67		234695322994104	1	2.8170143851067E+15		1702281600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			120203646717170563		https://joannagrabska.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Uwolniona do miłości	Zupełna Nowość  "5U-WOLNIONA DO MIŁOŚCI" Bo dobra miłość zaczyna się w Twoich emocjach Zobacz, jak RAZ NA ZAWSZE możesz uwolnić się od uwięzionych emocji, tęsknoty, goryczy, bólu, żalu, rozczarowania, natrętnych i niepokojących myśli o nim.I odzyska....	https://jestemkochanka.pl/funnel/5u-zakup-2/5u/?op3_vid=45158		1702227196	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409540962_885432009891719_907653492937529523_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qCJSutPM6l0AX_mO4up&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBn56Ngjui13Nmj3F08FA_EdEmquBfuMTCsb6617CehEg&oe=6591F10D	person_profile	0					0	3	🟠 Jakie maski nakładamy, byle tylko nie zmierzyć się trudnymi emocjami w relacji? <br /> <br /> Te maski to euforia, duma, siła, “wybaczanie”, aby tylko zażegnać trudy, dawanie z siebie za dużo w poczuciu “jestem tak dobra”. <br /> <br /> Bo my, wychowani często w tłumieniu, odcinaniu się, zamrożeniu, tego co naprawdę czujemy<br /> jesteśmy mistrzyniami ich kamuflowania, od dziecka.<br /> Tłumienie, wypieranie, udawanie, że czegoś nie czujesz.<br /> Że jesteś zadowolona, kiedy naprawdę coś Cię boli.<br /> Bo jak poczujesz i o tym powiesz, to będziesz odrzucona, zostawiona, zabraknie poczucia bezpieczeństwa, nie będziesz akceptowana.<br /> Potem powtarzasz to w relacjach.<br /> <br /> Nie mówisz, co czujesz.<br /> <br /> Udajesz, że czujesz coś innego, aby tylko to trwało.<br /> <br /> Udajesz, że satysfakcjonuje Cię jego zachowanie, kiedy naprawdę sprawia Ci przykrość.<br /> Albo wreszcie to kończysz i zrywasz, ale tęsknisz…<br /> <br /> Ale chcesz być bohaterska i dawać radę.<br /> <br /> Albo zdradzona walczysz Ty o związek.<br /> Trwasz w roli tej trzeciej, udając, że Ci to odpowiada.<br /> <br /> I nie dopuszczasz do siebie tych najgłębszych pokładów emocji.<br /> <br /> Złością, pogardą, dumą, przykrywasz gorycz, ból, tęsknotę za miłością.<br /> <br /> I to przez jakiś czas może być dla Ciebie skuteczne.<br /> <br /> Dajesz radę.<br /> Szukasz pocieszenia, działasz,<br /> Albo, opadasz z sił.<br /> Bo te ukryte, uwięzione emocje działają podstępnie.<br /> Odbierają Ci siły życiowe.<br /> Powoli, po cichu, niezauważalnie.<br /> <br /> A co gorsza...<br /> <br /> Powodują, że to od czego chcesz się uwolnić,<br /> to co chcesz zmienić,<br /> czego już masz dosyć w relacjach i miłości,<br /> wzmaga się, przybiera na sile.<br /> <br /> Dlaczego tak się dzieje?<br /> <br /> Bo wszystko, co tłumimy, zaprzeczamy, wypieramy, więzimy.<br /> Dopada nas i kieruje nami jeszcze bardziej.<br /> <br /> CHCESZ MIŁOŚCI.<br /> <br /> A w Tobie ukryta goryczą, strach, rozczarowanie.<br /> Tym właśnie emanujesz.<br /> Nawet jak się śmiejesz i dajesz sobie radę.<br /> <br /> I będziesz tak emanować dalej. <br /> i będziesz tak blokować przepływ miłości, dopóki będziesz swoje uwięzione emocje trzymać pod kluczem.<br /> <br /> I nie zajmiesz się nimi.<br /> <br /> Z szacunkiem do siebie.<br /> <br /> Pozwoleniem na to, aby wybrzmiały, zostały zauważone wreszcie.<br /> <br /> Uwolnieniem ich energii, aby zrobić miejsce na nowe, zdrowe emocje.<br /> <br /> To świadoma praca.<br /> To jest proces.<br /> Ale nie trwa wiecznie. Trwa stosunkowo krótko.<br /> 21-30 dni, abyś realnie poczuła się inaczej.<br /> Abyś zaczęła emanować MIŁOŚCIĄ.<br /> <br /> I znowu przyciągać miłość.<br /> <br /> TYM RAZEM JUŻ TYLKO MIŁOŚĆ.<br /> Bez bólu.<br /> <br /> Formuła<br /> <br /> 5 U - UJRZYSZ, USZANUJ, UWOLNIJ, UKIERUNKUJ, UGRUNTUJ,<br /> czyli ZAAKCEPTUJ TYLKO MIŁOŚĆ, KTÓREJ JESTEŚ WARTA <br /> <br /> SPRAWDŹ<br /> Tutaj:<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fjoannagrabska.pl%2F&amp;h=AT0MkoXN2FFwqcDo201dPz3CZw8zHKX42Lo_avasJ4QsG4lRcPHWwr5VYMxaMUUVaF2-_hPkMEbu7VyJiRbsFy8tyBFh-CFaCdIBeqBmqfooefzHUg-g7lQdeohqD92bcBmn7l-sgTG3Jaijdl2R1A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://joannagrabska.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68771	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054157		67		782929836931151	5	3.6876741415128E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120202134453520728		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701332841	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406098993_657024609968370_6670021624807874786_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zeHVJArbpEYAX8lZjdn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgHGOSAgUJxCCL82FQLBz2hvYQKFHwc_vJCgCPipGFQQ&oe=65926ECD	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68723	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054157		67		1507318433445623	1	3.9625316939498E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113840200491489		0	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊			6503411382103		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/dearjoannaa		1701378357	1.1384020049149E+14	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		person_profile	0	joanna tam	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406649218_714028910359040_8306845830124248671_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sy_x98biqDMAX9v31Lu&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDsg2StTkEpBW82z9cScEy88MBBMNKq0GIDN3nhuNvd1Q&oe=6592F620			0	3	adding every color of this sweatshirt to my wishlist 🩵⁣<br /> ⁣⁣<br /> ⁣<br /> <br /> outfit details linked in bio!		𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		0	https://facebook.com/100080768289817	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67242	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054157		67		381368044378903		2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951487020043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963132	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412221627_739211344748007_7491053614213984216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WwRixcoK2eEAX_5Whnc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZx2IIq625OK1M_vTlr8N-_BpqpEWP5pn4DM6FZmZzCA&oe=6592EBD4	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68518	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054157		67		2869228046547659	3	1.0508745226186E+15		1702022400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	109080568825640		0	Family Store A1			120201429985640521		mfamilygift.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D6	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilygift.store/joanna-things-d6		1701347457	1.0908056882564E+14	Family Store A1	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406592544_665000459080877_7451001322317262672_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QLqUf8Jp1KkAX9glJIJ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCII8osqQaG92vkziQ3u6h0cIwyX2kSPosAQrEei3VM5w&oe=6591B4F3	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilygift.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0pgXW8GfhsJvu-Qi0TgSbWrJxN0caqah2JGz0BBOlxDeniGMwIjt3Qog3As_zwfhtU_J0wVkpSIR0Lma4WUdiqQ4ikoP8KmiRWriGHzl9U_zxZrWjQmEagPGtEeB_4PPNr91eZmSwlMs3IGXVU7g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilygift.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Store A1		34	https://facebook.com/100091830608558	0		SHOP_NOW						1701763200		View Edit Delete
66843	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		687715143489145	5	7.047505505317E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	275758569814605		0	Cooking 4 All			120204525486140759		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://cooking4all.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-bt/		1703299561	2.7575856981460E+14	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413844309_912147619897478_5098927175468979926_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mLk2n7pnzKQAX8hdjb2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAJTdELshqCetWtpk4M8PNNSkeMfQjTCupU41ZmMfDjtw&oe=6592B999	person_profile	0	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412987400_3549402131963852_8801286588134520648_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XRV5TJ9vymQAX8vpKov&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBoU6diwwSvQ9Tj1Iw_q6VJRYy7W9nslmRdZ5JV4BcpDQ&oe=659307BE			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Cooking 4 All		2127	https://facebook.com/Cooking4AllFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68251	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054157		67		906311171125256	1	1.3394500567761E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	180251658500845		0	Bad Novel			120201576037640539		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to read the full text		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/2c317ec0-76d0-4274-8237-3555126e8dfa.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1702048120	1.8025165850084E+14	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408699939_899385311224910_3172214411084565595_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gNoBgKhb9eEAX-Uc2DL&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCz6-R0DecAJBk_0ww1Aa2gk1dW65fGr-_jsl17ykWXbQ&oe=65931225	person_profile	0	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409447086_896427745415298_1056021515309188408_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cM1OpsfHyewAX9rWgBj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0N0gup9u6m3P6MR74carj557wunG4w9TM3Hcp8Y8x0Q&oe=65928651			0	3	As the sun dipped below the horizon on a July evening, the sky retained its luminous glow, refusing to succumb to darkness.<br /> By the base of Mount Elvern, before an unnamed tombstone.<br /> Clad in black casual attire, Yvonne Anworth stood before the tombstone. Her delicate features were etched with a chill that resembled the precision of a carefully sculpted statue. &quot;Mom, ten years have passed since that day. I&#039;ve stuck to your advice and kept myself in check all these years. Tomorrow, I&#039;m going back to the Anworths.&quot;<br /> Enveloped in silence, she could only hear the wind whispering through the trees.<br /> &quot;Boom!&quot;<br /> A sudden, jarring sound drew Yvonne&#039;s attention, prompting her to subtly turn her head. Her mesmerizing eyes narrowed as she gazed towards the source of the noise, not too far from her.<br /> A black car with a deflated tire sat lopsided on the roadside.<br /> A man dressed in black sportswear emerged from the car. His gait was unsteady, suggesting an injury.<br /> A group of about a dozen people dressed in black attire trailed behind him.<br /> Brandon Hart glanced over his shoulder, his face stern and cold. He clutched his aching stomach, and his lips drained of color. He exuded an aura of pain and suffering.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t even think about running! We paid a fortune for you, and you&#039;re not going anywhere.&quot; The menacing figure in black said as he closed in on the shivering figure before him. The leader&#039;s face was devoid of emotion, his eyes cold and calculating, radiating an aura of pure malice.<br /> &quot;Just you guys?&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes narrowed, his voice like a frosty dagger.<br /> The pain from his stomach shot up to his head. He could feel the blood seeping out, making him doubt if he could hold on much longer.<br /> &quot;Alright, let&#039;s get this over with,&quot; the leader of the black-clad people said and attacked Brandon.<br /> &quot;Huh?&quot;<br /> Suddenly, a stone came whizzing out of nowhere and struck the black-clad person in the arm. His hand trembled, and he crumpled to the ground.<br /> The black-clad person&#039;s expression morphed into a mask of fury, a low rumble emanating from their chest. &quot;Who&#039;s there?&quot;<br /> Yvonne spoke in a calm, emotionless tone, &quot;You&#039;ve interrupted my mom&#039;s peace. Take your fight elsewhere!&quot;<br /> A crowd of people gazed intently at Yvonne, their faces grave.<br /> Even Brandon, known for his menacing glare, couldn&#039;t mask his astonishment.<br /> Despite their formidable reputations as international assassins, capable of vanquishing multiple foes, the group succumbed to the might of a mere stone hurled by a teenage girl.<br /> That girl was off the charts!<br /> &quot;Back off, or you&#039;re toast!&quot; The leader&#039;s eyes turned icy as he ordered, &quot;Kill her!&quot;<br /> The rest of the crowd surged forward in an instant.<br /> Yvonne&#039;s gaze grew icy, her eyes like shards of ice.<br /> &quot;Watch out!&quot; Brandon had already sprung into action before the black-clad people rushed towards Yvonne.<br /> But Brandon&#039;s feet halted abruptly, his dark eyes widening in disbelief.<br /> The assassins were no match for Yvonne. They all fell before her without even having a chance to attack.<br /> And she didn&#039;t budge an inch. Her face was undisturbed, and her eyes steady.<br /> If it weren&#039;t for her hands that had not yet been withdrawn, Brandon would have thought he was hallucinating.<br /> &quot;Get lost!&quot; Yvonne tilted her chin up slightly, her voice icy.<br /> The men in black stared at her like she was some kind of ghost, their faces etched with confusion and a hint of fear. &quot;Who the hell are you? And what&#039;s your deal?&quot;<br /> The cause of their fall remained a mystery to them.<br /> All they recalled was the girl raising her hand and releasing a powdery substance, followed by their sudden descent.<br /> And they didn&#039;t even touch a single strand of the girl&#039;s hair.<br /> As Yvonne remained silent, the black-clad men collapsed to the ground, unconscious.<br /> Yvonne cast a fleeting glance at their fallen forms before raising her gaze to Brandon, who stood nearby.<br /> Brandon&#039;s heart skipped a beat as her clear, moonlit eyes met his.<br /> Regaining his composure, he approached her and spoke softly, &quot;Thank you.&quot;<br /> Yvonne gave him a cold stare and curtly declared, &quot;I&#039;m not saving you!&quot;<br /> Her only desire was to avoid being bothered and to have a conversation with her mother.<br /> As Yvonne uttered those words, she turned around and strode away. Her hand reached out to gently caress the tombstone surface. &quot;I gotta go, Mom. May you rest in peace.&quot;<br /> As she was about to walk away, Brandon stopped her and asked, &quot;Hey, what&#039;s your name? I&#039;d like to return the favor someday.&quot;<br /> &quot;I never intended to save you,&quot; Yvonne waved her hand and kept walking.<br /> &quot;Wait ... ouch!&quot; Brandon didn&#039;t even get to finish his sentence and collapsed on the ground.<br /> Yvonne turned back. Her brow furrowed in confusion before resuming her walk.<br /> Out of nowhere, a gust of wind swirled around her, making Yvonne halt in her steps. She glanced up at the unmarked gravestone and asked, &quot;Do you want me to save him?&quot; But the only answer was the wind&#039;s whisper. For a moment, Yvonne stayed silent, her voice laced with a hint of helplessness, &quot;Alright, I&#039;ll save him.&quot;<br /> Yvonne crouched beside Brandon and gently raised his shirt. She immediately noticed that he had a severe wound on his stomach.<br /> But it wasn&#039;t a big problem.<br /> She retrieved a small bottle from her bag and sprinkled some medicinal powder on it. Then, she took out another bottle and fed a pill to Brandon.<br /> Brandon would be astonished to see the rare and valuable healing pill lying before him. It is a highly sought-after item in the black market, with each pill fetching an astounding price of 750,000 dollars. However, due to its scarcity, it is almost impossible to find on the market.<br /> After Brandon took the pill, Yvonne immediately turned and left.<br /> Queenstown, the Anworths mansion.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s banned from this house as long as I&#039;m alive!&quot; a booming voice echoed through the mansion.<br /> In the middle of the living room, Yvonne raised her eyes slightly and gazed serenely at the enraged Madam Anworth. Her peach blossom eyes, usually bright and expressive, were now modestly lowered, concealing a depth of composure.<br /> Unnoticed by anyone, a sly grin appeared on her lips.<br /> Having just returned home with her father, Thomas Anworth, Yvonne was immediately summoned to the old mansion by Madam Anworth, who had already heard the news of their arrival.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s immediate disapproval of Yvonne&#039;s return was evident as soon as she stepped into the room.<br /> &quot;Ugh, Mom! Yvonne is my daughter. She&#039;s your grandchild.&quot;<br /> Thomas stood with his hands clenched at his sides. His jaw was set, and his shoulders tense.<br /> After a decade of searching, he was overjoyed to finally reunite with his daughter. But he was caught off guard when his mother refused to allow Yvonne to return home. In front of the entire family, she even disrespected Yvonne.<br /> &quot;She doesn&#039;t deserve a shred of recognition from me! I&#039;ll never give her the time of day!&quot; Madam Anworth&#039;s hand struck the table with a resounding thud, her glare as sharp as a blade aimed at Yvonne&#039;s heart.<br /> Yvonne lifted her head, briefly encountering Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze before looking away once more. She remained unfazed by Madam Anworth&#039;s scrutiny.<br /> Thomas suddenly raised his head and declared with determination, &quot;Now that I&#039;ve found Yvonne, I&#039;ll never let her go again. Our family is broken beyond repair, so stay out of my personal life!&quot;<br /> &quot;How dare you!&quot; Madam Anworth shot up from her chair, her eyes blazing. &quot;If you even think about bringing her back, I&#039;ll kick you out of your current position and take back every share you own!&quot;<br /> Thomas sneered and said, &quot;Position? Shares? Mom, I&#039;m just a lowly manager in the company now, making a basic salary of 600 dollars a month. I&#039;m not the one who wants to quit, it&#039;s you! And as for the shares, didn&#039;t you already take them all back?&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth gritted her teeth as she said, &quot;Are you deliberately trying to oppose me?&quot;<br /> She was stunned to see her typically weak and incompetent son defy her wishes time and again for the sake of Yvonne.<br /> She was certain that Yvonne and her late mother were up to no good, trying to stir up trouble between her and her son.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to say something, Hannah Anworth, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up, &quot;Grandma, do you agree to let Yvonne come back?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Grandma&#039;s expression softened a bit when she saw Hannah. But she still coldly snorted, &quot;Let Yvonne come back? Forget about it!&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;But Yvonne is Mr. Hart&#039;s fiancée,&quot; Hannah blinked her eyes, her lips curled up into a mischievous grin.<br /> Chapter 2 Ending the Engagement<br /> 、The room was suddenly filled with an eerie silence.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about? Brandon&#039;s fiancée isn&#039;t ...,&quot; Grandma paused and abruptly stood up. &quot;Oh, wait, I remember now! Yvonne is the one engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, you don&#039;t have to marry Brandon anymore.&quot;<br /> It was widely acknowledged that Brandon Hart, the seventh son of the Harts, was an indolent person who lacked seriousness and frittered away his time.<br /> Master Hart has a deep affection for Brandon, particularly since Brandon heroically saved him two years ago, resulting in Brandon&#039;s disability. Since that incident, Master Hart has showered Brandon with even more love and attention.<br /> And Brandon&#039;s lavish spending habits have escalated, as he recklessly disposes of the money generously given to him by his parents and Master Hart.<br /> But for some unexplained reason, a representative from the Anworths recently approached the Harts and informed them that their young lady was engaged to Brandon and that they expected the Harts to honor the engagement.<br /> Isn&#039;t Hannah the young lady of the Anworths?<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s anxiety stemmed from her concerns about Hannah&#039;s future. Despite the Anworths&#039; lower social standing compared to the Harts, Madam Anworth had nurtured Hannah since she was a child. She believed that Hannah deserved to marry someone more prominent who could elevate the Anworths&#039; position.<br /> Despite Brandon&#039;s lavish lifestyle courtesy of his grandfather, he lacked true influence. The wealth he possessed originated from his parents and Master Hart&#039;s generosity.<br /> Remember, money could run out. Once he spent it all and there was nothing left, he would be left with nothing but to rely on the generosity of others for basic necessities.<br /> Despite Madam Anworth&#039;s objections, the Harts had been committed to their engagement and couldn&#039;t simply call it off. So, Madam Anworth sought strategies to terminate the impending union gracefully.<br /> With Yvonne&#039;s return, the engagement could proceed as planned. Yvonne&#039;s background as a simple country girl made her an appropriate match for Brandon, who had physical limitations. Besides, the Anworths could benefit from a union with the Hart family, achieving two advantages simultaneously.<br /> With this in mind, Madam Anworth wasted no time and said, &quot;Fine, let Yvonne come back. But she&#039;s got a month to learn some manners before she gets engaged to Brandon. We don&#039;t want any embarrassing moments at the ceremony.&quot;<br /> Thomas and Joanna Lloyd were dumbfounded, their eyes wide with disbelief as they gazed at the old lady.<br /> They were still struggling to process Hannah&#039;s earlier statement.<br /> Soon, Thomas raised his head abruptly, &quot;What engagement ceremony? The one engaged to Brandon isn&#039;t ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Yvonne is the young lady of the Anworths. It&#039;s her who is engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, it&#039;s only natural to fulfill the engagement.&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s expression darkened upon hearing the news. She turned to Yvonne with a sympathetic gaze.<br /> Her mother-in-law was clearly up to something.<br /> Her willingness to let Yvonne back into their lives hints at her covert motivations.<br /> Everyone knew that Brandon had a disability.<br /> She once opposed Hannah marrying Brandon, but now she supported Yvonne marrying him.<br /> &quot;I disagree!&quot; Thomas&#039;s voice boomed with fury, his features contorted in a rage. &quot;It&#039;s obvious that Hannah is the one who got engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> &quot;Dad, I&#039;m not saying I don&#039;t want to marry Brandon, but Yvonne is the eldest daughter from the Anworths. If I get married to Brandon and the Harts find out about it, they&#039;ll be furious with us for keeping it a secret.&quot; Hannah&#039;s tone was vague, and she looked down slightly, a sly look crossing her face.<br /> &quot;Right!&quot; Madam Anworth immediately nodded, &quot;The Harts are a powerful family, and we don&#039;t want to mess with them.&quot;<br /> &quot;You all!&quot; Thomas&#039;s face went all red. He was furious.<br /> But Madam Anworth ignored him and turned to Yvonne. &quot;If you wish to return to the Anworths, you must get engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her eyes to meet Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze. Her bright and captivating eyes sparkled faintly.<br /> After a moment, with a dainty smile, she took a breath and coolly replied, &quot;Alright. I&#039;m in for the engagement!&quot;<br /> She must come back to the Anworths!<br /> Her lips curled into a subtle, enigmatic smile as she contemplated her engagement. Her return to the Anworths coincided with an opportune moment to gracefully dissolve her engagement to Brandon.<br /> After leaving the old mansion of the Anworths, Yvonne followed Thomas and Joanna back to their own home.<br /> Eight years ago, Thomas&#039;s grandmother forced him to leave the old mansion, and his family has since relocated to Newton Residential Area, a secluded neighborhood far from the city&#039;s bustle.<br /> The neighborhood had been quite antiquated, and the walls of the buildings were deteriorating, possibly due to the passage of time.<br /> Thomas&#039;s family resided in an apartment with three bedrooms.<br /> Upon greeting Thomas, Yvonne headed towards the bedroom.<br /> She just returned home, and her belongings haven&#039;t been unpacked yet.<br /> The moment she stepped into the bedroom, an insistent knock echoed through the room.<br /> She got up and headed towards the door. As she swung it open, she found Thomas and Joanna standing awkwardly, unsure of what to say.<br /> &quot;Do you need something, Mr. Anworth?&quot; Yvonne stepped aside to let Thomas come in.<br /> &quot;Yeah, I do, actually.&quot; Thomas pursed his lips, unsure how to start.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s the matter? Just tell me.&quot; Yvonne gestured for Thomas to sit down while she herself stood.<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the wedding on your behalf.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s eyebrows shot up, her eyes wide with surprise.<br /> Joanna approached her, gently grasped her hand, and took a seat on the bed. Then, she said softly, &quot;Listen. Your father believes that marriage is a lifelong commitment, and Brandon has a disability. If you marry him, you&#039;ll be responsible for his care for the rest of your life. He wants you to find someone with a good heart, someone who will truly love and protect you forever.&quot;<br /> Joanna paused for a moment and continued, &quot;But this marriage was arranged by your mother after all. So, we still need to hear your thoughts on it.&quot;<br /> Although she had never been in contact with Yvonne, she felt sorry for her.<br /> Brandon was not the right match for her.<br /> So what if the Harts were wealthy and powerful?<br /> If Yvonne makes that decision, the consequences will be devastating and irreversible. It would be a mistake with a lasting negative impact on her life.<br /> Yvonne looked at Joanna, a hint of a smile appearing on her cold cheeks. &quot;Well, I was planning on cancelling him.&quot;<br /> Joanna was Thomas&#039;s second wife and also her stepmother.<br /> After the brief interaction she had with her, Yvonne didn&#039;t feel repulsed.<br /> She could also tell that Thomas and Joanna were genuinely considering her.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s good!&quot; Thomas stood up excitedly. &quot;I&#039;m calling the Harts right now to cancel that wedding!&quot;<br /> Mount Elvern.<br /> In the depths of the mountain forest, three figures stood solemnly before a nameless grave.<br /> The man on the left, dressed in trendy clothes and sporting an earring, turned to the slender man beside him. &quot;Mr. Hart, it&#039;s been two days, and that girl still hasn&#039;t come. I don&#039;t think she&#039;ll come. Let&#039;s go.&quot;<br /> &quot;Just wait a little longer.&quot; The man in the middle narrowed his eyes and looked at the nameless grave before him. A layer of light shimmered under his dark eyes.<br /> He was dressed in casual black clothes, and his messy hair covered half of his eyelids. His exquisite, handsome face carried a hint of coldness and arrogance. He was the seventh son of the Harts, the useless son who was saved by Yvonne.<br /> Brandon Hart!<br /> The person who spoke first was Yorky Smith, the third son of the Smiths in Norbury.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t wait any longer. If you keep waiting, you&#039;ll miss the engagement with Miss Anworth from the Anworths.&quot; Yorky touched his earlobe and chuckled, &quot;Miss Anworth is a talented woman from Queenstown. Besides, you&#039;ve been engaged to her since childhood. Your grandfather has repeatedly emphasized that the engagement ceremony must not go wrong.&quot;<br /> A faint curve appeared at the ice-cold corner of Brandon&#039;s lips. &quot;Has the engagement with the Anworths been canceled?&quot;<br /> &quot;Even if you were cripple and the biggest loser on Earth, would the Anworths dare to break off their engagement with the Harts, the most powerful family in Norbury? And let&#039;s be honest, you&#039;re not exactly a loser anyway!&quot;<br /> It was hard to imagine the Anworths calling off the marriage if they knew Brandon was neither disabled nor useless!<br /> &quot;Oh.&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes dimmed.<br /> They did not cancel the engagement!<br /> It was not fun anymore!<br /> Sensing futility in his words, Yorky sealed his lips on the matter.<br /> He decided not to mention this topic anymore. &quot;Since finding your savior seems impossible, let&#039;s move on. We can still save Helena once we find my senior.&quot;<br /> Brandon cast him a sidelong glance, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. &quot;Your senior? Are you sure she exists?&quot;<br /> Yorky was left speechless and couldn&#039;t come up with a response.<br /> After a while, he exclaimed in frustration, &quot;Of course she exists! My senior is totally drop-dead gorgeous and has a heart of gold. And don&#039;t even get me started on her skills as a doctor. She&#039;s like a walking miracle! She can practically raise the dead and mend broken bones ...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the person standing on Brandon&#039;s right side. &quot;Mr. Smith, you don&#039;t even know her name, what she looks like. And yet, you&#039;re making her out to be some kind of mythical creature. Is this &#039;senior&#039; of yours even real? Instead of wasting time looking for her, it would be better to wait for the Black Alliance to contact the mysterious divine doctor.&quot;<br /> Raise the dead and mend broken bones?<br /> Even the esteemed professors at the Medical Research Institute wouldn&#039;t even dare claim such skills.<br /> Yorky exclaimed excitedly, &quot;You&#039;re talking nonsense! You think I&#039;m making things up, huh? My senior is real! But that mysterious divine doctor is like a phantom, appearing and disappearing at will. Only treat patients on a whim. We&#039;ve searched for ages with no success. Who even knows if that doctor accepts patients anymore?&quot;<br /> &quot;I suspect he&#039;s completely incompetent! His medical skills are not even as good as my senior!&quot;<br /> This person was ignorant!<br /> How could an ordinary person like him understand his senior?<br /> Although his senior never mentioned his name and knowing she had changed after a decade, he was certain he would recognize his senior the moment he laid eyes on her.<br /> &quot;Fine, fine, I&#039;ll take your word for it.&quot; Franco Kelmer had it up to here arguing with Yorky. Mainly because he was kinda creepily obsessed with his senior.<br /> Brandon gave them both a quick look, then looked away and bowed to the nameless tombstone as he said, &quot;Alright, let&#039;s go!&quot;<br /> &quot;Mr. Hart, where are we going?&quot; Franco asked.<br /> Brandon&#039;s lips twitched into a faint smile. &quot;Queenstown. I&#039;ll convince my fiancée to break off our engagement!&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Are You Trying to Lecture Me?<br /> On the other side.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to contact the Harts and call off the engagement, an unexpected visitor interrupted him with a ring of the doorbell.<br /> Thomas and Joanna rose to see who was at the door.<br /> Yvonne rose and joined the others outside. Guests had arrived, and her duty was to extend a warm welcome, as courtesy demanded.<br /> Upon reaching the door, she discovered it was Hannah standing before it.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were both taken aback, and even Yvonne couldn&#039;t help but raise her eyebrows.<br /> Hannah was already there, knocking on the door just moments after she had left the old mansion.<br /> &quot;Hi, Mom and Dad! I came to visit and also wanted to see Yvonne. I even brought her some clothes,&quot; Hannah said, a sweet smile revealed as she stood in her light-colored dress with her hair tied back on both sides.<br /> She radiated an air of quiet grace and elegance.<br /> Joanna glanced at the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand, and her expression changed.<br /> Madam Anworth bought these clothes for Hannah, but many of them were only worn once and then forgotten.<br /> This Hannah ....<br /> &quot;That&#039;s thoughtful of you,&quot; Joanna remarked, taking the bag from Hannah&#039;s hand and placing it on the cupboard.<br /> &quot;Why are you here all of a sudden?&quot; Thomas asked, his face darkening with suspicion as he noticed the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand.<br /> Hannah&#039;s eyes welled up. She looked at Thomas with a mixture of hurt and understanding as she said, &quot;Dad, I know you just reunited with Yvonne and want to focus on her. You probably don&#039;t want to see me right now, but ... Grandma insisted I come and teach her some of the rules of our family.&quot;<br /> Thomas&#039;s eyebrows furrowed tightly, his gaze at Hannah carried some impatience.<br /> Here we go again!<br /> For years, whenever she visited them, tears would stream down her face as though she had endured some terrible injustice.<br /> Could it have been that after receiving the favor of Madam Anworth, she looked down on her foster parents?<br /> Who would have wanted to see it like that then?<br /> Thomas&#039;s anger flared inexplicably. &quot;What kind of rules are you teaching?&quot; he thundered. &quot;Yvonne knows perfectly well how to behave. She doesn&#039;t need your instruction! She&#039;s not marrying the emperor and becoming a concubine, so why all the fuss over rules?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hahaha!&quot; Yvonne found Thomas&#039;s words unexpectedly funny and couldn&#039;t help but burst into laughter.<br /> It was clear Mr. Anworth had a humorous side.<br /> Hannah blushed beet red, looking down and nervously biting her lip. &quot;Dad,&quot; she mumbled, &quot;That&#039;s not what I meant at all. I just ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Fine. Go tell your grandmother that I&#039;ll cancel the engagement with the Harts. Since she looks down on Yvonne, she shouldn&#039;t care about her manners.&quot; Thomas cut her off, his voice laced with irritation.<br /> &quot;What did you just say? You want to cancel the engagement!&quot; Hannah couldn&#039;t pretend anymore. She gripped her skirt tightly, and the hatred in her eyes was about to erupt.<br /> What a hypocrite!<br /> Ridiculous!<br /> The treatment was indeed different for his own children.<br /> Initially, the Harts thought she was the one who was engaged to Brandon. And when they forced her to marry him, she secretly expressed her reluctance to marry Brandon. But what did Thomas say about it?<br /> He said he wouldn&#039;t be in charge of this household, and whether to do the engagement or not would be decided by Madam Anworth.<br /> But what about now?<br /> Just after Yvonne returned, Thomas was impatient to end this engagement. Why wasn&#039;t he saying that he&#039;s not in charge of this household anymore?<br /> &quot;Exactly! Yvonne is just nineteen, and I just managed to bring her back. It&#039;s impossible for her to get married,&quot; Thomas said with a serious expression, &quot;Go and tell your grandmother to stop thinking about Yvonne.&quot;<br /> He was well aware of what was going on in his mother&#039;s mind.<br /> While he used to be agreeable on all matters, there&#039;s no room for discussion when it came to Yvonne.<br /> He would confront anyone who dared to have bad intentions towards Yvonne without hesitation.<br /> &quot;But ...&quot; Hannah nervously bit her lip, expressing some reluctance, &quot;Yvonne has agreed to marry Mr. Hart. If she backs out, the Harts will hold us responsible. Offending the Harts would mean trouble for us.&quot;<br /> Hannah looked at Yvonne and said softly, &quot;Yvonne, you don&#039;t want the Anworths to face problems, right? This is what Grandpa worked tirelessly for all his life. If something goes wrong because of you ...&quot;<br /> She intentionally stopped speaking midway through her sentence.<br /> In response, Yvonne&#039;s captivating eyes lifted slightly, and her red lips formed a subtle smile. &quot;Indeed, I have no desire to get married. Why don&#039;t you consider marrying him?&quot;<br /> Hannah&#039;s body tensed for a moment, and her face briefly struggled to maintain composure.<br /> Who would willingly marry the disabled Brandon?<br /> She was a talented woman in Queenstown, achieving considerable success in various fields. Now, she was the top student in Fort Hill of Queenstown. With a promising future ahead, it was disheartening to think it could be jeopardized by association with that disabled person.<br /> What did Yvonne imply?<br /> Was she intentionally trying to upset her?<br /> &quot;Yvonne, your joke is far from amusing,&quot; remarked Hannah with a forced smile, appearing quite unappealing.<br /> Yvonne blinked and looked at her with a tilted head. &quot;I&#039;m not joking!&quot;<br /> Hannah was furious.<br /> She almost couldn&#039;t resist slapping Yvonne!<br /> Exploited every opening to benefit yourself, even when offered the benefit freely?<br /> Hannah&#039;s tone abruptly escalated as she emphasized, &quot;You&#039;re the eldest daughter of the Anworths!&quot; The malice in her eyes grew even more profound.<br /> &quot;Oh, really?&quot; Yvonne responded with a calm expression. &quot;So you, a spoiled child, are trying to lecture me on handling things?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Hannah&#039;s hands clenched tightly at her sides. Shortly after, she took a deep breath and chuckled lightly, saying, &quot;Yvonne, you&#039;ve misunderstood. How could I dare to lecture you? It&#039;s Grandma who mentioned that the engagement with the Harts is a significant matter. Besides, after the engagement, the Harts will invest a substantial amount in our company. So, we absolutely cannot break off the engagement.&quot;<br /> Without waiting for Yvonne to respond, Hannah stood up and said, &quot;Dad, I&#039;ll be heading to the company soon, so I won&#039;t stay long. When Grandma came, she wanted me to tell you that she disagreed with Yvonne canceling the engagement with Mr. Hart. If you insist on doing so, she&#039;ll take back this house.&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth certainly never said such things. Hannah took it upon herself to say these things.<br /> But she had the ability to influence Madam Anworth&#039;s attitude before Thomas approached her.<br /> Thomas&#039;s facial expression changed, and as he was about to respond, Hannah had already left.<br /> Chapter 4 Looked It Up<br /> Following Hannah&#039;s departure, Thomas expressed his frustration by forcefully placing the cup on the table, exclaiming, &quot;This is absolutely outrageous!&quot;<br /> Joanna poured him a glass of water and consoled him, saying, &quot;Come on, don&#039;t be upset. This child&#039;s heart has long been elsewhere. Getting angry won&#039;t change anything.&quot;<br /> Hannah was a child they had adopted eight years ago.<br /> During that time, Thomas&#039;s sole focus was on searching for Yvonne. After an extensive but unsuccessful search, he coincidentally came across Hannah.<br /> Her facial features share a certain similarity with Yvonne. Feeling a longing for Yvonne and pity for Hannah, Thomas decided to adopt her.<br /> Hannah was obedient and sensible. She had a sweet mouth, and knew how to make people happy.<br /> She had Madam Anworth wrapped around her finger.<br /> After two years of adoption, Madam Anworth took personal responsibility for raising Hannah. In a short span, she transformed into a highly admired and accomplished woman in Queenstown, causing many people to envy her.<br /> But ever since Hannah started following Madam Anworth, she looked down on them. Although it didn&#039;t show on the surface, the words she uttered always hit people in the heart.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were not naive. Over time, they grasped Hannah&#039;s intentions. Consequently, their interactions with Hannah naturally dwindled.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s all my fault. I shouldn&#039;t have adopted her!&quot; Thomas lamented, beating his chest and regretting his decision.<br /> &quot;You had good intentions back then,&quot; Joanna glanced at Yvonne and said, &quot;Now the problem is how to cancel the engagement! According to Mom&#039;s stance, she&#039;s set on marrying Yvonne off, and if we don&#039;t agree, she might not accept it gracefully.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;ve made up my mind to end this engagement. Even if Mom takes back the house, I refuse to believe that, as an adult, I can&#039;t provide for a wife and child.&quot;<br /> Joanna sighed.<br /> It seemed likely that in this Queenstown, Madam Anworth wouldn&#039;t offer them a place to stay.<br /> With her head bowed, Yvonne focused on the information displayed on her mobile phone.<br /> The page showcased details about Brandon.<br /> As a prominent figure in the Harts, Brandon&#039;s profile was indeed quite impressive.<br /> It had everything except for photos.<br /> Even the phone number was included on his profile.<br /> &quot;Mr. Anworth, there&#039;s no need to feel troubled. I can initiate the divorce myself,&quot; Yvonne said, raising her head with a graceful smile on her soft face. &quot;Don&#039;t worry about having a place to stay. I&#039;ll buy a house for you.&quot;<br /> Considering Mr. Anworth and his wife&#039;s good treatment towards her, acquiring this house could be seen as an act of filial piety.<br /> &quot;Yvonne ...&quot;<br /> Thomas wanted to say something, but Yvonne stood up and dialed a number on her phone.<br /> &quot;Hello? Is it Mr. Hart, right? I&#039;m Miss Anworth.&quot; Yvonne got straight to the point once the call was answered.<br /> Brandon&#039;s fingers paused on the other side of the phone, and his eyebrows lifted slightly as he asked, &quot;What&#039;s the matter?&quot;<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the engagement.&quot; Yvonne&#039;s voice was clear and sharp.<br /> Brandon was taken aback for a moment. After a slight pause, his thin lips curved up as he responded. &quot;Okay!&quot;<br /> Yvonne stared at her phone, which had already been hung up, and was stunned for a moment.<br /> So, he was on board with this?<br /> A high-end club in Queenstown.<br /> Brandon lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed. He held his phone with slender fingers, staring at the call logs that had been cut off, and a faint smile played on his cool lips.<br /> &quot;Is it really Miss Anworth from the Anworths?&quot; Yorky held a glass of wine and expressed a hint of disbelief.<br /> &quot;She said so,&quot; Brandon said with a low and enchanting voice, with a slightly cheerful tone.<br /> &quot;Tsk!&quot; Yorky expressed a mild exclamation and remarked, &quot;Well, well! Miss Anworth does have quite a distinctive personality. I&#039;m starting to view her in a different light.&quot;<br /> Although Brandon had a bad reputation, his family was financially stable.<br /> Though many girls desired to be his wife, the head of the Harts had already picked Miss Anworth as his future granddaughter-in-law.<br /> He thought the Anworths wouldn&#039;t break off the engagement.<br /> So, he investigated and found that the Anworths&#039; business had declined in recent years, facing severe financial difficulties. The engagement with the Harts not only secured a marital alliance but also brought in a substantial investment, a stipulation set by the Harts patriarch.<br /> So, under any circumstances, Madam Anworth would never agree to cancel the engagement.<br /> It was surprising that Miss Anworth personally took the initiative to cancel the engagement.<br /> She truly embodied the reputation of being a highly talented woman in Queenstown, displaying a level of integrity that many other girls could not match.<br /> Brandon was in a good mood. His elongated eyes were almost closed into a thin line as he swiftly played his phone with his fingers.<br /> Yorky leaned in for a glance, expressing astonishment as he said, &quot;Mr. Hart, why did you save the recording of the conversation with Miss Anworth?&quot;<br /> Brandon casually lifted his gaze, continuing to play with his phone. &quot;It&#039;s such a good thing. Why wouldn&#039;t I let my grandfather know and bring some joy to him?&quot;<br /> &quot;Will your grandfather get a heart attack when he finds out?&quot; Yorky remarked. He couldn&#039;t imagine the scene after the old man knew about this.<br /> &quot;He won&#039;t suffer from a heart attack. But maybe we would cry, make a fuss, or attempt suicide.&quot; These were the usual tactics used by her grandfather.<br /> In order to make him marry Miss Anworth, every possible method was used, causing him considerable distress.<br /> Now that Miss Anworth has chosen to cancel the engagement voluntarily, his grandfather should be able to settle down a bit.<br /> Taking a sip of his drink, Yorky turned to Brandon with a puzzled expression and inquired, &quot;By the way, why don&#039;t you want to marry Miss Anworth? Hannah Anworth is not only attractive and academically outstanding but also reputed to have achieved success in various fields. Given her academic performance, she&#039;s almost guaranteed to secure a spot at a prestigious university. A wife of such caliber is truly a rare find.&quot;<br /> In the chilly atmosphere, Brandon set aside his phone and raised his wine glass, giving it a slight shake. &quot;She&#039;s so outstanding, and I&#039;m disabled. I shouldn&#039;t stand in her way.&quot;<br /> Yorky&#039;s shifted his attention to Brandon&#039;s faultless, elongated legs and silently looked away.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> As soon as Yvonne stepped into the bedroom, the phone started ringing. After checking the caller ID, she tensed up and walked to the window before answering the call.<br /> &quot;I found the information,&quot; a low male voice came through the phone. &quot;On the day your mother passed away, representatives from four influential families in Norbury showed up at your home.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s expression turned serious. &quot;Four influential families?&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s right!&quot; the person on the other end continued, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, the Yeagers, and ... the Harts.&quot;<br /> Yvonne was surprised. &quot;The Harts? Brandon&#039;s family?&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; the person on the other end paused, &quot;In Norbury, there are four prominent families. The Harts, the Smiths, the Anworths, and the Wagners. The Harts hold the foremost position among these four, being a truly elite aristocratic family. Among the families that have members visiting your home, except for the Harts, the other three are considered to be of moderate size.&quot;<br /> The person remained silent for a moment before stating, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers. These three families visited your home in search of something. I couldn&#039;t find out the specific details, but the person sent by the Harts to your home was Brandon ...&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s frigid gaze lifted, and her attractive brows furrowed tightly. &quot;Brandon? What&#039;s his purpose?&quot;<br /> &quot;Seems like he&#039;s looking for someone.&quot;<br /> Yvonne refrained from commenting. She leaned against the bed&#039;s edge, and her fair, slender fingers tapped the windowsill slowly. After a considerable pause, she spoke at a measured pace, &quot;Continue the investigation. Find out what the Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers are looking for! You don&#039;t need to worry about the Harts. I&#039;ll handle it myself.&quot;<br /> &quot;Understood.&quot;<br /> Chapter 5 You Have No Manners at All!<br /> After hanging up the phone, Yvonne opened the window, gazing at the vivid blue sky outside with a composed expression.<br /> &quot;Mom! Who exactly did you offend?&quot;<br /> When Yvonne left the Anworths at the age of nine, the lasting memories etched in her mind portrayed her mother enduring mistreatment from Madam Anworth, and her mother always enduring it silently.<br /> During that period, she couldn&#039;t comprehend why her intelligent and efficient mother, despite being capable, endured bullying without putting up a fight.<br /> Once they left the Anworths, they found themselves being pursued by multiple groups. It was only when her mother demonstrated her enigmatic martial prowess and the art of acupoint sealing with silver needles that she realized her mother wasn&#039;t incapable of fighting back. Rather, she was actively avoiding the pursuit of others.<br /> Until one day, her mother received a phone call. At that moment, Yvonne noticed an unusual expression on her mother&#039;s face. But being young and having already experienced numerous escapes, she assumed that someone else was after them again.<br /> But that night, her mother took her own life!<br /> She met her demise at the hands of the poison she had personally developed!<br /> Prior to her passing, her mother had instructed her to seek out Master Reid at Haven Abbey, become his apprentice, undergo martial arts training, and remain on the mountain for a decade, tempering her skills for ten years.<br /> Her mother specifically ordered that, upon her death, she be cremated without any memorial erected.<br /> A decade later, she returned to the Anworths to find her father and fulfill her engagement with Brandon.<br /> She faithfully carried out all these instructions, with the sole exception of marrying Brandon.<br /> Over the previous ten years, she had lived under the constant weight of her mother&#039;s death every day. She had been determined to seek vengeance and wouldn&#039;t have allowed a marriage to obstruct her path.<br /> But then ....<br /> Brandon became entangled in the past events.<br /> With the marriage already canceled, any further investigation into the events of that year required a different approach.<br /> Suddenly, Yvonne&#039;s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a tumultuous knocking at the door.<br /> Upon opening the door, she witnessed Madam Anworth storming in accompanied by a group of people from the Anworths.<br /> The group consisted of Madam Anworth&#039;s eldest and youngest sons&#039; families, along with Hannah.<br /> The small living room was now crowded with about a dozen people, each displaying visible anger. This resentment intensified, especially upon spotting Yvonne come out, as if they were eager to vent their frustration by tearing her apart.<br /> &quot;Yvonne! You are a troublemaker! Who gave you permission to cancel the engagement with the Harts? What a bitch! Do you still have any respect for me?&quot;<br /> As soon as Madam Anworth saw Yvonne, her elderly and cloudy eyes seemed to express intense anger or frustration.<br /> It was beyond her expectations that Yvonne would independently decide to cancel the engagement.<br /> She wouldn&#039;t be aware of it if Master Hart hadn&#039;t called.<br /> Fortunately, Master Hart approved of that marriage and didn&#039;t raise any objections. He emphasized that despite Brandon&#039;s physical disability, half of his future wealth would be allocated to him. If Hannah married Brandon, she wouldn&#039;t face any hardships, and she could contribute to supporting the Anworths&#039; business in the future.<br /> Since Yvonne had recently returned, the Anworths had not disclosed her identity publicly. So, Master Hart was unaware that it was Yvonne who intended to marry Brandon, not Hannah.<br /> But Madam Anworth wasn&#039;t concerned about these details. In any case, Master Hart had requested the engagement with the granddaughter of the Anworths. So, as long as Yvonne married Brandon, the Anworth would still have received everything they were entitled to.<br /> But this troublemaker Yvonne unexpectedly canceled the engagement!<br /> Yvonne narrowed her eyes, emitting a hint of coldness. She stared at Madam Anworth without saying a word for a long time.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m the reason Yvonne canceled the engagement,&quot; Thomas protected Yvonne behind him and said seriously, &quot;If something&#039;s bugging you, just address them directly to me.&quot;<br /> &quot;Slap!&quot; Madam Anworth slapped him in anger. &quot;How dare you be so ungrateful! Don&#039;t you know what this marriage means to the Anworths?&quot;<br /> Initially, she was reluctant to have Hannah marry Brandon. But she didn&#039;t formally break off the engagement. Her intention was to find a solution that would secure the Harts&#039; investment while ensuring Hannah&#039;s well-being.<br /> But, with the involvement of Yvonne, jeopardizing the relationship with the Harts meant losing any financial benefit.<br /> &quot;What does it mean?&quot; Thomas sarcastically smiled and said, &quot;Isn&#039;t it just to maintain your reputation? You look down on Yvonne, so you&#039;re willing to sacrifice her?&quot;<br /> &quot;Thomas!&quot; Thomas&#039;s eldest brother, Troy Anworth, frowned and said, &quot;How can you speak about Mom that way? She&#039;s doing it for the good of the Anworths. Besides, the Harts has assured us that Yvonne will be treated well when she marries into their household.&quot;<br /> &quot;He&#039;s right, Thomas. Even though Brandon has a physical disability, his family is quite affluent. Look at Yvonne. She grew up in the countryside without receiving much education. She might not have even finished high school at the age of nineteen. She&#039;s unable to attend college. Her only option is to work ...&quot;<br /> Ted Anworth, the second eldest brother, said, &quot;Given her qualifications, she can only find jobs like a waitress. In terms of future partners, she can only choose someone ordinary. What&#039;s wrong with marrying Brandon? At least, she won&#039;t have to worry about her basic needs.&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s enough!&quot; Thomas exclaimed, &quot;Yvonne is my daughter, and I have the authority to decide whom she marries. No matter how good Brandon is, Yvonne won&#039;t be marrying him.&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Troy&#039;s face flushed with indignation. &quot;This is utterly illogical!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth directed her anger towards Thomas, asserting, &quot;You have no authority in this family. Since Yvonne is a granddaughter of the Anworths, she should play her part in supporting the family. We don&#039;t tolerate idleness in the Anworths!&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Yvonne scoffed, her eyes reflecting a touch of scorn.<br /> Madam Anworth abruptly turned her gaze towards her, her eyes sharp as if she had been unexpectedly poisoned. &quot;Why are you laughing?&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her head, her clear and captivating eyes fixed on Madam Anworth. &quot;I&#039;m laughing at your selective memory! It appears that I haven&#039;t received any financial support from you since birth, never been nurtured by you, so where does my contribution come into play?&quot;<br /> Even though she was young at the time, she distinctly recalled that her grandmother never even bought her a piece of candy.<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth was infuriated, her gaze towards Yvonne carrying a trace of bitterness.<br /> This little troublemaker was sharp-tongued!<br /> &quot;Yvonne!&quot; Troy expressed his anger, &quot;How dare you speak to your grandmother like that? She is your elder! Is this how your mother raised you?&quot;<br /> With a nonchalant look, Yvonne&#039;s red lips curled slightly, and hands in pockets. She responded, &quot;Sorry, my mom is dead. Why don&#039;t you go ask her in the underworld how she taught me?&quot;<br /> Troy&#039;s face flushed with anger. &quot;You have no manners at all!&quot;<br /> The rest of the Anworth was infuriated by Yvonne&#039;s indifferent demeanor.<br /> But everyone remained silent because Madam Anworth was present.<br /> Despite the unspoken words, the intense glares directed at Yvonne seemed almost predatory. But Yvonne remained unfazed, lifting her chin indifferently.<br /> Madam Anworth observed Yvonne for a prolonged moment. She took deep breaths to quell her anger and softened her tone as she remarked, &quot;Your mother arranged this marriage. She wouldn&#039;t harm you. Master Hart expressed his hope that you would still honor the engagement with Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne looked at her with a faint smile but did not respond.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s expression tightened as she spoke sternly, &quot;Yvonne! Let me remind you! The place you currently occupy is my provision. If you refuse to marry Brandon, I will reclaim this house. Besides, your father will be ousted from the company under my authority. As long as I am present, he will be unable to secure employment in Queenstown. Without financial means, he won&#039;t be able to sustain your family!&quot;<br /> Before Yvonne could say anything, Thomas stepped forward and earnestly declared, &quot;If you want to take the house, go ahead. I am capable of taking care of my wife and child with my own hands and feet. I refuse to let Yvonne be pushed into a difficult situation!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth was so angry that she wanted to slap him, but she held it back. She gritted her teeth and looked at Thomas. &quot;Fine! You have courage. I&#039;m curious to see how resilient you can be!&quot;<br /> In a cold tone, Madam Anworth added, &quot;You have one hour to move out. Do it immediately!&quot;		Romance Novel		18	https://facebook.com/61554129711665	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67565	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054157		67		340811098587558		9.0161707156751E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205062504610729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702608705	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410125802_877323117436136_3324153490148937438_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Qjq4YOU3IYsAX_1UETY&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAkya8N-g0auni3hs42yBTt-bn4R_l5FkzScCldyZajaw&oe=659279B9	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410128975_1035229704246452_863243617863472995_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IqZcQlGTWwoAX95_pUi&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJW9hoo1yv_4HGWUBOniS392p5YhYGJl9pEAThMQj2Mg&oe=659325AF			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69329	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054157		67		1906631426495013	2	6.5809304620168E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632031670115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796608	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404754130_1504797720374820_2625222085436014967_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xVHPH2JZPawAX-_LKHy&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDEf-Hfp8FOxBWreCMHYhMmv2-L71AToLWmm_wAsWhOmQ&oe=6592D3FB	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404763510_1075318726810797_4541919164431640668_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MMtGJWghpWAAX8sGb-i&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD89Lkke7Abrq_KFk7CJ0Rl0mdC1ZKZVEYRfm1Hwse55g&oe=6591D194			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67607	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054157		67		884365089760032	1	7.2981999213147E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205064226180729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702611428	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410317386_866814231851389_4781038940378078186_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lyOzUwkO1TcAX9coyAf&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0ZjPnGMwwPnevAzG4c_EtgpZZ9hlVc0SntaC5JXcb7A&oe=6592AC94	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410477763_1062031651598805_4809295900052058224_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Bv4mpB2ffPAAX9iOf_b&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyZ2cdP47aJRdwZ-8R-k7bXLXE4g-Oxoc1qU8ne2RDUw&oe=6592E2DC			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67093	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054157		67		880972920161569	2	7.0925897450216E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	8304333127		0	The Wall Street Journal			120204215283840106		wsj.com			NONE	image	He Stole Hundreds of iPhones and Looted People’s Life Savings. He Told Us How.	A convicted iPhone thief explains how a vulnerability in Apple’s software got him fast cash—and then a stint in a high-security prison.	https://on.wsj.com/3GMWwvL		1703099199	8304333127	The Wall Street Journal	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412725876_731268072393065_382655746969276472_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8HY0bX1jckgAX-TAEDh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDcaDjtdk1oI_tGC_FgP4y32yFwaPhL7cDbM4VMPG-BeA&oe=6591B1E9	person_profile	0	The Wall Street Journal	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412771932_372674055298714_2867017351242564234_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rh9qqLaQLnEAX9ZzCKK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCOxXZKj98JA7RQ_LTVxfZd2BIfy3hUSjIRCBrEh7zVng&oe=6591B45B			0	3	From prison, a convicted iPhone thief explains to Joanna Stern how he stole victims’ phones, passcodes and hundreds of thousands of dollars.		The Wall Street Journal		6789115	https://facebook.com/WSJ	0								1703059200		View Edit Delete
68368	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054157		67		210499445438512	1	7.6629985160906E+14		1702022400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	152073474658862		0	88.mgifts			120202119175720236		mgifts.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS	Best gifts for your Family	https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6		1701941179	1.5207347465886E+14	88.mgifts	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407736263_316036114580694_6792001105977155551_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cndj-suGl2oAX8aD1qL&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDU0o0RasUdYO3gFcdQtlFpjSIhQYdoV1MZHonCyGpq8A&oe=6591CD45	person_profile	0					0	3	Get yours here : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fjoanna-things-d6&amp;h=AT1ruPd3MwmLVbh30_g79UvTPWCaXo0kdmPA06iZCbOTNXlRzvcFtiwOs7KA4NT4MkSwkKcaWIKUTXLjlx59_TtsycUOtRegLeBqQpOWhTlpKF4Ldw-SBM4UxdhIvVZv8qvDgjspuxofnWzdxZr7tg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6</a> . Visit store : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1muZIeI5tbmS3OD_6zA5I-SeLP_OIUOnXER2W6OpaenluAMnkx3lU3H-OWDo1duilo6kwgbMQEUbS3zOyCcK97wIkKEDd3LkDh1omGVRnRf9Vt9gl5E4TC5v3fzCcdSZ1yo1ll9WpHW82x5f4v2w" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mgifts.store/collection/joanna</a>		88.mgifts		1	https://facebook.com/61552694622291	0		SHOP_NOW						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68074	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054157		67		1103668407205861	2	3.7343665201549E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108954990605691		0	Biomolecules MDPI			120202479381720217					NONE	image					1702386800	1.0895499060569E+14	Biomolecules MDPI	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409174150_1413728092515491_3066854868230667182_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DdADK8I7ew0AX8LNpLs&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDXoJnmH1drNmQ7eF7sv9Ke_VObSe8rojlO6B5mvgnGmQ&oe=6591CB05	person_profile	0					0	3	Recently Published <br /> <br /> Read now ➡️ &quot;MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of Histone-Modifying Enzymes in Cancer: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications&quot; by Joanna Szczepanek and Andrzej Tretyn from Nicolaus Copernicus University. <br /> <br /> The article 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ft.ly%2Fdm4dD&amp;h=AT0pR5RslyeU54egN64lxUiosmgQcKekni4bkYLK_V6STXWXnC7CHlw9HvKX4qErTTpymSZROpg6Mh_CKGWBMp1TdQi-EukFQ5_3tWi64c2cobGWC0pKoJDkjiEiixmGW4lEAeVUE4P4J1OkpLfO6A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://t.ly/dm4dD</a>		Biomolecules MDPI		5258	https://facebook.com/BiomoleculesMDPIJournal	0								1702368000		View Edit Delete
69700	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054157		67		751223916846262	5	1.7938580343989E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102865022224801		0	Tell All Know All			120200721466810167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679791	1.028650222248E+14	Tell All Know All	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403762291_1473273089884334_200510394569536447_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yudTj2MGRfIAX-R1Nfq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAxPYyIMaoPe8Jd6V67HHfqA9xCHyo10WGflOlRsowkmQ&oe=6592F000	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Tell All Know All		340	https://facebook.com/100076181432751	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68579	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054157		67		1575725606501712	2	8.7782916725369E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	122592520767444		0	Airboosts			120202122767660782			Send message		NONE	video	Message us here 👉🏼			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"ctm_lead_gen_new","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?"},{"title":"Can you tell me more about your ad?"},{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?"}],"quick_replies":[],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"image_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"template","payload":{"template_type":"generic","elements":[{"title":"","buttons":[]}]}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"video_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"video","payload":{"attachment_id":""}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"visual_editor_new","ctm_lead_gen_template_id":"281762424850452","template_id":"885401392819527"}	1701705138	1.2259252076744E+14	Airboosts	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407467666_901371788325930_8031583578630064760_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JAXDf2UptEUAX-VooMD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAfEjJO0ccR31GmdT2JsWc0rm1lKlfhORcpNPMjyGty9w&oe=65931E92	person_profile	0	Airboosts	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407461941_257843236970961_7479117732470586937_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j1hiR9XhVSYAX_-44zO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDH0zV06eAJ7-lgBX3u6O9mNbMT_4P76UnaVwjCbERWxA&oe=65928E86			0	3	Airbnb hosts with beautiful properties, do you want to maximize your Airbnb listings potential? 🏠<br /> <br /> We specialize in optimizing your listings for maximum potential, from full story-telling descriptions to captivating photo captions and titles, all perfectly aligned with the algorithm.<br /> <br /> Here&#039;s our bold promise:<br /> ✅ If you don&#039;t fall in love with your new listing, we won&#039;t rest until you do.<br /> <br /> Ready to join the other 94+ hosts &amp; 164+ listings we have helped since February and to maximize your Airbnb listings?<br /> <br /> - Susan: “We are up to 10 bookings - what the heck! I’m so glad but geepers, you’re good lol”<br /> <br /> - Joanna: “I can’t stop looking over how great it looks. I have another listing and was wondering if you could help me with this one as well”<br /> <br /> - Brian: “Before your help when I searched for my property we were about two pages down. Today the same search lists us at #1! Fantastic result”<br /> <br /> - Ann: “Lewis, you just made my day! Thank you. These changes are wonderful, are you up to doing a few more of my listings?”<br /> <br /> - Nikki: “Airboosts did a phenomenal job rewriting and creating descriptions for our listing, they constructed a vibe through words that we were lacking and desperately needed. Highly recommend!”<br /> <br /> Message us now to book our &quot;Listing Optimization Boost&quot; and watch your Airbnb presence transform! 📩💪🏼		Airboosts		57	https://facebook.com/Airboosts	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
67258	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		1073064580544577		1.7640580406882E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951472390043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963076	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411079635_975606220419557_7407835480805041454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xcjGruMll9UAX94Pyb0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCu9ygtpd6arRW-HhlDx5hbBsxjqvDYi5wsIDeCw-k63Q&oe=65923888	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67261	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		1017112262696845		1.7640580406882E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX8Hp38R&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCP1m5y71YuLDtXKrDmWCjEPww53bqPqu--jX5a8PwEVw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
66463	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054157		67		733376934915145		7.1736665033051E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120203653079340183					NONE	text					1702922854	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410772873_274861108546855_3537938207870142266_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w5EodV7O2YsAX9tMisq&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBd9YSvWLbNz0e1yOyMaGBq_GN1d9EKuUDW8btd0vrvQg&oe=6591886A	person_profile	0					0	3	One of the greatest joys of the holiday season is giving. Here are some great ways to give back to Fort Bend County!<br /> <br /> 1) Toys for Tots Presorting: help sort toys and set up for the 2023 Toys for Tots toys distribution. <br /> 2) Volunteer as a bell-ringer or angel tree attendant.<br /> 3) Provide pantry items or volunteer with Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry&#039;s Holiday food program.<br /> 4) Volunteer to help homeless families across Fort Bend. <br /> 5) Area pet shelters are always looking for volunteers especially during &quot;Home for the Holidays&quot; campaigns. Remember to adopt, don&#039;t shop! Consider volunteering with Fort Bend Animal Services.<br /> <br /> Check the comments for the links to sign up for each volunteering event. Hope to catch you at one!<br /> <br /> Locals, are there any I’m missing?<br /> <br /> - Joanna		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0								1702886400		View Edit Delete
67649	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054157		67		1724906451322439	1	1.547088349436E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	112243818028359		0	Niko Stories			120202962031790340		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Fixer Upper’s Dark Downers: The Hidden Secrets Behind the Hit TV Show	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-ua/		1702585357	1.1224381802836E+14	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410658915_1633260697199731_6647248825116474503_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3YARD7_1xv0AX-6JUEh&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCjUQeSDvgSl_-etcPycxM7SbBG7wt112xOBkUHZcD1zg&oe=6591A6FB	person_profile	0	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410701296_1039730637267316_3540374465050347468_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZeyVxfG88QEAX_Yvykr&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCayKyK6rybJSUvWRyJUL6tyqvD-Xm2t5j1GTXV98iD9Q&oe=6591B747			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Niko Stories		21	https://facebook.com/100079533857132	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67901	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054157		67		334474945991384	1	1.0249353588041E+15		1702454400	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411478050044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458276	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410642739_1371189016857115_3395028436938663351_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qgJ6izIUbcEAX_QJ1dg&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCARljBh9rvjHW0gReFbi8eT8U3kP8VfOyctYnc5NVMNQ&oe=659167F0	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410658109_2387397331440471_7863810005508204296_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2J6bkvhcnWgAX858gTd&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfB2NmXLJ_2eSjcMZAQLs0JVnf1HBcDk6734Uqvr5_mZ0A&oe=659181D9			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66724	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		899835744977174		8.851472866062E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204367956730400		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703490937	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412715237_330005936547062_3550222687105991642_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nAlS7zYXHHIAX-eIfLD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEWzlUUIdwpvEze4mt5aR-4TdIXpGEdE5yiLNu6HXPdg&oe=659249EF	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783826_388595710206327_4192630617525670597_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_jy-xzUZAKgAX_MTQAj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMXVODrChuQdO7OMAUfN2g83Wt-5xpNyqnHNTPSBX3HQ&oe=65931B8C			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67311	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		689323176658229	1	1.658459891592E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	218789368308514		0	21 Draw			6534471331173		21-draw.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Painting Portraits using Gouache	Offer Expires soon! So Hurry!	https://www.21-draw.com/course/painting-portraits-in-gouache/		1702898308	2.1878936830851E+14	21 Draw	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410928386_896127521730137_6087692828083529154_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uL0KFXIhE_0AX_jclIm&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD1a5QkCc9amDPKxeYTnPXYGmo69mPUpwlSK4D8jJ90iQ&oe=659268D6	person_profile	0		https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410958806_358410613505281_200806254127715030_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1KGhgz87WT0AX-_qEka&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB5X5V163OlISt663sleepGEcMaAu9ySD7Kd6oat00Xvw&oe=6591681E			0	3	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a fantastic course and so relaxing to watch. I was mesmerized. I use gouache often, but learned a lot from watching the layering technique with a large flat brush. Thank you for sharing your process and all the valuable tips! (Joanna)<br /> <br /> Do you feel intimidated, assuming it’s an advanced skill that only professional artists can master?<br /> Well, good news! It’s MUCH easier than you might think! Get ready to learn the basics of painting portraits and techniques for using gouache!<br /> Your instructor, Jordan Rhodes, demystifies the process of portrait painting, by explaining in detail each step, giving you clear demonstrations and teaching you easy techniques that you can use right away. With Jordan’s guidance and helpful tips, you’ll realize that creating a portrait is nowhere near as daunting as you thought!<br /> ⁠<br /> 👉️ Check out the course and watch some FREE lessons: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcour&amp;h=AT2gPUDe2HSToBqFlBdKBNk3jpr25DWEFjozj-fYRITBXLrWy8ln3JrOvu55Qr3mih_VpEe54BTBU6S7QJdlD75oV-Cd3bwsoyrH7RQo-5hb-wrPs8RD4YGHADLMn6tcEjQg-EV3xqJeA5WbDWy_HE4g3So2ao07OOn-MQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/cour</a>…/painting-portraits-in-gouache/<br /> ⁠⁠<br /> Discover what’s in store for you in this course: ⁠<br /> <br /> ⁠✅ Discover how to paint your very own portrait<br /> ✅ ⁠Learn about gouache and how to use it<br /> ⁠✅ Learn how to prepare your paper and set up your workspace<br /> ✅ Learn Jordan’s techniques for mixing colors and blending<br /> ✅ Understand the planes of the face and divide a face into several values<br /> ✅ Get started by painting a base &amp; value layer<br /> ✅ Understand how to build up layers and control opacity<br /> ✅ How to add details to the portrait and clean up edges<br /> <br /> This is just one of many fantastic courses on 21 Draw! With an annual membership, you will have access to a full library of high-quality courses taught by industry experts! ⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Check out other amazing courses: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcourse%2F&amp;h=AT1C9jz-nbNSmgmcW15Ifu5z96NHiJrmK6zyw1G53svn3Y4ni5c_YWsa1Ik-NLzrE27QseOaQV6Ycx_oe8ciYrhpB1muF-Md5QtssvF7vCAaA7EqcA40hWN4Y5SLYasWaxEti0_4wlyft4XOZs-MFO1ibwahNyAFridX6A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/course/</a><br /> <br /> Some of the course subjects include: ⁠<br /> 🖌️ Lighting and Shading⁠<br /> 🖌️ Human Anatomy⁠<br /> 🖌️ Facial Expressions⁠<br /> 🖌️ Dynamic Poses⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Procreate⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Photoshop⁠<br /> 🖌️ Drawing Landscapes⁠<br /> 🖌️ .... and MUCH more!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠⁠All these and many other value-packed courses are up for grabs for a limited time at 75% OFF! 👀😲⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Start learning today: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2F&amp;h=AT3gMd4MJ8o2avy2Qx6oCvaBBXblmrmCD4ASRICSqzBEgIg5E-dYIxBPca7dE7tUswOnznY-YzfTPyzZ_pCT3r1seZfDvsi6mMTA03rLyGjkRhaj5JoL_007cJjvNcSNKzAGABlEHwVux7mY82Yzkve3ZG8BBmQYTZIMsQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/</a>		21 Draw		130588	https://facebook.com/21draw	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69422	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/7/25, 12:50 PM	1703760175	1749318649		67		986909682401642	3	8.6524942164399E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	122095239140012013		0	Talus Freelance			120200591409890168		TalusFreelance.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	http://www.talusfreelance.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=90%20Day%20Remarketing%20(Traffic)%20%20Ad%201&utm_term=Website%20Traffic%20ad%201		1699608904	1.2209523914001E+17	Talus Freelance	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400734701_874463433887310_3651262816652065924_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OaZgHE3ozhMAX8XQFhz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC1UB2-66XxwvU-RYKlMnyKv7UfANaaLVBCLRyNLd04Qw&oe=659272F0	person_profile	0	Talus Freelance	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400135471_1262535587725734_1239551728853050829_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uZckrPndS_cAX_E9XDf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB71aJyOPPkjt_izvdnpB5FJeJejvDdO4BmjnfLFCGfug&oe=6592823E			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Talus Freelance		1	https://facebook.com/TalusFreelance	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69733	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054157		67		870052081196980	5	6.4373481125526E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721249030167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679265	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402946191_307574395500084_5630667761958460280_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CAwUWy1e1YAX_XxQuW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBIajoBMdMErAc0Pv8tTI917df88Swop6a3c3lfVA8lGA&oe=65914E8C	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69976	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054157		67		1422845558270712	1	2.9622978139213E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683733960439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636058	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402653747_392104383165037_1928830150308664928_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2Fkli4uTFkwAX9D2DQJ&_nc_oc=AQmO3blgkLOBwq_DJYW_tXHmfiLYHaCw8H4QBYeuVr-waAYrXYmvjWWleVXGzK4FcZMCCpXAs3flUofEm2Uc2Vql&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCBEKPmaGNhRq9j1HvTr_859lU2LJ8xqrhuoOBOV-SBkg&oe=65915EA6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402653991_1507407963376008_5872668074713824526_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KT-diCylAlEAX9mBWuS&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBI5SJH4JZM20JAxdMTdi-MroabWUPm8jTij5PIw-yMYQ&oe=65918985			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69088	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054157		67		374700871656344	4	3.0682463877523E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690730480115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055908	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405204144_902043210897281_2884535976133544861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VtoZ-C-zPZkAX85avDE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxJqECclevHRlpTyK5-XgumDPqHf4c0CxfCfZ0_O8QJw&oe=6592EB07	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404597714_867950945004280_6164947520785781302_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DKsUYSaztbUAX_ZhvTv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDUPAHUbZBdOgT_DU4m21zjqiXysEUjjFJkTlnaTxLv8w&oe=65915BE1			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68252	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054157		67		1021486392419105	1	3.6903140560812E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	180251658500845		0	Bad Novel			120201576025440539		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to read the full text		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/2c317ec0-76d0-4274-8237-3555126e8dfa.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1702048118	1.8025165850084E+14	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409533953_1764599087388225_3692934674641575787_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ONQTFcbwbfEAX_AZzpu&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-o0jf0HVmTZ9THdGr_7HrDC9S7_L8N4sdNBGWSKiLQQ&oe=6592031B	person_profile	0	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408574190_350345180945400_4699289775419155029_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nR0h5dlz-OQAX91i-In&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBGRMMcaB9zAT_vnQNCsmyTSQd__klqcVLq3LySNQptMg&oe=6592C410			0	3	As the sun dipped below the horizon on a July evening, the sky retained its luminous glow, refusing to succumb to darkness.<br /> By the base of Mount Elvern, before an unnamed tombstone.<br /> Clad in black casual attire, Yvonne Anworth stood before the tombstone. Her delicate features were etched with a chill that resembled the precision of a carefully sculpted statue. &quot;Mom, ten years have passed since that day. I&#039;ve stuck to your advice and kept myself in check all these years. Tomorrow, I&#039;m going back to the Anworths.&quot;<br /> Enveloped in silence, she could only hear the wind whispering through the trees.<br /> &quot;Boom!&quot;<br /> A sudden, jarring sound drew Yvonne&#039;s attention, prompting her to subtly turn her head. Her mesmerizing eyes narrowed as she gazed towards the source of the noise, not too far from her.<br /> A black car with a deflated tire sat lopsided on the roadside.<br /> A man dressed in black sportswear emerged from the car. His gait was unsteady, suggesting an injury.<br /> A group of about a dozen people dressed in black attire trailed behind him.<br /> Brandon Hart glanced over his shoulder, his face stern and cold. He clutched his aching stomach, and his lips drained of color. He exuded an aura of pain and suffering.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t even think about running! We paid a fortune for you, and you&#039;re not going anywhere.&quot; The menacing figure in black said as he closed in on the shivering figure before him. The leader&#039;s face was devoid of emotion, his eyes cold and calculating, radiating an aura of pure malice.<br /> &quot;Just you guys?&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes narrowed, his voice like a frosty dagger.<br /> The pain from his stomach shot up to his head. He could feel the blood seeping out, making him doubt if he could hold on much longer.<br /> &quot;Alright, let&#039;s get this over with,&quot; the leader of the black-clad people said and attacked Brandon.<br /> &quot;Huh?&quot;<br /> Suddenly, a stone came whizzing out of nowhere and struck the black-clad person in the arm. His hand trembled, and he crumpled to the ground.<br /> The black-clad person&#039;s expression morphed into a mask of fury, a low rumble emanating from their chest. &quot;Who&#039;s there?&quot;<br /> Yvonne spoke in a calm, emotionless tone, &quot;You&#039;ve interrupted my mom&#039;s peace. Take your fight elsewhere!&quot;<br /> A crowd of people gazed intently at Yvonne, their faces grave.<br /> Even Brandon, known for his menacing glare, couldn&#039;t mask his astonishment.<br /> Despite their formidable reputations as international assassins, capable of vanquishing multiple foes, the group succumbed to the might of a mere stone hurled by a teenage girl.<br /> That girl was off the charts!<br /> &quot;Back off, or you&#039;re toast!&quot; The leader&#039;s eyes turned icy as he ordered, &quot;Kill her!&quot;<br /> The rest of the crowd surged forward in an instant.<br /> Yvonne&#039;s gaze grew icy, her eyes like shards of ice.<br /> &quot;Watch out!&quot; Brandon had already sprung into action before the black-clad people rushed towards Yvonne.<br /> But Brandon&#039;s feet halted abruptly, his dark eyes widening in disbelief.<br /> The assassins were no match for Yvonne. They all fell before her without even having a chance to attack.<br /> And she didn&#039;t budge an inch. Her face was undisturbed, and her eyes steady.<br /> If it weren&#039;t for her hands that had not yet been withdrawn, Brandon would have thought he was hallucinating.<br /> &quot;Get lost!&quot; Yvonne tilted her chin up slightly, her voice icy.<br /> The men in black stared at her like she was some kind of ghost, their faces etched with confusion and a hint of fear. &quot;Who the hell are you? And what&#039;s your deal?&quot;<br /> The cause of their fall remained a mystery to them.<br /> All they recalled was the girl raising her hand and releasing a powdery substance, followed by their sudden descent.<br /> And they didn&#039;t even touch a single strand of the girl&#039;s hair.<br /> As Yvonne remained silent, the black-clad men collapsed to the ground, unconscious.<br /> Yvonne cast a fleeting glance at their fallen forms before raising her gaze to Brandon, who stood nearby.<br /> Brandon&#039;s heart skipped a beat as her clear, moonlit eyes met his.<br /> Regaining his composure, he approached her and spoke softly, &quot;Thank you.&quot;<br /> Yvonne gave him a cold stare and curtly declared, &quot;I&#039;m not saving you!&quot;<br /> Her only desire was to avoid being bothered and to have a conversation with her mother.<br /> As Yvonne uttered those words, she turned around and strode away. Her hand reached out to gently caress the tombstone surface. &quot;I gotta go, Mom. May you rest in peace.&quot;<br /> As she was about to walk away, Brandon stopped her and asked, &quot;Hey, what&#039;s your name? I&#039;d like to return the favor someday.&quot;<br /> &quot;I never intended to save you,&quot; Yvonne waved her hand and kept walking.<br /> &quot;Wait ... ouch!&quot; Brandon didn&#039;t even get to finish his sentence and collapsed on the ground.<br /> Yvonne turned back. Her brow furrowed in confusion before resuming her walk.<br /> Out of nowhere, a gust of wind swirled around her, making Yvonne halt in her steps. She glanced up at the unmarked gravestone and asked, &quot;Do you want me to save him?&quot; But the only answer was the wind&#039;s whisper. For a moment, Yvonne stayed silent, her voice laced with a hint of helplessness, &quot;Alright, I&#039;ll save him.&quot;<br /> Yvonne crouched beside Brandon and gently raised his shirt. She immediately noticed that he had a severe wound on his stomach.<br /> But it wasn&#039;t a big problem.<br /> She retrieved a small bottle from her bag and sprinkled some medicinal powder on it. Then, she took out another bottle and fed a pill to Brandon.<br /> Brandon would be astonished to see the rare and valuable healing pill lying before him. It is a highly sought-after item in the black market, with each pill fetching an astounding price of 750,000 dollars. However, due to its scarcity, it is almost impossible to find on the market.<br /> After Brandon took the pill, Yvonne immediately turned and left.<br /> Queenstown, the Anworths mansion.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s banned from this house as long as I&#039;m alive!&quot; a booming voice echoed through the mansion.<br /> In the middle of the living room, Yvonne raised her eyes slightly and gazed serenely at the enraged Madam Anworth. Her peach blossom eyes, usually bright and expressive, were now modestly lowered, concealing a depth of composure.<br /> Unnoticed by anyone, a sly grin appeared on her lips.<br /> Having just returned home with her father, Thomas Anworth, Yvonne was immediately summoned to the old mansion by Madam Anworth, who had already heard the news of their arrival.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s immediate disapproval of Yvonne&#039;s return was evident as soon as she stepped into the room.<br /> &quot;Ugh, Mom! Yvonne is my daughter. She&#039;s your grandchild.&quot;<br /> Thomas stood with his hands clenched at his sides. His jaw was set, and his shoulders tense.<br /> After a decade of searching, he was overjoyed to finally reunite with his daughter. But he was caught off guard when his mother refused to allow Yvonne to return home. In front of the entire family, she even disrespected Yvonne.<br /> &quot;She doesn&#039;t deserve a shred of recognition from me! I&#039;ll never give her the time of day!&quot; Madam Anworth&#039;s hand struck the table with a resounding thud, her glare as sharp as a blade aimed at Yvonne&#039;s heart.<br /> Yvonne lifted her head, briefly encountering Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze before looking away once more. She remained unfazed by Madam Anworth&#039;s scrutiny.<br /> Thomas suddenly raised his head and declared with determination, &quot;Now that I&#039;ve found Yvonne, I&#039;ll never let her go again. Our family is broken beyond repair, so stay out of my personal life!&quot;<br /> &quot;How dare you!&quot; Madam Anworth shot up from her chair, her eyes blazing. &quot;If you even think about bringing her back, I&#039;ll kick you out of your current position and take back every share you own!&quot;<br /> Thomas sneered and said, &quot;Position? Shares? Mom, I&#039;m just a lowly manager in the company now, making a basic salary of 600 dollars a month. I&#039;m not the one who wants to quit, it&#039;s you! And as for the shares, didn&#039;t you already take them all back?&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth gritted her teeth as she said, &quot;Are you deliberately trying to oppose me?&quot;<br /> She was stunned to see her typically weak and incompetent son defy her wishes time and again for the sake of Yvonne.<br /> She was certain that Yvonne and her late mother were up to no good, trying to stir up trouble between her and her son.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to say something, Hannah Anworth, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up, &quot;Grandma, do you agree to let Yvonne come back?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Grandma&#039;s expression softened a bit when she saw Hannah. But she still coldly snorted, &quot;Let Yvonne come back? Forget about it!&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;But Yvonne is Mr. Hart&#039;s fiancée,&quot; Hannah blinked her eyes, her lips curled up into a mischievous grin.<br /> Chapter 2 Ending the Engagement<br /> 、The room was suddenly filled with an eerie silence.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about? Brandon&#039;s fiancée isn&#039;t ...,&quot; Grandma paused and abruptly stood up. &quot;Oh, wait, I remember now! Yvonne is the one engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, you don&#039;t have to marry Brandon anymore.&quot;<br /> It was widely acknowledged that Brandon Hart, the seventh son of the Harts, was an indolent person who lacked seriousness and frittered away his time.<br /> Master Hart has a deep affection for Brandon, particularly since Brandon heroically saved him two years ago, resulting in Brandon&#039;s disability. Since that incident, Master Hart has showered Brandon with even more love and attention.<br /> And Brandon&#039;s lavish spending habits have escalated, as he recklessly disposes of the money generously given to him by his parents and Master Hart.<br /> But for some unexplained reason, a representative from the Anworths recently approached the Harts and informed them that their young lady was engaged to Brandon and that they expected the Harts to honor the engagement.<br /> Isn&#039;t Hannah the young lady of the Anworths?<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s anxiety stemmed from her concerns about Hannah&#039;s future. Despite the Anworths&#039; lower social standing compared to the Harts, Madam Anworth had nurtured Hannah since she was a child. She believed that Hannah deserved to marry someone more prominent who could elevate the Anworths&#039; position.<br /> Despite Brandon&#039;s lavish lifestyle courtesy of his grandfather, he lacked true influence. The wealth he possessed originated from his parents and Master Hart&#039;s generosity.<br /> Remember, money could run out. Once he spent it all and there was nothing left, he would be left with nothing but to rely on the generosity of others for basic necessities.<br /> Despite Madam Anworth&#039;s objections, the Harts had been committed to their engagement and couldn&#039;t simply call it off. So, Madam Anworth sought strategies to terminate the impending union gracefully.<br /> With Yvonne&#039;s return, the engagement could proceed as planned. Yvonne&#039;s background as a simple country girl made her an appropriate match for Brandon, who had physical limitations. Besides, the Anworths could benefit from a union with the Hart family, achieving two advantages simultaneously.<br /> With this in mind, Madam Anworth wasted no time and said, &quot;Fine, let Yvonne come back. But she&#039;s got a month to learn some manners before she gets engaged to Brandon. We don&#039;t want any embarrassing moments at the ceremony.&quot;<br /> Thomas and Joanna Lloyd were dumbfounded, their eyes wide with disbelief as they gazed at the old lady.<br /> They were still struggling to process Hannah&#039;s earlier statement.<br /> Soon, Thomas raised his head abruptly, &quot;What engagement ceremony? The one engaged to Brandon isn&#039;t ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Yvonne is the young lady of the Anworths. It&#039;s her who is engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, it&#039;s only natural to fulfill the engagement.&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s expression darkened upon hearing the news. She turned to Yvonne with a sympathetic gaze.<br /> Her mother-in-law was clearly up to something.<br /> Her willingness to let Yvonne back into their lives hints at her covert motivations.<br /> Everyone knew that Brandon had a disability.<br /> She once opposed Hannah marrying Brandon, but now she supported Yvonne marrying him.<br /> &quot;I disagree!&quot; Thomas&#039;s voice boomed with fury, his features contorted in a rage. &quot;It&#039;s obvious that Hannah is the one who got engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> &quot;Dad, I&#039;m not saying I don&#039;t want to marry Brandon, but Yvonne is the eldest daughter from the Anworths. If I get married to Brandon and the Harts find out about it, they&#039;ll be furious with us for keeping it a secret.&quot; Hannah&#039;s tone was vague, and she looked down slightly, a sly look crossing her face.<br /> &quot;Right!&quot; Madam Anworth immediately nodded, &quot;The Harts are a powerful family, and we don&#039;t want to mess with them.&quot;<br /> &quot;You all!&quot; Thomas&#039;s face went all red. He was furious.<br /> But Madam Anworth ignored him and turned to Yvonne. &quot;If you wish to return to the Anworths, you must get engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her eyes to meet Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze. Her bright and captivating eyes sparkled faintly.<br /> After a moment, with a dainty smile, she took a breath and coolly replied, &quot;Alright. I&#039;m in for the engagement!&quot;<br /> She must come back to the Anworths!<br /> Her lips curled into a subtle, enigmatic smile as she contemplated her engagement. Her return to the Anworths coincided with an opportune moment to gracefully dissolve her engagement to Brandon.<br /> After leaving the old mansion of the Anworths, Yvonne followed Thomas and Joanna back to their own home.<br /> Eight years ago, Thomas&#039;s grandmother forced him to leave the old mansion, and his family has since relocated to Newton Residential Area, a secluded neighborhood far from the city&#039;s bustle.<br /> The neighborhood had been quite antiquated, and the walls of the buildings were deteriorating, possibly due to the passage of time.<br /> Thomas&#039;s family resided in an apartment with three bedrooms.<br /> Upon greeting Thomas, Yvonne headed towards the bedroom.<br /> She just returned home, and her belongings haven&#039;t been unpacked yet.<br /> The moment she stepped into the bedroom, an insistent knock echoed through the room.<br /> She got up and headed towards the door. As she swung it open, she found Thomas and Joanna standing awkwardly, unsure of what to say.<br /> &quot;Do you need something, Mr. Anworth?&quot; Yvonne stepped aside to let Thomas come in.<br /> &quot;Yeah, I do, actually.&quot; Thomas pursed his lips, unsure how to start.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s the matter? Just tell me.&quot; Yvonne gestured for Thomas to sit down while she herself stood.<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the wedding on your behalf.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s eyebrows shot up, her eyes wide with surprise.<br /> Joanna approached her, gently grasped her hand, and took a seat on the bed. Then, she said softly, &quot;Listen. Your father believes that marriage is a lifelong commitment, and Brandon has a disability. If you marry him, you&#039;ll be responsible for his care for the rest of your life. He wants you to find someone with a good heart, someone who will truly love and protect you forever.&quot;<br /> Joanna paused for a moment and continued, &quot;But this marriage was arranged by your mother after all. So, we still need to hear your thoughts on it.&quot;<br /> Although she had never been in contact with Yvonne, she felt sorry for her.<br /> Brandon was not the right match for her.<br /> So what if the Harts were wealthy and powerful?<br /> If Yvonne makes that decision, the consequences will be devastating and irreversible. It would be a mistake with a lasting negative impact on her life.<br /> Yvonne looked at Joanna, a hint of a smile appearing on her cold cheeks. &quot;Well, I was planning on cancelling him.&quot;<br /> Joanna was Thomas&#039;s second wife and also her stepmother.<br /> After the brief interaction she had with her, Yvonne didn&#039;t feel repulsed.<br /> She could also tell that Thomas and Joanna were genuinely considering her.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s good!&quot; Thomas stood up excitedly. &quot;I&#039;m calling the Harts right now to cancel that wedding!&quot;<br /> Mount Elvern.<br /> In the depths of the mountain forest, three figures stood solemnly before a nameless grave.<br /> The man on the left, dressed in trendy clothes and sporting an earring, turned to the slender man beside him. &quot;Mr. Hart, it&#039;s been two days, and that girl still hasn&#039;t come. I don&#039;t think she&#039;ll come. Let&#039;s go.&quot;<br /> &quot;Just wait a little longer.&quot; The man in the middle narrowed his eyes and looked at the nameless grave before him. A layer of light shimmered under his dark eyes.<br /> He was dressed in casual black clothes, and his messy hair covered half of his eyelids. His exquisite, handsome face carried a hint of coldness and arrogance. He was the seventh son of the Harts, the useless son who was saved by Yvonne.<br /> Brandon Hart!<br /> The person who spoke first was Yorky Smith, the third son of the Smiths in Norbury.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t wait any longer. If you keep waiting, you&#039;ll miss the engagement with Miss Anworth from the Anworths.&quot; Yorky touched his earlobe and chuckled, &quot;Miss Anworth is a talented woman from Queenstown. Besides, you&#039;ve been engaged to her since childhood. Your grandfather has repeatedly emphasized that the engagement ceremony must not go wrong.&quot;<br /> A faint curve appeared at the ice-cold corner of Brandon&#039;s lips. &quot;Has the engagement with the Anworths been canceled?&quot;<br /> &quot;Even if you were cripple and the biggest loser on Earth, would the Anworths dare to break off their engagement with the Harts, the most powerful family in Norbury? And let&#039;s be honest, you&#039;re not exactly a loser anyway!&quot;<br /> It was hard to imagine the Anworths calling off the marriage if they knew Brandon was neither disabled nor useless!<br /> &quot;Oh.&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes dimmed.<br /> They did not cancel the engagement!<br /> It was not fun anymore!<br /> Sensing futility in his words, Yorky sealed his lips on the matter.<br /> He decided not to mention this topic anymore. &quot;Since finding your savior seems impossible, let&#039;s move on. We can still save Helena once we find my senior.&quot;<br /> Brandon cast him a sidelong glance, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. &quot;Your senior? Are you sure she exists?&quot;<br /> Yorky was left speechless and couldn&#039;t come up with a response.<br /> After a while, he exclaimed in frustration, &quot;Of course she exists! My senior is totally drop-dead gorgeous and has a heart of gold. And don&#039;t even get me started on her skills as a doctor. She&#039;s like a walking miracle! She can practically raise the dead and mend broken bones ...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the person standing on Brandon&#039;s right side. &quot;Mr. Smith, you don&#039;t even know her name, what she looks like. And yet, you&#039;re making her out to be some kind of mythical creature. Is this &#039;senior&#039; of yours even real? Instead of wasting time looking for her, it would be better to wait for the Black Alliance to contact the mysterious divine doctor.&quot;<br /> Raise the dead and mend broken bones?<br /> Even the esteemed professors at the Medical Research Institute wouldn&#039;t even dare claim such skills.<br /> Yorky exclaimed excitedly, &quot;You&#039;re talking nonsense! You think I&#039;m making things up, huh? My senior is real! But that mysterious divine doctor is like a phantom, appearing and disappearing at will. Only treat patients on a whim. We&#039;ve searched for ages with no success. Who even knows if that doctor accepts patients anymore?&quot;<br /> &quot;I suspect he&#039;s completely incompetent! His medical skills are not even as good as my senior!&quot;<br /> This person was ignorant!<br /> How could an ordinary person like him understand his senior?<br /> Although his senior never mentioned his name and knowing she had changed after a decade, he was certain he would recognize his senior the moment he laid eyes on her.<br /> &quot;Fine, fine, I&#039;ll take your word for it.&quot; Franco Kelmer had it up to here arguing with Yorky. Mainly because he was kinda creepily obsessed with his senior.<br /> Brandon gave them both a quick look, then looked away and bowed to the nameless tombstone as he said, &quot;Alright, let&#039;s go!&quot;<br /> &quot;Mr. Hart, where are we going?&quot; Franco asked.<br /> Brandon&#039;s lips twitched into a faint smile. &quot;Queenstown. I&#039;ll convince my fiancée to break off our engagement!&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Are You Trying to Lecture Me?<br /> On the other side.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to contact the Harts and call off the engagement, an unexpected visitor interrupted him with a ring of the doorbell.<br /> Thomas and Joanna rose to see who was at the door.<br /> Yvonne rose and joined the others outside. Guests had arrived, and her duty was to extend a warm welcome, as courtesy demanded.<br /> Upon reaching the door, she discovered it was Hannah standing before it.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were both taken aback, and even Yvonne couldn&#039;t help but raise her eyebrows.<br /> Hannah was already there, knocking on the door just moments after she had left the old mansion.<br /> &quot;Hi, Mom and Dad! I came to visit and also wanted to see Yvonne. I even brought her some clothes,&quot; Hannah said, a sweet smile revealed as she stood in her light-colored dress with her hair tied back on both sides.<br /> She radiated an air of quiet grace and elegance.<br /> Joanna glanced at the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand, and her expression changed.<br /> Madam Anworth bought these clothes for Hannah, but many of them were only worn once and then forgotten.<br /> This Hannah ....<br /> &quot;That&#039;s thoughtful of you,&quot; Joanna remarked, taking the bag from Hannah&#039;s hand and placing it on the cupboard.<br /> &quot;Why are you here all of a sudden?&quot; Thomas asked, his face darkening with suspicion as he noticed the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand.<br /> Hannah&#039;s eyes welled up. She looked at Thomas with a mixture of hurt and understanding as she said, &quot;Dad, I know you just reunited with Yvonne and want to focus on her. You probably don&#039;t want to see me right now, but ... Grandma insisted I come and teach her some of the rules of our family.&quot;<br /> Thomas&#039;s eyebrows furrowed tightly, his gaze at Hannah carried some impatience.<br /> Here we go again!<br /> For years, whenever she visited them, tears would stream down her face as though she had endured some terrible injustice.<br /> Could it have been that after receiving the favor of Madam Anworth, she looked down on her foster parents?<br /> Who would have wanted to see it like that then?<br /> Thomas&#039;s anger flared inexplicably. &quot;What kind of rules are you teaching?&quot; he thundered. &quot;Yvonne knows perfectly well how to behave. She doesn&#039;t need your instruction! She&#039;s not marrying the emperor and becoming a concubine, so why all the fuss over rules?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hahaha!&quot; Yvonne found Thomas&#039;s words unexpectedly funny and couldn&#039;t help but burst into laughter.<br /> It was clear Mr. Anworth had a humorous side.<br /> Hannah blushed beet red, looking down and nervously biting her lip. &quot;Dad,&quot; she mumbled, &quot;That&#039;s not what I meant at all. I just ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Fine. Go tell your grandmother that I&#039;ll cancel the engagement with the Harts. Since she looks down on Yvonne, she shouldn&#039;t care about her manners.&quot; Thomas cut her off, his voice laced with irritation.<br /> &quot;What did you just say? You want to cancel the engagement!&quot; Hannah couldn&#039;t pretend anymore. She gripped her skirt tightly, and the hatred in her eyes was about to erupt.<br /> What a hypocrite!<br /> Ridiculous!<br /> The treatment was indeed different for his own children.<br /> Initially, the Harts thought she was the one who was engaged to Brandon. And when they forced her to marry him, she secretly expressed her reluctance to marry Brandon. But what did Thomas say about it?<br /> He said he wouldn&#039;t be in charge of this household, and whether to do the engagement or not would be decided by Madam Anworth.<br /> But what about now?<br /> Just after Yvonne returned, Thomas was impatient to end this engagement. Why wasn&#039;t he saying that he&#039;s not in charge of this household anymore?<br /> &quot;Exactly! Yvonne is just nineteen, and I just managed to bring her back. It&#039;s impossible for her to get married,&quot; Thomas said with a serious expression, &quot;Go and tell your grandmother to stop thinking about Yvonne.&quot;<br /> He was well aware of what was going on in his mother&#039;s mind.<br /> While he used to be agreeable on all matters, there&#039;s no room for discussion when it came to Yvonne.<br /> He would confront anyone who dared to have bad intentions towards Yvonne without hesitation.<br /> &quot;But ...&quot; Hannah nervously bit her lip, expressing some reluctance, &quot;Yvonne has agreed to marry Mr. Hart. If she backs out, the Harts will hold us responsible. Offending the Harts would mean trouble for us.&quot;<br /> Hannah looked at Yvonne and said softly, &quot;Yvonne, you don&#039;t want the Anworths to face problems, right? This is what Grandpa worked tirelessly for all his life. If something goes wrong because of you ...&quot;<br /> She intentionally stopped speaking midway through her sentence.<br /> In response, Yvonne&#039;s captivating eyes lifted slightly, and her red lips formed a subtle smile. &quot;Indeed, I have no desire to get married. Why don&#039;t you consider marrying him?&quot;<br /> Hannah&#039;s body tensed for a moment, and her face briefly struggled to maintain composure.<br /> Who would willingly marry the disabled Brandon?<br /> She was a talented woman in Queenstown, achieving considerable success in various fields. Now, she was the top student in Fort Hill of Queenstown. With a promising future ahead, it was disheartening to think it could be jeopardized by association with that disabled person.<br /> What did Yvonne imply?<br /> Was she intentionally trying to upset her?<br /> &quot;Yvonne, your joke is far from amusing,&quot; remarked Hannah with a forced smile, appearing quite unappealing.<br /> Yvonne blinked and looked at her with a tilted head. &quot;I&#039;m not joking!&quot;<br /> Hannah was furious.<br /> She almost couldn&#039;t resist slapping Yvonne!<br /> Exploited every opening to benefit yourself, even when offered the benefit freely?<br /> Hannah&#039;s tone abruptly escalated as she emphasized, &quot;You&#039;re the eldest daughter of the Anworths!&quot; The malice in her eyes grew even more profound.<br /> &quot;Oh, really?&quot; Yvonne responded with a calm expression. &quot;So you, a spoiled child, are trying to lecture me on handling things?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Hannah&#039;s hands clenched tightly at her sides. Shortly after, she took a deep breath and chuckled lightly, saying, &quot;Yvonne, you&#039;ve misunderstood. How could I dare to lecture you? It&#039;s Grandma who mentioned that the engagement with the Harts is a significant matter. Besides, after the engagement, the Harts will invest a substantial amount in our company. So, we absolutely cannot break off the engagement.&quot;<br /> Without waiting for Yvonne to respond, Hannah stood up and said, &quot;Dad, I&#039;ll be heading to the company soon, so I won&#039;t stay long. When Grandma came, she wanted me to tell you that she disagreed with Yvonne canceling the engagement with Mr. Hart. If you insist on doing so, she&#039;ll take back this house.&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth certainly never said such things. Hannah took it upon herself to say these things.<br /> But she had the ability to influence Madam Anworth&#039;s attitude before Thomas approached her.<br /> Thomas&#039;s facial expression changed, and as he was about to respond, Hannah had already left.<br /> Chapter 4 Looked It Up<br /> Following Hannah&#039;s departure, Thomas expressed his frustration by forcefully placing the cup on the table, exclaiming, &quot;This is absolutely outrageous!&quot;<br /> Joanna poured him a glass of water and consoled him, saying, &quot;Come on, don&#039;t be upset. This child&#039;s heart has long been elsewhere. Getting angry won&#039;t change anything.&quot;<br /> Hannah was a child they had adopted eight years ago.<br /> During that time, Thomas&#039;s sole focus was on searching for Yvonne. After an extensive but unsuccessful search, he coincidentally came across Hannah.<br /> Her facial features share a certain similarity with Yvonne. Feeling a longing for Yvonne and pity for Hannah, Thomas decided to adopt her.<br /> Hannah was obedient and sensible. She had a sweet mouth, and knew how to make people happy.<br /> She had Madam Anworth wrapped around her finger.<br /> After two years of adoption, Madam Anworth took personal responsibility for raising Hannah. In a short span, she transformed into a highly admired and accomplished woman in Queenstown, causing many people to envy her.<br /> But ever since Hannah started following Madam Anworth, she looked down on them. Although it didn&#039;t show on the surface, the words she uttered always hit people in the heart.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were not naive. Over time, they grasped Hannah&#039;s intentions. Consequently, their interactions with Hannah naturally dwindled.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s all my fault. I shouldn&#039;t have adopted her!&quot; Thomas lamented, beating his chest and regretting his decision.<br /> &quot;You had good intentions back then,&quot; Joanna glanced at Yvonne and said, &quot;Now the problem is how to cancel the engagement! According to Mom&#039;s stance, she&#039;s set on marrying Yvonne off, and if we don&#039;t agree, she might not accept it gracefully.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;ve made up my mind to end this engagement. Even if Mom takes back the house, I refuse to believe that, as an adult, I can&#039;t provide for a wife and child.&quot;<br /> Joanna sighed.<br /> It seemed likely that in this Queenstown, Madam Anworth wouldn&#039;t offer them a place to stay.<br /> With her head bowed, Yvonne focused on the information displayed on her mobile phone.<br /> The page showcased details about Brandon.<br /> As a prominent figure in the Harts, Brandon&#039;s profile was indeed quite impressive.<br /> It had everything except for photos.<br /> Even the phone number was included on his profile.<br /> &quot;Mr. Anworth, there&#039;s no need to feel troubled. I can initiate the divorce myself,&quot; Yvonne said, raising her head with a graceful smile on her soft face. &quot;Don&#039;t worry about having a place to stay. I&#039;ll buy a house for you.&quot;<br /> Considering Mr. Anworth and his wife&#039;s good treatment towards her, acquiring this house could be seen as an act of filial piety.<br /> &quot;Yvonne ...&quot;<br /> Thomas wanted to say something, but Yvonne stood up and dialed a number on her phone.<br /> &quot;Hello? Is it Mr. Hart, right? I&#039;m Miss Anworth.&quot; Yvonne got straight to the point once the call was answered.<br /> Brandon&#039;s fingers paused on the other side of the phone, and his eyebrows lifted slightly as he asked, &quot;What&#039;s the matter?&quot;<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the engagement.&quot; Yvonne&#039;s voice was clear and sharp.<br /> Brandon was taken aback for a moment. After a slight pause, his thin lips curved up as he responded. &quot;Okay!&quot;<br /> Yvonne stared at her phone, which had already been hung up, and was stunned for a moment.<br /> So, he was on board with this?<br /> A high-end club in Queenstown.<br /> Brandon lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed. He held his phone with slender fingers, staring at the call logs that had been cut off, and a faint smile played on his cool lips.<br /> &quot;Is it really Miss Anworth from the Anworths?&quot; Yorky held a glass of wine and expressed a hint of disbelief.<br /> &quot;She said so,&quot; Brandon said with a low and enchanting voice, with a slightly cheerful tone.<br /> &quot;Tsk!&quot; Yorky expressed a mild exclamation and remarked, &quot;Well, well! Miss Anworth does have quite a distinctive personality. I&#039;m starting to view her in a different light.&quot;<br /> Although Brandon had a bad reputation, his family was financially stable.<br /> Though many girls desired to be his wife, the head of the Harts had already picked Miss Anworth as his future granddaughter-in-law.<br /> He thought the Anworths wouldn&#039;t break off the engagement.<br /> So, he investigated and found that the Anworths&#039; business had declined in recent years, facing severe financial difficulties. The engagement with the Harts not only secured a marital alliance but also brought in a substantial investment, a stipulation set by the Harts patriarch.<br /> So, under any circumstances, Madam Anworth would never agree to cancel the engagement.<br /> It was surprising that Miss Anworth personally took the initiative to cancel the engagement.<br /> She truly embodied the reputation of being a highly talented woman in Queenstown, displaying a level of integrity that many other girls could not match.<br /> Brandon was in a good mood. His elongated eyes were almost closed into a thin line as he swiftly played his phone with his fingers.<br /> Yorky leaned in for a glance, expressing astonishment as he said, &quot;Mr. Hart, why did you save the recording of the conversation with Miss Anworth?&quot;<br /> Brandon casually lifted his gaze, continuing to play with his phone. &quot;It&#039;s such a good thing. Why wouldn&#039;t I let my grandfather know and bring some joy to him?&quot;<br /> &quot;Will your grandfather get a heart attack when he finds out?&quot; Yorky remarked. He couldn&#039;t imagine the scene after the old man knew about this.<br /> &quot;He won&#039;t suffer from a heart attack. But maybe we would cry, make a fuss, or attempt suicide.&quot; These were the usual tactics used by her grandfather.<br /> In order to make him marry Miss Anworth, every possible method was used, causing him considerable distress.<br /> Now that Miss Anworth has chosen to cancel the engagement voluntarily, his grandfather should be able to settle down a bit.<br /> Taking a sip of his drink, Yorky turned to Brandon with a puzzled expression and inquired, &quot;By the way, why don&#039;t you want to marry Miss Anworth? Hannah Anworth is not only attractive and academically outstanding but also reputed to have achieved success in various fields. Given her academic performance, she&#039;s almost guaranteed to secure a spot at a prestigious university. A wife of such caliber is truly a rare find.&quot;<br /> In the chilly atmosphere, Brandon set aside his phone and raised his wine glass, giving it a slight shake. &quot;She&#039;s so outstanding, and I&#039;m disabled. I shouldn&#039;t stand in her way.&quot;<br /> Yorky&#039;s shifted his attention to Brandon&#039;s faultless, elongated legs and silently looked away.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> As soon as Yvonne stepped into the bedroom, the phone started ringing. After checking the caller ID, she tensed up and walked to the window before answering the call.<br /> &quot;I found the information,&quot; a low male voice came through the phone. &quot;On the day your mother passed away, representatives from four influential families in Norbury showed up at your home.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s expression turned serious. &quot;Four influential families?&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s right!&quot; the person on the other end continued, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, the Yeagers, and ... the Harts.&quot;<br /> Yvonne was surprised. &quot;The Harts? Brandon&#039;s family?&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; the person on the other end paused, &quot;In Norbury, there are four prominent families. The Harts, the Smiths, the Anworths, and the Wagners. The Harts hold the foremost position among these four, being a truly elite aristocratic family. Among the families that have members visiting your home, except for the Harts, the other three are considered to be of moderate size.&quot;<br /> The person remained silent for a moment before stating, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers. These three families visited your home in search of something. I couldn&#039;t find out the specific details, but the person sent by the Harts to your home was Brandon ...&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s frigid gaze lifted, and her attractive brows furrowed tightly. &quot;Brandon? What&#039;s his purpose?&quot;<br /> &quot;Seems like he&#039;s looking for someone.&quot;<br /> Yvonne refrained from commenting. She leaned against the bed&#039;s edge, and her fair, slender fingers tapped the windowsill slowly. After a considerable pause, she spoke at a measured pace, &quot;Continue the investigation. Find out what the Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers are looking for! You don&#039;t need to worry about the Harts. I&#039;ll handle it myself.&quot;<br /> &quot;Understood.&quot;<br /> Chapter 5 You Have No Manners at All!<br /> After hanging up the phone, Yvonne opened the window, gazing at the vivid blue sky outside with a composed expression.<br /> &quot;Mom! Who exactly did you offend?&quot;<br /> When Yvonne left the Anworths at the age of nine, the lasting memories etched in her mind portrayed her mother enduring mistreatment from Madam Anworth, and her mother always enduring it silently.<br /> During that period, she couldn&#039;t comprehend why her intelligent and efficient mother, despite being capable, endured bullying without putting up a fight.<br /> Once they left the Anworths, they found themselves being pursued by multiple groups. It was only when her mother demonstrated her enigmatic martial prowess and the art of acupoint sealing with silver needles that she realized her mother wasn&#039;t incapable of fighting back. Rather, she was actively avoiding the pursuit of others.<br /> Until one day, her mother received a phone call. At that moment, Yvonne noticed an unusual expression on her mother&#039;s face. But being young and having already experienced numerous escapes, she assumed that someone else was after them again.<br /> But that night, her mother took her own life!<br /> She met her demise at the hands of the poison she had personally developed!<br /> Prior to her passing, her mother had instructed her to seek out Master Reid at Haven Abbey, become his apprentice, undergo martial arts training, and remain on the mountain for a decade, tempering her skills for ten years.<br /> Her mother specifically ordered that, upon her death, she be cremated without any memorial erected.<br /> A decade later, she returned to the Anworths to find her father and fulfill her engagement with Brandon.<br /> She faithfully carried out all these instructions, with the sole exception of marrying Brandon.<br /> Over the previous ten years, she had lived under the constant weight of her mother&#039;s death every day. She had been determined to seek vengeance and wouldn&#039;t have allowed a marriage to obstruct her path.<br /> But then ....<br /> Brandon became entangled in the past events.<br /> With the marriage already canceled, any further investigation into the events of that year required a different approach.<br /> Suddenly, Yvonne&#039;s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a tumultuous knocking at the door.<br /> Upon opening the door, she witnessed Madam Anworth storming in accompanied by a group of people from the Anworths.<br /> The group consisted of Madam Anworth&#039;s eldest and youngest sons&#039; families, along with Hannah.<br /> The small living room was now crowded with about a dozen people, each displaying visible anger. This resentment intensified, especially upon spotting Yvonne come out, as if they were eager to vent their frustration by tearing her apart.<br /> &quot;Yvonne! You are a troublemaker! Who gave you permission to cancel the engagement with the Harts? What a bitch! Do you still have any respect for me?&quot;<br /> As soon as Madam Anworth saw Yvonne, her elderly and cloudy eyes seemed to express intense anger or frustration.<br /> It was beyond her expectations that Yvonne would independently decide to cancel the engagement.<br /> She wouldn&#039;t be aware of it if Master Hart hadn&#039;t called.<br /> Fortunately, Master Hart approved of that marriage and didn&#039;t raise any objections. He emphasized that despite Brandon&#039;s physical disability, half of his future wealth would be allocated to him. If Hannah married Brandon, she wouldn&#039;t face any hardships, and she could contribute to supporting the Anworths&#039; business in the future.<br /> Since Yvonne had recently returned, the Anworths had not disclosed her identity publicly. So, Master Hart was unaware that it was Yvonne who intended to marry Brandon, not Hannah.<br /> But Madam Anworth wasn&#039;t concerned about these details. In any case, Master Hart had requested the engagement with the granddaughter of the Anworths. So, as long as Yvonne married Brandon, the Anworth would still have received everything they were entitled to.<br /> But this troublemaker Yvonne unexpectedly canceled the engagement!<br /> Yvonne narrowed her eyes, emitting a hint of coldness. She stared at Madam Anworth without saying a word for a long time.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m the reason Yvonne canceled the engagement,&quot; Thomas protected Yvonne behind him and said seriously, &quot;If something&#039;s bugging you, just address them directly to me.&quot;<br /> &quot;Slap!&quot; Madam Anworth slapped him in anger. &quot;How dare you be so ungrateful! Don&#039;t you know what this marriage means to the Anworths?&quot;<br /> Initially, she was reluctant to have Hannah marry Brandon. But she didn&#039;t formally break off the engagement. Her intention was to find a solution that would secure the Harts&#039; investment while ensuring Hannah&#039;s well-being.<br /> But, with the involvement of Yvonne, jeopardizing the relationship with the Harts meant losing any financial benefit.<br /> &quot;What does it mean?&quot; Thomas sarcastically smiled and said, &quot;Isn&#039;t it just to maintain your reputation? You look down on Yvonne, so you&#039;re willing to sacrifice her?&quot;<br /> &quot;Thomas!&quot; Thomas&#039;s eldest brother, Troy Anworth, frowned and said, &quot;How can you speak about Mom that way? She&#039;s doing it for the good of the Anworths. Besides, the Harts has assured us that Yvonne will be treated well when she marries into their household.&quot;<br /> &quot;He&#039;s right, Thomas. Even though Brandon has a physical disability, his family is quite affluent. Look at Yvonne. She grew up in the countryside without receiving much education. She might not have even finished high school at the age of nineteen. She&#039;s unable to attend college. Her only option is to work ...&quot;<br /> Ted Anworth, the second eldest brother, said, &quot;Given her qualifications, she can only find jobs like a waitress. In terms of future partners, she can only choose someone ordinary. What&#039;s wrong with marrying Brandon? At least, she won&#039;t have to worry about her basic needs.&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s enough!&quot; Thomas exclaimed, &quot;Yvonne is my daughter, and I have the authority to decide whom she marries. No matter how good Brandon is, Yvonne won&#039;t be marrying him.&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Troy&#039;s face flushed with indignation. &quot;This is utterly illogical!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth directed her anger towards Thomas, asserting, &quot;You have no authority in this family. Since Yvonne is a granddaughter of the Anworths, she should play her part in supporting the family. We don&#039;t tolerate idleness in the Anworths!&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Yvonne scoffed, her eyes reflecting a touch of scorn.<br /> Madam Anworth abruptly turned her gaze towards her, her eyes sharp as if she had been unexpectedly poisoned. &quot;Why are you laughing?&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her head, her clear and captivating eyes fixed on Madam Anworth. &quot;I&#039;m laughing at your selective memory! It appears that I haven&#039;t received any financial support from you since birth, never been nurtured by you, so where does my contribution come into play?&quot;<br /> Even though she was young at the time, she distinctly recalled that her grandmother never even bought her a piece of candy.<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth was infuriated, her gaze towards Yvonne carrying a trace of bitterness.<br /> This little troublemaker was sharp-tongued!<br /> &quot;Yvonne!&quot; Troy expressed his anger, &quot;How dare you speak to your grandmother like that? She is your elder! Is this how your mother raised you?&quot;<br /> With a nonchalant look, Yvonne&#039;s red lips curled slightly, and hands in pockets. She responded, &quot;Sorry, my mom is dead. Why don&#039;t you go ask her in the underworld how she taught me?&quot;<br /> Troy&#039;s face flushed with anger. &quot;You have no manners at all!&quot;<br /> The rest of the Anworth was infuriated by Yvonne&#039;s indifferent demeanor.<br /> But everyone remained silent because Madam Anworth was present.<br /> Despite the unspoken words, the intense glares directed at Yvonne seemed almost predatory. But Yvonne remained unfazed, lifting her chin indifferently.<br /> Madam Anworth observed Yvonne for a prolonged moment. She took deep breaths to quell her anger and softened her tone as she remarked, &quot;Your mother arranged this marriage. She wouldn&#039;t harm you. Master Hart expressed his hope that you would still honor the engagement with Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne looked at her with a faint smile but did not respond.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s expression tightened as she spoke sternly, &quot;Yvonne! Let me remind you! The place you currently occupy is my provision. If you refuse to marry Brandon, I will reclaim this house. Besides, your father will be ousted from the company under my authority. As long as I am present, he will be unable to secure employment in Queenstown. Without financial means, he won&#039;t be able to sustain your family!&quot;<br /> Before Yvonne could say anything, Thomas stepped forward and earnestly declared, &quot;If you want to take the house, go ahead. I am capable of taking care of my wife and child with my own hands and feet. I refuse to let Yvonne be pushed into a difficult situation!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth was so angry that she wanted to slap him, but she held it back. She gritted her teeth and looked at Thomas. &quot;Fine! You have courage. I&#039;m curious to see how resilient you can be!&quot;<br /> In a cold tone, Madam Anworth added, &quot;You have one hour to move out. Do it immediately!&quot;		Romance Novel		18	https://facebook.com/61554129711665	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67632	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054157		67		2009371789419487	1	1.4906306648304E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109432094977066		0	Home Knowledge			120203114428700782		homeknowledge.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.homeknowledge.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702565817	1.0943209497707E+14	Home Knowledge	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411198825_1097972504666206_7169543540362581789_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t4SHR7GxLXwAX8ixhgL&_nc_oc=AQlMf5HFNT-GcKNX57gI3ab9MC5Xm5hFAbiHlCNcp5kX-GeXnG-EJLMmysyDopsDHrKh0n_q23qsIHLzeE3PpFDn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBTBlThTGggWkk-A_wWW6VO6st5Fk9mC1uN6XlqNciVPQ&oe=6592A7F9	person_profile	0	Home Knowledge	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411225080_912786347036666_6669537563888948289_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9w-LcftB2lsAX_lxktp&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDPb0dWiQLwwNbyzJca8LsGGn9Q8XphDXUzBv77y0CbsA&oe=6592E24C			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Home Knowledge		7711	https://facebook.com/100077436892932	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67299	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054157		67		807956764432527	1	1.0989768544485E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104322899043045		0	Sukur entertainment			120202972374150549		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	You know how sometimes a cartoon perfectly captures a complicated feeling? That's exactly what these talented female comic artists do. We found them all on Instagram, and they immediately made us hit the Follow Button. Take the Illustrator of Curves, who celebrates the diversity of women's bodies, J...	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1702932144	1.0432289904304E+14	Sukur entertainment	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412393164_2104325049914206_3662204283959026644_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OSlDVmh_1icAX-7ZtrQ&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDP3NnQaYVJIQ-KLTNtKP_gkt6ndu4VWrHUvcQt2fuyNw&oe=65917728	person_profile	0	Sukur entertainment	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412374846_6860174880728642_8297113545407046475_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0oyLduLeyhQAX_hrkVk&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvubnzPmrwGOd3DrcArQsGMBAiCpm0ZoV-NKvf5PdThg&oe=659337A4			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Sukur entertainment		75	https://facebook.com/100083816873781	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
66818	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		919278476106213	1	9.0730139102559E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	136560499545717		0	ForFun-105			120203150274870019		a.read4funs.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.read4funs.com/ad/a29hbGFub3ZlbC82NDQ3OC8yMDIzMTIyMzE3NDM1Mi9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703324842	1.3656049954572E+14	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412860088_1767122740377154_3454380213906392020_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y3Wl8Bo0IxoAX9Pk-u4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLIqu5S7TYHYxuyRq-bSu9psXjswn0ZuXT6-wg9VVV6w&oe=6591FD22	person_profile	0	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412846118_1082273482776894_7190079445805876796_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u1kYKrvYuysAX8LLigS&_nc_oc=AQmzP_fjOMHDSlmHkQ9zSU3gUtfNjMp6t2XAdQ9GAy4vf-v4e15aMnPTt5xgi2E0Bl8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDIAuNdMz1X90ZhXXc9-lyteVF8LaGCnWPMV6kii6zgMg&oe=6591D7B1			0	3	“As of today, you Joanna Tyree are Cancer free! The scans were clear, your labs have been improving daily. Jo, you&#039;re in remission.” Rachel&#039;s hand froze, and I froze.<br /> What did he just say? Is he shitting me right now?<br /> “You better not be lying to me right now Brian. I can&#039;t take a joke right now.” I said timidly.<br /> I know he would never joke about that, but I had to ask. <br /> “We&#039;ll go over what to look out for and statistics and what not but as of today, you&#039;re in remission. You did it, you beat it.”<br /> “I beat it…” I whispered in near shock.<br /> ————————<br /> Joanna<br /> “Today was my mammogram…” I whispered and her face softened. She didn&#039;t probe, she didn&#039;t nudge me to continue. She waited for me to gather my strength to continue and I was so thankful. “It&#039;s stage 3…”<br /> “Oh Jo!” she wrapped me in her arms and I sobbed. “That&#039;s not all….” She pulled back but kept her arms around me. She raised a brow at me waiting for my answer.<br /> “I went to Brian today. He&#039;s the one who gave me the results. I figured since Mike&#039;s office was right down the hall that I would just go ahead and tell him. He was on his lunch break, so he didn&#039;t have any patients…”<br /> I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. “I caught him mid thrust in another woman...” I don&#039;t think she meant it but her grip on my shoulder got dangerously tight.<br /> “I&#039;m sorry, what? Where is he? I know how to hide a body without being caught. Who is the tramp? Do I need to kill her too?”<br /> I held my hand up with wide eyes. “You know you are pretty scary when you&#039;re angry. But that&#039;s not even the worst part…”<br /> “What do you mean that&#039;s not the worst part? Your husband is having an affair with another woman. What is worse than that?”<br /> I let out a breath and rested my elbows on my knees and bowed my head. My golden waves covering my face. “It was Lisa….”<br /> Her spirit glass dropped to the floor and shattered. When I met her gaze she looked frozen in shock. Her brown eyes that usually reminded me of molten chocolate were nearly black with rage. She didn&#039;t say anything. She didn&#039;t even look like she was breathing.<br /> ”Rach…?” I probed and she shook her head.<br /> “I&#039;m going to kill her. Lisa? Our friend Lisa was sleeping with your husband on his desk at his work? Lisa that&#039;s also Married to his best friend that also works in the same office? That Lisa?” I couldn&#039;t formulate words, so I settled for nodding my head. Rachel was silent and usually when she was this mad and silent, it was bad.<br /> “Rachel, what am I going to do? I&#039;ve been with Mike for 17 years. Since the day I found out I was pregnant with Gage... I don&#039;t know any other life. I have never lived alone. You know how much family means to me... I was a foster kid. My own parents didn&#039;t even want me. I don&#039;t want Gage to grow up in a broken home too.”<br /> “Joanna. First of all, just because you have a kid with someone doesn&#039;t mean you need to stay with them. Second of all, Gage is already grown up. He&#039;s a young man. Thirdly, you are never going to be alone. You are my family. And lastly, how long has this been going on?”<br /> I shrugged. “Truthfully I don&#039;t know. I ran out of there as fast as I could. He tried to get me out of the car, but I threw my ring at him and drove off. I just couldn&#039;t stick around. After the news I got this morning and then that. I was pretty stretched thin on what I could handle.”<br /> She nodded and took a few deep breaths before taking me into her arms again. “Here&#039;s what we&#039;re going to do. We&#039;re going to finish off this bottle of spirit, we’re going to watch a bunch of chick flicks, we’re going to eat to our stomach&#039;s desire and get a good night&#039;s rest. And tomorrow, we&#039;re going to go to your house. I&#039;m going with you, that&#039;s not up for negotiation. You&#039;re going to talk to Mike, and we&#039;re going to pack you a bag and you&#039;re going to stay with me. After you&#039;ve given it some clear thought without pressure from anyone and you&#039;re ready to make a decision then okay. But you can&#039;t make any decisions while you&#039;re living with him because he will cloud your judgement. Now chop chop. Pick out a movie, I&#039;ll get the snacks. You can change into a pair of my Pjs too.”<br /> With Rachel growing up an Army brat, you could hear the authoritarian in her coming out. She marched off to the kitchen while I changed my clothes and picked out a movie. Hours later she was passed out on the sofa with a line of drool coming out of her mouth. However, I couldn&#039;t sleep. I just couldn&#039;t shut my mind off.<br /> I debated on waking Rachel up to let her know we were adding one more to the party, but she was snoozing hard. You definitely didn&#039;t want to wake Rachel when she hasn&#039;t gotten enough rest. She turns into an instant bimbo and I don&#039;t have the capacity to deal with that right now.<br /> I made sure to cut on the porch light and unlock the door and go into the kitchen to heat him up something to eat, knowing he&#039;s going to be hungry. Yes, I may have been trying to bribe my child into not hating me with food, but it&#039;s a risk I&#039;m willing to take.<br /> I heard some shuffling in the foyer and a few curses and then silence. Going to check it out, I peeked around the corner to see Gage kneeling down to pick up my purse that he had knocked over, but all of the contents had spilled. Including all of the brochures from Brian&#039;s office and the paperwork with my test results on it. His face was pale and he wasn&#039;t moving.<br /> “Mom…?” his eyes raised to mine. His bright blue eyes that matched his fathers and they were starting to blur with unshed tears. “Mom, what is this?”<br /> I sighed, something I&#039;ve been doing a lot of today and knelt next to him. “Gage, son, look at me” he did and I could see the tremble in his body.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want to tell you about that yet... I wanted to wait until after SAT’s and until you picked a good school.”<br /> He shook his head. “No!” I gave him a look and he mumbled sorry. “You know what, I&#039;m not sorry! You&#039;re sick! You need me! I can go to a school closer to home! I can still achieve my goals and dreams while being here for you.”<br /> This is what I was afraid of.<br /> “Baby, I don&#039;t want you to put your life on hold for me. I will be okay. I&#039;m a fighter. I&#039;m strong. I can handle anything. I want you to live your life for you, I want you to make choices because you want to do them. Not because you feel obligated.”<br /> “I&#039;m not obligated to do anything. You&#039;re my mother. You gave me life. If you think I would for a second abandon you in your time of need then you&#039;re sadly mistaken. You raised me better than that.” I took him in my arms and he bussed the top of my head. Now that he was nearly an adult, he was almost a foot taller than me.<br /> “I just want you to have every change you can possibly have in life. A better life than what I had growing up.”<br /> His hug got tighter. “You&#039;ve given me an amazing life mom. Let me help you. No wonder dad drank himself into a stupor.”<br /> I couldn&#039;t help it. I tensed at the mention of Mike and Gage unfortunately noticed.<br /> “Mom?” he asked, raising a brow.<br /> I attempted to brush it off because this was an adult matter. It&#039;s not something a teenager. He wasn&#039;t having it.<br /> “I know you told, Rachel about it or else you wouldn&#039;t have come here. So you have two choices. Either tell me what I want to know, or I will wake up aunt Rachel and we both know that won&#039;t end well.”<br /> “Just tell the boy!” Rachel said, peeking her head above the sofa. I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged and shrunk down further waiting for the explosion of what I&#039;m about to tell my son.<br /> “Please don&#039;t hate me…” I whispered to him not expecting him to hear me but knowing that he did. “Your dad and I….I will be staying here for a few days.”<br /> His face scrunched up in confusion. “Why… you and dad..you&#039;re my idol couple. You&#039;re so in love. I...What happened?”<br /> “I thought we were in love too…” I sobbed a bit knowing full well that that was the truth. I thought we did love each other. It was great, frequent, we hardly ever fought, we spent time together. I don&#039;t understand what happened.<br /> “Your dad is having an affair and I found out about it today.” I couldn&#039;t meet his eyes. I was filled with shame. Shame that I failed my marriage, that I failed my family, and that I wasn&#039;t enough to keep my family together. I felt like there was no way out of this dark place. I can&#039;t face him knowing that I failed him.<br /> “Who?” was all he said. I looked up and his face was turning red and the tips of his ears even redder. A trait he inherited from his father.<br /> “It&#039;s not important…”<br /> “God, mom! Tell me who!” I trembled at the anger he released.<br /> “Gage, just calm down…”<br /> He shook his head. “No. Not this time. I&#039;m not going to calm down. Tell me who dad decided to throw his family away for. Tell me who dad thought was so important that he would chose to break up his own family for.”<br /> Wait, he wasn&#039;t mad at me?<br /> “You&#039;re not mad at me?” I asked stupidly.<br /> He took three giant steps towards me and engulfed me in a hug. I could feel his own tears hitting my forehead. “Why would I ever be mad at you over this? You&#039;re not the one who stuck a body part in another person that wasn&#039;t your spouse. You&#039;ve never been anything short of amazing Mom. But please. Tell me who”.<br /> “It was Lisa…” I muttered knowing he deserved to know, but hating that I was thrusting all of this on my child.<br /> “You&#039;ve got to be kidding me!” was all he said before he stormed out of the door, got in his truck and sped off.<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> “Go after him before he does something he&#039;ll regret. He may be mad now, but he&#039;s reacting to emotional overdrive” Rachel&#039;s voice was sad but firm. I knew I would need to go after him. After that were dropped on him in the past hour, it&#039;s a wonder he&#039;s still standing. It&#039;s a miracle that I&#039;m still standing, but I&#039;ve also had spirit to help drown my sorrows in.<br /> There&#039;s only one place he would have gone. He would have gone home to confront Mike. Rachel trailed behind me as we all climbed in my car.<br /> “You don&#039;t think he’ll do anything stupid do you?” she was silent, but I knew the answer myself. We drove the short 15 minutes it took to get to my house, well my old house, and sure enough his truck was parked in the driveway still running.<br /> I could hear the yelling from outside. Shouting from both Gage and Mike. When I got through the door it was clear that I needed to calm one if not both of them down. Pictures were smashed, there was glass everywhere. I rounded the corner to the living room to see Mike pinned to the wall by Gage. Both of them were nearing 6 foot tall and well built but seeing our 17 year old holding such an advantage over him was shocking.<br /> Mike&#039;s eyes met mine and they bugged out.<br /> “Why?” Gage shouted.<br /> “Why would you do this? I thought you cared about us? Was it worth it you prick!” his voice cracked with emotion the more that he spoke. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder causing him to jerk before turning to meet my gaze.<br /> “Let him go sweetie…” he shook his head in refusal. “Gage, let him go…” My voice was soft and he slowly released his grip on his dad and Mike sagged against the wall while Gage fell into my arms.<br /> “It&#039;s okay sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. Rachel is in the car. Grab a bag of clothes and go to the car.” he nodded and walked away.<br /> “Jo…” I held up my hand to him.<br /> “Save it…I&#039;m grabbing a bag myself and staying with Rachel for a few days.” he stepped towards me causing me to step back. The hurt in his eyes was evident, but it was his own fault.<br /> “Can we please just talk about this? I made a mistake, yes, but we can fix this!”<br /> I scoffed. “A mistake? An accident? What did you accidentally fall and land in her hip?” he hung his head. “And the worst part about all of this is, it wasn&#039;t even a complete stranger. Lisa. My best friend. How long has this been going on?”<br /> “Well?” I probed when he didn&#039;t answer.<br /> “This was the first time in years that I&#039;ve been with her…” he wasn&#039;t looking at me, he refused to look me in the eye.<br /> “Wait….you said in years. What did you mean?”<br /> When he raised his head he had tears in his bloodshot eyes. “We called it off when Brian proposed to her. I&#039;m telling you all of this so we can air it all out. So we can move past it. We had been seeing each other since highschool.”<br /> I felt a pressure in my head and my heart sinking to my stomach. I looked to the stairwell and saw Gage sitting on the stairs listening intently.<br /> “Why then? Why continue to be with me? Why even see me at all if you were with her too? That means you had been having a whole other life for 10 years. I-I can&#039;t… I don&#039;t understand. Why did you marry me, lead me on, continue to sleep with me, frequently by the way, if you were with her?”<br /> He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. I was way past angry at this point. I picked up a vase of flowers that he had gotten me two weeks ago. Now that I think about it, those flowers were probably an apology for everything. Gripping the vase hard enough I was sure it would shatter. I chucked it. It hit the wall next to him shattering to pieces.<br /> He didn&#039;t flinch, he didn&#039;t move, he didn&#039;t even bat an eyelash. He was taking my temper tantrum and letting me get it all out.<br /> “ANSWER ME.”<br /> “Because I love you. I still do.”<br /> I cut him off. “Nonsense. If you loved me you wouldn&#039;t have strayed. You wouldn&#039;t have kept it up for 10 years. So try again.”<br /> “I do love you. But it&#039;s possible to love more than one person. I thought I was in love with her too, but I was wrong. I didn&#039;t know she was seeing Brian until 6 months before the proposal. It felt so wrong. I felt used. She was seeing both of us, using both of us for money, she was getting a high off the rush of getting caught. She was vindictive, so I cut it off. I broke up with her.”<br /> A half choked cob and laugh left my lips. “Then how did I catch you balls deep in her this afternoon?”<br /> He let out a deep breath. “I truly don&#039;t know. She had been there to see Brian but he was in with a patient. She had waited in my office for him and one thing led to another. I don&#039;t want to be that prick and say she came onto me but she did.”<br /> I walked up to him and slapped him so hard that his head whipped to the side. “You should have said no. You should have called security. You had so many opportunities. I don&#039;t know if we can fix this Michael. 10 years of infidelity out of a 17 year marriage. Do you know how many people Lisa was sleeping with in college? You could have given me a STD! Even when I was pregnant! All of those appointments you missed because you were busy were you out with her? All those conferences out of town, was it her? I don&#039;t understand it. You just shattered every bit of trust and faith I had in us. What was so wrong with me that you couldn&#039;t be faithful to me? You know how hard my life was before I met you. You know how important family is to me! Growing up in the foster care system, I didn&#039;t have a family! You were my family. Lisa was my family. I hope it was worth it. I hope she was worth it.”<br /> He put his hands on my shoulders trying to calm down my ranting. Gage stood up from the stairs and started towards us. “Take your hands off of her. Or I will...” I had never heard that authority in his voice. Mike stood back and held his hands up.<br /> “We can fix this...I&#039;ve been faithful for 10 years. Not once have I strayed in that time. Well, except today. But it&#039;s not you. It&#039;s never been your fault. I could break up with you or leave you because I loved you. I couldn&#039;t bear to lose you. I didn&#039;t want to live without you. I was going to call it off when you got pregnant but she convinced me to stay. She tried many times to get me to divorce you, but I just couldn&#039;t. I won&#039;t. And don&#039;t say we were your family like it was past tense. We are family. I can fix this. I can&#039;t live without you…”<br /> “Well, it looks like you&#039;re going to have to figure out how to. I don&#039;t know if I can ever forgive you for this. I am going to leave now. I&#039;m staying with Rachel. Goodbye, Mike.” I whispered and walked away.<br /> Gage had two bags in his hand. “I packed your bag too…” he had a far away look in his eyes.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want you to hear any of that...I&#039;m sorry, son.”<br /> “Gage!” Mike called out. He stopped walking but didn&#039;t turn around. “Please...just take care of your mother… I love you. Both of you.”<br /> “Save it, dad. If you loved us, you wouldn&#039;t have destroyed our family.”<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> The weekend had come and gone and I had a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed this morning. The amount of spirit I had drank this weekend was catching up with me and I was highly considering calling out of work. The sun had barely risen in the sky, the remaining bits of darkness still lingering on the horizon.<br /> My phone was continuing to blow up with message and message, voicemail after voicemail, and countless emails all from Mike trying to get me to come home, to work this out. Lisa had sent me a few messages both asking to talk and to apologize.<br /> Brian had sent 2 messages. One checking on me, and one apologizing. I don&#039;t know what he had to apologize for. Nothing was his fault. He and I were in the same boat. Both the people we thought we loved betrayed us. If anything I should be the one apologizing to him. If only I had caught on sooner.<br /> I had thought everything was perfect. I had thought that our love was strong and powerful. I thought nothing could come in between us. I thought that we were invincible. I now know that all of that was a charade. I knew that none of that was real. He used me, he lied to me, he betrayed me. He destroyed every little piece of me that I thought that I had.<br /> I knew once all of this was said and done that I would never trust again. I would never fall in love again. It wasn&#039;t worth it. Besides, no one would want a washed up, jaded, 33 year old woman with a 17 year old child, a cheating ex-husband, and a list of trust issues a mile long. Not to mention cancer. <br /> The cancer alone would be enough to scare the strongest of suitors away. What am I even thinking about. It&#039;s been 3 days since I caught my husband, deep inside of that woman and I&#039;m over here thinking about future relationships.<br /> I shouldn&#039;t be thinking of these things. Especially things that will never happen. I knew that my walls were being built up as high and as strong as they possibly could be and I would make sure that no one would ever be able to tear them down.<br /> Dressed in my mint green scrubs, white lab coat, and a stethoscope around my neck, I looked in the mirror. I looked tired, my face was puffy like I had been crying for days, which I had. My green eyes were dulled out to almost grey. My golden hair was flat and lifeless.<br /> I looked haggard but Rachel peeked her head in and whispered “You are the most beautiful woman I know. You&#039;re going to get through this.” her hot pink scrubs with paw prints on them only flattered her every curve.<br /> I narrowed my eyes at her lying hip. “Don&#039;t even give me that look. You are veterinarian. If only I swung that way.” She whistled and swatted at my hip and I couldn&#039;t help but chuckle. She always knew how to cheer me up.<br /> “So let&#039;s go out for drinks tonight. We never really got to celebrate you getting this job, and we need some spirit therapy. After all spirit always listens.”<br /> “Gage has football practice, and Mondays are slow anyways. Please.” She poked out her bottom lip and widened her eyes.<br /> “Fine. Just a couple of drinks. I start Chemo this week and can&#039;t drink a lot. Brian said that if I am going to drink, I will need to limit it to one glass of spirit a day.” she lowered her eyes and nodded.<br /> “I almost forgot about that. It just doesn&#039;t seem real. You know I&#039;m behind you every step of the way, right?” I nodded and hugged her. It was true she was an amazing friend. I trusted her wholly.<br /> I peeked in on Gage and saw him sleeping. I went over to him and rubbed his head like I used to do when he was a toddler. Oh, how I wish they could stay small forever. This world is too unkind sometimes. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that I would be there for him for everything. I wouldn&#039;t let him go through life alone like I had. I wanted him to know that he always had me, no matter what.<br /> “Don&#039;t be late for school. I&#039;m going to work.” the guest bedroom he was sleeping in was almost too small for him and it made me chuckle a bit seeing this growing boy nearly falling out of the bed. He groaned and gave me a thumbs up.<br /> “I love you, Son.”<br /> At work I had to sit down with the head veterinarian and explain to him my chemo schedule, which meant telling yet another person about it. In reality I just wanted to keep it to myself. I didn&#039;t need anyone taking pity on me or treating me differently.<br /> He patted me on the back and told me if I needed anything I just needed to ask. But at the moment I was currently trying to wrangle in a group of hyperactive puppies coming in for their checkups.<br /> “Oh, aren&#039;t you just the cutest little thing.” I squeaked, picking up one of the fluff balls. They were little husky puppies and boy were they working on those vocal chords.<br /> “Alright, so all of these little beauties are perfectly healthy. I recommend deworming them today and we can go ahead and give them their first rounds of shots. Also, would you like to have them microchipped for when they go to their new homes?” I looked at Mrs. Thompson, she was a spritely woman, so full of enthusiasm.<br /> “Of course, yes. Only 3 of the 4 are spoken for. This little guy is the only one who hasn&#039;t found his forever home yet.&quot; The pup in question was the red and white fluffer I was holding a bit ago.<br /> “Oh?” I asked. I knew it was wrong to interject into patients&#039; plans, but this little guy was just the cuddliest boy ever. She gave me a knowing smile.<br /> “You know, I think he likes you. I&#039;ve always called that one Finn.”<br /> It was so tempting, something I just didn&#039;t want to turn down. In a moment of weakness I thought about how every man has left me. My father, my husband, friends, and I thought, dogs are loyal, right? This little guy surely won&#039;t leave me.<br /> “I suppose he does need a home. And you are right, he does seem to like me…” she smirked and we finalized the rest of the details. I had somehow acquired a puppy. What just happened?<br /> Several patients, and layers of dog and cat hairs later and I was exhausted. The day was ending and Rachel had popped in my office several times to remind me of my promise for tonight.<br /> “Have you spoken to Lisa?” Rachel asked me when she walked into the room.<br /> “No, and I don&#039;t plan on it. She needs to forget that I exist. I have nothing nice to say to her and it would be better if I didn&#039;t say anything at all.” she nodded.<br /> “I know. I only ask because she&#039;s reaching out to me now trying to get to you. Want me to throat punch her? You know I will.” I snorted because she was being honest. I knew she would in a heartbeat. She was the brawler of the group and I was always the level headed.<br /> “Let me finish these charts and you can punch throats to your heart&#039;s content.”<br /> “So, you&#039;re going through with the divorce, yes?” she asked curiously. I nodded.<br /> “I think so. I just can&#039;t forgive it. 10 years. He had been sleeping with her for 10 years. He said he had been faithful since her and Brian got married but apparently she seduced him and he fell for it. I don&#039;t believe it. I don&#039;t believe one word of it. Even if it had been just one time... I couldn&#039;t forgive it. Unfaithfulness is where I draw the line.”		ForFun-105		18	https://facebook.com/61552095643555	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
69449	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054157		67		888135576364057	1	8.8001227349455E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632030590115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796606	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404591053_1526655918133624_1165078224425170803_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6LWCJuCvBoYAX968Aw9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBCWB9aYZARjyLen2BJO8rRIOzoUOtRxgPQh_KgyGmDxA&oe=6591ABC8	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405532858_3678008879107458_2154513740814359256_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N90FVDweQ5gAX-Zbr6l&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEHkuAx7IhYH0HlfkFuwnSnzuBO6ki_fKy7Mz4RUpWXQ&oe=65919596			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66982	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054157		67		905615137578750		3.635981763981E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120766401101493		0	BioBursts			120202829687320756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213224	1.2076640110149E+14	BioBursts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411783091_737379744606269_5041442403642476674_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XjhYTbF_9AAAX9ozy2L&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzlSPDy_yF56PvoPr4Rduxc5zRQ5nXGswEkBnnW0JC2A&oe=65914943	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		BioBursts		5440	https://facebook.com/100095312214573	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68181	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054157		67		301948702830255	2	1.2974651443052E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204871448970427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702210946	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408482931_764330618866970_7823296758371990993_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wf5chbinXgsAX-0_xQe&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-8s-mwOwi9kFZtyvdS5R__Hlxql-ixesIqwS3KErfSw&oe=659199EA	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406821834_1363812624523575_9134487377270511116_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=H_8-bCgLAZcAX-72om6&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBnX_6XXSA7VoBzyHGsp5JDK1MlXPmvh6uMRObem8ECeg&oe=6591F4FD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68103	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054157		67		1078816906474540	1	7.5912082042267E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201679356860743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702368899	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410501734_1480031402728400_6071528395946847501_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zTOrSjPegYUAX-Bel9-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB4QCtw0Wk8J0k4tlikUz_FPJSKl2o-bADQZbsSUQoBUQ&oe=6591D064	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410314391_373362468600424_5072875548796240996_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fu_HR9bBHHYAX89JTXe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA6ePrFJldYKdmCJqWMyamFEVFrcqWkiyPJ2Q-hlmPyaA&oe=6591D3E9			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68927	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054157		67		324586527179993	1	2.1512482885627E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120200685803880123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700053360	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400592565_733767625278496_3497424637765425168_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VUPG58aGOowAX9VSCwG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB_W72zM6E1wFqLgqbphihqai3N79T_RyHMTQcG7qdi3A&oe=6592590D	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401681640_270088588908814_2060695445300862724_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PDAllOBa2vsAX9R6h7Y&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCSPTiAwclpzwmNmNn2qn6RfAdfbbc0NsobIfSpAQjBZg&oe=6592EC0B			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66793	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		24591420927173164	1	7.6111854583881E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	102648229826177		0	KAZ Radio TV Network			6561297830001					NONE	video	The Hour of Power with the House of Glory				1703385248	1.0264822982618E+14	KAZ Radio TV Network	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414442568_326809256947699_1560259749257435383_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HApt7bsheFwAX_Yx7ml&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDkBw5qUwPSkB_CvXVxPVA_XsyrvrCIxz8t-2Y8lq0oBQ&oe=6591E181	person_profile	0	Larry James	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414442936_679021117650149_4075243711101774057_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mnvSIARVHhcAX_G19Ed&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA9258ER4nqP5oGK796cbNlvo3slMJre4dCCYXlWlGhRg&oe=6591F0A0			0	3	The Hour of Power with the House of Glory		KAZ Radio TV Network		2039	https://facebook.com/kazradiotv	0								1703318400		View Edit Delete
68725	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054157		67		594683709450046	4	1.9964064007525E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6510449898110		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701369533	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407190818_1465009054368459_8696303438273762977_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_U-ZRRvEpQ8AX---Z8G&_nc_oc=AQnnbxniSDn20g_lVtl7-bOvqXUZcFgyLpF_HN2vy4jP7lttxMOvpZTqPgdClSpU2OJs54Eerx3weXhKEsYdDseJ&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDmX8fzqIfM5i3vfkRtFyshNDLkVoHwFEK2rZnu3oD_UA&oe=659181FE	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407172485_1084039609398767_7438305921099024858_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3IJ2tl2kYKMAX-V1bPh&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBf51sl-aAXyyFd7_fcAFjtL0GapLIHJOzafBC51cRmFQ&oe=6593252C			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67711	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054157		67		1316291435710635				1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	136660776195978		0	Style Savvy Trends			120203034086340683		trendymatter.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.trendymatter.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702470691	1.3666077619598E+14	Style Savvy Trends	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409751760_867957845229036_685835959169491239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=22irTMEZM6YAX8vB6mp&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCm0K3VUTUX9kR6cuBX9m12iVqBczEW1P8W_Eb8Of8HHA&oe=65925734	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Style Savvy Trends		56	https://facebook.com/61551725228757	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
66515	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054157		67		371056245406176	1	1.4092479800233E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361677510579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657254	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412830351_882121233452043_2756593209519749919_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tkpQUzyVIwoAX8T91Ql&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCAFHXYYyoDqSJ6JPt5Qg-Sk7aeYklnwDDs6Epc2Vvd8A&oe=6591C9D9	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412816076_700822918695084_468894753639448754_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=20QJb6ehq_EAX9DM6Gx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC26dv635E0uxhKTcPDrzeBkvFT5ah0wrA3UCmenQU9Tw&oe=65923FB6			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67799	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054157		67		704312891666196	4	7.3704260847814E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548025009		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494394	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409925056_926532802228444_303522182983586205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DUtE51XqZnwAX-3vLKG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCOGhVfv9bbxmICiCx3rFs0Ovn5sRIAxcHTBEQCXkw6ew&oe=6592827D	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409969123_1380957899171649_8818600044605581914_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z9Dhaw_H_SwAX_hFjFx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCi2lRhLZZqgko6AfoIdArXLCeiCEPWT8wSy5JHDLnq1g&oe=659305F5			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66635	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054157		67		1346630222724754	1	3.5714258700719E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	177983085391505		0	MetroNovel Zy 04			120206108706820226		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	More free chapters		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703573373	1.7798308539150E+14	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412936907_893254055525383_7355003908464608106_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x3vlaTN1WeAAX9OAkxc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDTLrnTnLiyq-1NnTv2tPQmy9sEnW9Zh_cnwUtXxALQvw&oe=65930741	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413876676_1066304181461327_944263789070473763_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SJjA3Nfz2q8AX8BOmvZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMiQHQEwj1yTRVDI7F_iElntG81-i0kiRPd_UscuQgWQ&oe=6592AB71			0	3	&quot;From now on, we&#039;re even!💔💔💔<br /> ##Chapter 1 The Divorce<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, He was framed for taking some kind of drug without his knowledge. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for what she did.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who framed him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to spend a night with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He did it with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...		MetroNovel Zy 04		12	https://facebook.com/61553260029631	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66675	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054157		67		324921513748551	1	1.0980280745215E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	108722372008776		0	Joanna Quijada Chavarin			120202593748180668					NONE	text					1703533469	1.0872237200878E+14	Joanna Quijada Chavarin	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414150073_898371018340623_8505989783935740229_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sz0sfEBWztAAX90u8Ch&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDD1Z3pzn7Ad-LN9GA9vuXKzbAjOaq4IuBSaHTvq1fpkw&oe=65929673	person_profile	0					0	3	SECRET SANTA time ‼️🎅🏼🤫<br /> Post your cash app and see how much you get from Secret Santas!!!! <br /> <br /> $JoannaQ411<br /> <br /> You never know who might send what 😊<br /> <br /> Even if it&#039;s just a $1 or $1M! I love secret Santa and will be truly grateful for my Blessings 🙏🏾 🎁 🎄 I would love to see my friends and family get blessed this Christmas as well		Joanna Quijada Chavarin		224	https://facebook.com/joanna.quija	0								1703491200		View Edit Delete
68778	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054157		67		332764649456292	2	1.6770116560793E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103144986091260		0	CMG Daily-Choices US			120201748379280520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701332836	1.0314498609126E+14	CMG Daily-Choices US	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404825151_1408475013358708_116570649198376333_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W173_2TAHlMAX96reyX&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCH68qxFMjpJ0cb472tmojouuTIsVnSrzfwtV3oCo-BYg&oe=65927128	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG Daily-Choices US		113	https://facebook.com/cmg.dailychoices.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68442	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054157		67		700436915387861		2.7496543485083E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543259812910		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Primavera Sound Porto		https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899308	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408148990_1738764739954579_6555210772721860605_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nk41ZXRuMHYAX87CwYQ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAQ13Rbfad_rio8pAre5gK7dZRmahHnG7MxxqrkDtOcPA&oe=65921902	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408117336_341678005153395_1571411919946523257_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LEokKzxYZYMAX9JbheP&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfByhlP2rCMwIM7M5DpoOah4OSf8b0h1-kY3k5vZtmKKaA&oe=65931865			0	3	Primavera Sound Porto returns to Parque da Cidade from the 6th to 8th of June 2024. Around 50 artists confirmed to celebrate the 11th edition!		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68218	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054157		67		266915559704897	3	3.496162150623E+15		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753715350427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119701	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409220692_260156000075287_2029340546117319855_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lob6nh9YGaQAX8ttWGI&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDl0hkzlJnrsOSifSuLiAhQaDFpiET8Td0gs0vdXp-uiQ&oe=6591B087	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406459279_894902055618843_3835930704048493612_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mn4bXg90ji4AX9XltQz&_nc_oc=AQlso-htX5MhZBB3exmxY_a7XwdFgvaDMTKibx-lmxDnjkvDJIdwfH1fEbh7hB96MV0&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCgdP9JD5QW6NNM02uCHutalE8VQcSv5QmkaEoAg4KCcQ&oe=65930BD8			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68441	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054157		67		895772348826353		2.7496543485083E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543259827710		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Primavera Sound Porto		https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899310	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407991154_1062304271864865_3184083713404358000_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wdV_5_pfXXkAX-EUC1Q&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6JZKd9dSJWF-8UTE8UP_8Q3uMAroeCrjjtlOZgSyMHA&oe=65915DBB	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407690836_340810088681657_1573994539010385235_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HKjH8nTuUkEAX_WCQXX&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWxqC7PlWCeso5OuDk79QJDIBeA_20iNzQZ8pE6pFfWg&oe=6593348B			0	3	Primavera Sound Porto returns to Parque da Cidade from the 6th to 8th of June 2024. Around 50 artists confirmed to celebrate the 11th edition!		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66983	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054157		67		174136129119571	2	3.038655286917E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106809038380343		0	Joanna Gabrielle			120205742584360174		joannagabrielle.com.br	Learn more		NONE	video			https://joannagabrielle.com.br/ceb/		1703201337	1.0680903838034E+14	Joanna Gabrielle	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413838901_6996677930386826_4812548215316317568_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PFROYDcnJ6wAX8HUFNp&_nc_oc=AQmzuEIh7lAjJhW2Mm6SXgqQM1fPuXFsUBrIJwByqz7LCO8XnRG5qKRFPhrPOnGJu9A&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbVz18EO7HGqI_yyDGoPUUxr9f3IboCwgtqem8FaFWOw&oe=6592C4F5	person_profile	0	Joanna gabrielle | Aprenda inglês	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412871453_1436237880313769_6831549534579655614_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aTurb4BR7zIAX_eoDoe&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAlOeTkBOq4xvipJZQSdnVd5mQFEXVcAwGpnDuaIOAGCw&oe=65931200			0	3	Entender e falar Inglês Fluente seria bom pra você?<br /> (mesmo começando do zero)<br /> <br /> Olha, eu aprendi 5 idiomas antes dos 25 anos, ensinei a Jessie (filha de 4 anos) e outras centenas de alunos, usando uma Metodologia própria. <br /> <br /> Agora, eu quero te levar do Zero à Fluência, mesmo que você:<br /> <br /> - sinta dificuldade de memorizar<br /> - não entenda bem o que escuta no inglês<br /> - não consegue formar frases corretamente<br /> - não faça ideia de por onde iniciar<br /> <br /> Clique no SAIBA MAIS e descubra a minha proposta irrecusável de final de ano!		Joanna Gabrielle		184	https://facebook.com/joannagabriellei	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66945	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		895987982068857		3.6610815266792E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829728740756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213337	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412281800_737327067855194_5585804166645535762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5wQMPXMTN-AAX8kHQTp&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPF3hYKO3uonjFQ-Zg7eFg2YTlZ9sC8SMoS4yWvtolow&oe=65921B7F	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67454	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		321216564064487	1	6.7774989453636E+14		1702800000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118760431268839		0	lookporcelaingirl			120203487810400681		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/lookporcelaingirl		1702679267	1.1876043126884E+14	lookporcelaingirl	https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/358377870_1425775771603663_8927361842888995981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=kqmJK4WO36oAX8AmHXA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfC8-0M8KECIzwhmTIfxsRwkLD5qWDcA7r5BmA7M1J87gA&oe=6591804A	ig_ads_identity	1	em.	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410729874_363996439615154_385036238478938987_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jgl_qmOoxe4AX9jsvVB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZIeYyFPNG5BmNJh7_9T4WTOsqL3sGPonyRMOA12Fp0w&oe=65922E7B			0	3	żeby listkom było wietrznie<br /> i żeby sercu <br /> bezpiecznie.<br /> <br /> w z i e l e n i z:<br /> &#064;jolawachelfotografie <br /> &#064;joanna8grzywacz <br /> &#064;monikaturekfashion <br /> <br /> fascynator:<br /> &#064;marta_ruta_hats <br /> <br /> #sesjafashion #fashion #fashionsession #photosession #model #modelka #sesjaproduktowa #sesjamodowa #fashionphotography #fashionstyle #retro #retrostyle #fashionmodel #polskamarka #martarutahats #oplotka #streetphotography #naturalphotography #nature #streestyle #streetphotos #fotografiaartystyczna #art #artphoto #retrofashion #photoart		lookporcelaingirl		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/lookporcelaingirl	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66747	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		1475757369651939		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203128158960274		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703490000	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412721688_337438319090175_3005468841003490702_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mzrp4ziiFQMAX9A8m-v&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC5o6DthNHX-LwAM9E4A7UX81GQlhXkVDC5RNmpqS9NBw&oe=6592497D	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412794504_1654527978408893_4371717804419462265_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BPsw0USze_EAX8rOY8C&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDAIKyLpFUR1UpfaCLQrb3xfuQlqgSxYb6dWXOFYwdVpg&oe=6592933C			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67769	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054158		67		1312138722790050		3.5355846726739E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548096809		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494400	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410659639_1073675650309436_435524383600676111_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GBBWOjmy-QIAX-7PsKU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAWuN1XFcv137vYYEFvt5hp2o9br4vJO0QuZhZbQB0ZnA&oe=65922083	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410639479_1347805596104162_5352567371815448871_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CboXKfnuy6YAX8QN_Hw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA2dhdULU0QoKJVcNdjwSKgAg5_ydN99RgTBqgYqq5XpQ&oe=659329C5			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66880	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		1078031253217051	1	1.0878807390779E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	247252488700048		0	Joanna Fruhauf Author,Speaker			6551282224924		amazon.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Duck, Duck, Cruise!	Visit Amazon's Duck, Duck, Cruise! Page and shop for all Duck, Duck, Cruise! books. Check out pictures, author information, and reviews of Duck, Duck, Cruise!	https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Duck-Cruise%2521-4-book-series/dp/B0CKZ7149L?ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_0000_share		1703268066	2.4725248870005E+14	Joanna Fruhauf Author,Speaker	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412846493_3892597941026476_386280682840913505_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m2l1afHqaAwAX-tesws&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWxvJfPcEmcs_cILBpsN2EiLORXp6790Ms6dWo64TUMw&oe=6592EA40	person_profile	0					0	3	IYKYK...Boy I have been having fun!		Joanna Fruhauf Author,Speaker		537	https://facebook.com/joannafruhaufauthor	0		SHOP_NOW						1703232000		View Edit Delete
66704	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		1541985553232895		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203557795540335		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491406	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414186907_409565638061267_1732802934211341380_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8vSTIqESu6UAX9DkNcf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCYhWoiA1bE-zKUQKjQ6-btLdezlvLWHQHX-6C2GRgNXQ&oe=65933CAE	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412870653_896191058891796_3080748791807514494_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STo1OTbIGM0AX8avzPu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBV32X1J8yCi5HFiyZ_nlaPkGjBdOWDSki36p9lgzMuJQ&oe=65926598			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
69924	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		852013926390315	1	7.3064509839515E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579114750115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633248	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402656176_687316653372401_7314242853126270308_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t1H3va480ZUAX_gqQpS&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD7xogrWv8RXsFwV2ZHuiRWVyufbv8CT96IRK7WFoElYA&oe=65918260	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402660636_25042422118690127_6986693152006699788_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HYfLmKZaISwAX8wpPem&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfATfUz_2PCiIvUjdHPBkLfkMzEPPK7RqFX63XgW1ymH6w&oe=6591E1C6			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66824	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		657276023014539	1	3.6732522096638E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109287290575967		0	Celebcrazehub			6610112366526		celebcrazehub.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaine's Announce 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Give-away!		https://celebcrazehub.com/		1703346633	1.0928729057597E+14	Celebcrazehub	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413935682_377453834647502_3470726682995124895_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uyQuAD6mMaEAX_ogfnm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBkQ8LKhb3-5mNg8Lpqw5uzBeRGI748nbHTyvHUuwRKsg&oe=65919C1C	person_profile	0	Celebcrazehub	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414004910_870355228426331_6491225811565964607_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wssld65ziHIAX_VYbDl&_nc_oc=AQlPhqAp4AM3NKv8FJ7JZipMlA0kZz4voQLFCeRNCZ4V6nGewNxQ6dlNxE00j5QNkt4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA7AxckZXbf_-GgvS5YZqsMOQ7MPS-CUei43RRpuSPYjA&oe=65927CCA			0	3	Cookware set for life! Backed by a Lifetime Warranty. Say goodbye to buying new cookware sets again!		Celebcrazehub		17	https://facebook.com/100067396292674	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
69104	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054158		67		741622141141477	1	7.1680816697142E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281101090596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068202	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406451313_1021142948998628_3747914709663991758_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0DvBB70o-5YAX-sHVzS&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAkRlFLQhn1F6-wDYBqILHXQLZF0dOtjY85lM2D4qcZzg&oe=6591F31D	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405664010_724178809605953_4778507167529204492_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vpeaDJogf6MAX9HW3WY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD8NljsWbgREWHyXHRo_lKPPorQSjKL6VlfNMMisF1XKQ&oe=6591A100			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68629	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		6722945277754165	1	1.3651915710885E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101598762667562		0	Blanco entertainment			120201401733150549		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	In the colorful panels and witty punchlines of today's comics, female illustrators capture the essence of women's experiences with a vibrancy that resonates deeply. These artists bring to life the joys, struggles, and the often unspoken realities of womanhood with a deftness that's as empowering as....	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1701636105	1.0159876266756E+14	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406684923_333773566043668_9016320771420804497_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3HsqHKc1ZZoAX_GxV7T&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDAkOS87IiVCMQjaiSF29gCQehV8rilHzQvHcftXYHcJw&oe=659246B5	person_profile	0	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406664352_346558938106720_4841121969708572702_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tlfx06u3RyIAX_8QW2u&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBMiDXkQYgwCDRSuiorN6G23pAYJBNr43IbtSeiNmX2XA&oe=6592F7BD			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Blanco entertainment		53	https://facebook.com/100084702515578	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
66801	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		852503586617360		1.4755273511910E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	105619377536524		0	Maharlika Asian Merchandise Filipino store			6526846349360					NONE	video					1703360598	1.0561937753652E+14	Maharlika Asian Merchandise Filipino store	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413006279_212256185269603_8909823272342046923_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sFn3wfjJk3MAX8zqmQu&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCz_xReW8hRxD6FgDgyQBV0mJlZoj95EWU2l44OEivzZA&oe=65921AB7	person_profile	0					0	3	live now for the Christmas raffle <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Albien-Estavas/pfbid02adSeWzCGGk7odkv4wZZtQ7inmX2J4HwNU91sHVtSWZBQtvLEkSKwE6Mc34mwXYenl/">Albien Estavas</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rosemarie.estavas">Rosemarie B Estavas</a> Carla Comora Andaya		Maharlika Asian Merchandise Filipino store		1222	https://facebook.com/100057264797098	0								1703318400		View Edit Delete
69567	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054158		67		3339907152967197	2	5.5695967498318E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611862280115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722791	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404634303_1076535106690511_4197783080033298269_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4aaRJ0H1RLIAX9CWh06&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAhrgo3rytk60AmPn6ZEgNopvnUcyipglJ5pCisf1YXVw&oe=65926C09	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403057339_1077287850111599_7105981100582858647_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zgkVyTz3muIAX8u6uut&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAA7sy8GaQ2ur5G7ZbJ1U088EfRwMcs3xKXnlEQWGvVbQ&oe=6591C7AB			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69691	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		647359527478149	5	1.6303717808225E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100377515694960		0	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience			120200721515760167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679858	1.0037751569496E+14	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404272923_2572055626299902_3305460755590047071_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cjPZmL50kSIAX_TH0G3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDHZnrjA2xA5xlmb7GzsxfYR5RnWXW0skfgb2YcP1scJg&oe=6591CE61	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience		329	https://facebook.com/100071723169364	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68745	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054158		67		1496359380932496	2	7.3378963530712E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497705070404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357862	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406347953_1085848376199781_2233872934505986953_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Xf2HQpsm130AX8R8XEH&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBoN9PEYbwCVemnC6GjjTP_CiyBtY1Wq1LpXrcPsgTNhQ&oe=65915945	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406270131_272773922017125_5687449104301683499_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5mJ0wztMZTQAX86f2Wk&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC6nV-77qHciWqWQHsxE7VDVM1eEtnRYvgNwqSS-uqekA&oe=6591D018			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68082	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054158		67		802935118259228	1	3.7978713455216E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	171260109412534		0	Joanna Monroe			120203297914060291		facebook.com	Like Page		NONE	image	Joanna Monroe		https://www.facebook.com/171260109412534		1702377934	1.7126010941253E+14	Joanna Monroe	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409641874_357538420233707_5230391662643116078_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IiaBJx0Ps3MAX9K7E2c&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAtCe0ImKGjbvTxjNZhK30INzrhKuCy3TywLthrnwJCKg&oe=6591D8E0	person_profile	0					0	3			Joanna Monroe		541	https://facebook.com/61554435305064	0		LIKE_PAGE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
66619	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054158		67		882990313438132	1	1.0807736366915E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	198395926682863		0	Myteez Store 630			120204756182600484		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls45		1703581807	1.9839592668286E+14	Myteez Store 630	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414084479_742706581046144_3233503891922272978_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_j_e9vo7-zwAX-j_yyx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAAdaAVdEPOkAvQvD1VUYznn8RJEX610Gjn8h6w5McsQw&oe=65918994	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls45&amp;h=AT1RqIpMNBZkbPp2oYKbLIpvqw0rQX27MJt7_ychaYz68noCUBXVu_ajjtmECE7akUk68avM-xT07Jcipkcbyu0BcY725KE0fE-VRFP5i8ZKUVBiAdkhzpWDF7LP3V0yuukD6jnN9awDkLTo7gZvdTBeE7hAfD5omvnYWw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls45</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0kEGBpJ8bhyZtZhpxkVb-D_4tPFfBOIujBpbVEXeVE1-dkj_lhqxMu-CajGKsgy2SYA1bszz6UmoiUHfLMl-bfXW-niM_ngJi8KLVIz-HG9_Fxsdo2YTxYhFk1qIeZM8_1IOXDy0qsNki5XVCK1ynkjTUoJEZdQ-ZjsQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Myteez Store 630		0	https://facebook.com/61554135251779	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69061	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054158		67		318655177693172	1	2.4153194208498E+14		1701244800	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103862972598152		0	zendalacraft			120201947023010005		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/zendalacraft		1701082821	1.0386297259815E+14	zendalacraft	https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/327749956_742099477207961_1623403982017122936_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Euu8qPRQOY8AX9yJTmd&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDEzZt6BTqziSpFCV7vNaufqBcMN2bNE-NAQl4KTUOZdQ&oe=6592ACBD	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Medina	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405795587_365167379360340_5790976161788479250_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UjQJP_c4IZUAX8VxOwM&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDug4pwUjobAUXD6mOigYLKwR_9SVisdt-Dtf3VADFlnA&oe=65923FC1			0	3	TEMA: BRUSH LETTERING NIVEL BÁSICO. EN NAVIDAD 🪅🎄🧑🏻‍🎄🎅🏻<br /> <br /> Aprenderás desde cero el arte de crear letras!!! <br /> <br /> * MODALIDAD PRESENCIAL :<br /> <br /> 📆 Fecha: Sábado 02 de Diciembre 2023<br /> 📌 Edad: Cualquier edad, A partir de 8 años en adelante !!!<br /> ⏱️ Hora: 9:00 am a 1:00 pm <br /> 💵 Forma de Pago: Zelle, transferencia, pago móvil, PayPal <br /> <br /> 📍LUGAR: Zona Norte, cerca del Sambil, Taller de Arte Zendala Craft, Maracaibo, Venezuela.<br /> Modalidad: PRESENCIAL <br /> ———<br /> Incluye Kit de Materiales:<br /> - Guía Física para prácticas.<br /> - Set de marcadores punta pincel.<br /> - Portaminas, Borrador <br /> - Material para prácticas.<br /> - Refrigerio <br /> <br /> Dictado por: <br /> Dra. Joanna Medina <br /> Arquitecto.<br /> <br /> Contenido del Taller: <br /> 1. Clase Introductoria<br /> 2. Ejercicios de Trazos Básicos, con prácticas guiadas en tiempo real <br /> 3.Alfabeto Sans Serif en letras minúsculas.<br /> 3. Prácticas de abecedario en tiempo real, con variaciones de estilos de letras. <br /> 4.Anatomía de las letras, diseño y de frases o ideas, paso a paso.<br /> 5. Práctica final motivo Navidad <br /> <br /> ————<br /> Para Mayor Información <br /> Cel. 0414-6157656		zendalacraft		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/zendalacraft	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68266	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054158		67		1528740674594798	1	8.5307222983961E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672577810427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030381	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408082783_3583837431895591_3844498769547307077_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=v9FDN1IBxG8AX-axh-4&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBS98JsxtzlKDgv5c0uiq5xp2hHi93DmfEr8Udz-nGbEA&oe=659335DC	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408020291_1028730201727551_263014485346319100_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eIklktNoh6UAX8pXCqC&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBl8zTXrbH1POdvJZCi8IcrYspo6ZFr1E49kUSXxTfaxA&oe=6592B4EC			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69876	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		280163031687064	4	7.0344910566097E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158876140403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633011	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404390736_349361307747688_4836996902424475907_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Cb7VJV3iJE0AX-G-Y7g&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBXL8hhrkHXiBQ85A7ORHnPuks4seY4Ekige3g6oWeCGg&oe=6592622C	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404405058_1091628495539720_338876556669810970_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x3-Wm8V4P04AX-fbKIq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAAWjuyiu3TyxapaUGuVEoTtxwD5-kRzAl27yullfsH_A&oe=6591879F			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69491	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054158		67		382934907646846	7	1.297378697477E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495714867956		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video	40-50% OFF | Cyber Monday Courses & Certificates	Start your New Year off with Wisdom.	https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700485661	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404251549_255243274214151_1221995075631680717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WH1Fh_ESmjcAX98eVkW&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCa6BY3C8gAePM-NhuQoHvBWQ2iz4KQAK7WcIrvIfiQ2A&oe=6591D644	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402885485_879294740226766_4330294722598361797_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GLtkFL8LZ_8AX9vvdhJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfAkWiXZDm9RDt300Ujzcrb1SkszX7Acgw6J8oVXRKMs7A&oe=659145BA			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
66850	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		313581418316500		8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967035530018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299821	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412751313_382706350909818_8517231508325174401_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aNxjUydO1BEAX-OeyrP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDYQJyE4gxD2A0gIk-XNS9U3ddjxDEXtoBiQIbg9hg5Mg&oe=65928BE4	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412672353_1552835058785440_7988861654295508705_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-xgPs2NB-tkAX9Rv3UE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCNOdMrAefwStUEjBPtHHwbOhVdQBKYrxgzpg9USsOFhQ&oe=65923B28			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
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69949	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		1017991029316557	1	1.0143787832012E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579123250115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633044	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404843909_7093036990749248_6120453793089356026_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9icCBgiFoWEAX_6GNNm&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD4h2NgaEzECe4agnCCWr2tylip6m2DUk9Wjtb-qh7Gig&oe=659300BB	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404898873_1484657808979354_4656447061572440065_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5tOnr5Xn6lYAX_1dy3o&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChgjjVC_CzArfuVSu8bSCe5r9YbdtVCXQjN0P-rv_UbQ&oe=6591460C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68491	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054158		67		712498224155130	6	1.7169165788042E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201881976960476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856214	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407786599_1344522139765784_4382517255734895449_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=afDvkl4XIYoAX-1T7ZO&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2yCz-mFgOJJJv9M4c-Px7Rc1ntPz34Ek3aNuJOGE8BQ&oe=6591EE91	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407849284_327844403337956_1853909753271755926_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=prZYKTQVL0wAX9jCc1B&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBYkxy2REJkaZxEZm2ZyYtdooqnNdy1AUy9vMmD-5VcZQ&oe=65916ABC			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68769	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 6:13 PM	1703760172	1748733220		67		294635126260007	5	3.6876741415128E+15		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120201748383350520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701332841	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406363021_345636751393432_2906570750900288556_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A-BEBVqbUgoAX_hSUns&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCFLddW2xsc5wfdXpUcHQo5LuvPwJJ2tBMiToYUCR5zgQ&oe=6591BBFC	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
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68639	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		696355042638890	2	5.7803483781376E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1212315052125863		0	Bloom Yoga			120202184373170152		lucybloomyoga.com	Sign up		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.lucybloomyoga.com/pages/sisters-of-the-moon		1701530719	1.2123150521259E+15	Bloom Yoga	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407841818_292918336468964_2425834869800652474_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AWr7AJRtZe4AX9FBl_k&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAhmU_VxSuujgICHHHeh_TqUq5d_TuPRmnWAqdjKbIcRw&oe=6591ADD2	person_profile	0	B L O O M by Lucybloom Webb	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407362170_282452567624207_4827441002194061104_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7049TY1Ei7oAX9Uupyg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjo28cQXdR51J3qh-3kLuuvVOO1czNpL4MNsk2JD9olg&oe=6591ECE0			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Bloom Yoga		579	https://facebook.com/lucybloomyoga	0		SIGN_UP						1701504000		View Edit Delete
66455	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054158		67		1296407864385769	1	2.9748408328406E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120204448400580087		joannaczech.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannaczech.com/collections/the-kit-individual		1703181037	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411517493_735244848494274_2377379228333737068_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tBbA0wEHpcYAX-bgVwq&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfANHZwA_YTMacS-PEKRePkeGbT9091HKdjQ2fCFHT8fvQ&oe=6591B9BC	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411525828_401622305534410_1613311331873189405_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ozSGmPSZ3xQAX9ct7lH&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCHRBu0gCoieBgUao9o3F8w5JCXbij8YfqHBq4bLXgtEA&oe=6593000C			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67317	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		1544494786365121		3.75085856848E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	218789368308514		0	21 Draw			6534471647573		21-draw.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Painting Portraits using Gouache	Offer Expires soon! So Hurry!	https://www.21-draw.com/course/painting-portraits-in-gouache/		1702898371	2.1878936830851E+14	21 Draw	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411133811_3514292242145933_584050983302642923_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zch87SRYbh0AX8VZk2H&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBJRA2dBAHuih2H5t-8drlU3W-fJOYX4Xm22baDu9o87w&oe=659144AC	person_profile	0		https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412302863_744853957495109_8908422657099145833_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9-M8ppfkI_0AX_zGoR2&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBhc7wg-kG4xsZUk6-QCcjOZRkU47rbwBv778exDbxGHA&oe=65926C7F			0	3	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a fantastic course and so relaxing to watch. I was mesmerized. I use gouache often, but learned a lot from watching the layering technique with a large flat brush. Thank you for sharing your process and all the valuable tips! (Joanna)<br /> <br /> Do you feel intimidated, assuming it’s an advanced skill that only professional artists can master?<br /> Well, good news! It’s MUCH easier than you might think! Get ready to learn the basics of painting portraits and techniques for using gouache!<br /> Your instructor, Jordan Rhodes, demystifies the process of portrait painting, by explaining in detail each step, giving you clear demonstrations and teaching you easy techniques that you can use right away. With Jordan’s guidance and helpful tips, you’ll realize that creating a portrait is nowhere near as daunting as you thought!<br /> ⁠<br /> 👉️ Check out the course and watch some FREE lessons: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcour&amp;h=AT3XscL3810x4N2ZRSXA8WTYmTKbd1ZVR85NxOSE7V-VqPyMJexgEO2etHt-rXhrWuPx0kgMKbrHWqXHbMWPdqirKlkqKHMwozM4xQr8WH0rrlIOuM0z21xhQgChOwDXJ131dLtYGAvqZmVjfCZJQoF5NG8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/cour</a>…/painting-portraits-in-gouache/<br /> ⁠⁠<br /> Discover what’s in store for you in this course: ⁠<br /> <br /> ⁠✅ Discover how to paint your very own portrait<br /> ✅ ⁠Learn about gouache and how to use it<br /> ⁠✅ Learn how to prepare your paper and set up your workspace<br /> ✅ Learn Jordan’s techniques for mixing colors and blending<br /> ✅ Understand the planes of the face and divide a face into several values<br /> ✅ Get started by painting a base &amp; value layer<br /> ✅ Understand how to build up layers and control opacity<br /> ✅ How to add details to the portrait and clean up edges<br /> <br /> This is just one of many fantastic courses on 21 Draw! With an annual membership, you will have access to a full library of high-quality courses taught by industry experts! ⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Check out other amazing courses: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcourse%2F&amp;h=AT25fTzIQyF1d9zqeEVFYTHNaNBMOKNDupbocEGvEVsLVBGy-dSLFGuMHfh_VVvVmrdXtb75DWoNBIo_I72UmicBfJlAUY_cVKEMht8OtUynkFZn4qG9WwxUydWuxh7sX82Xfn0k5PZqXdVCkmA-JfF9WfE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/course/</a><br /> <br /> Some of the course subjects include: ⁠<br /> 🖌️ Lighting and Shading⁠<br /> 🖌️ Human Anatomy⁠<br /> 🖌️ Facial Expressions⁠<br /> 🖌️ Dynamic Poses⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Procreate⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Photoshop⁠<br /> 🖌️ Drawing Landscapes⁠<br /> 🖌️ .... and MUCH more!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠⁠All these and many other value-packed courses are up for grabs for a limited time at 75% OFF! 👀😲⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Start learning today: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2F&amp;h=AT3T8oDp9M_DA8UC1TDc78LEhAIPGxsBEfpBlRSBCJgQFyGXMCCCPYfHWGn8fY0W4iodquAlZW4jI1FPScth5GAWbvqs_4iUzOAKmxQGU8O_AB2fFgyD6rJLQntVwBr3xjoWkvbBMf886Qpt2uMSzd30U2s" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/</a>		21 Draw		130588	https://facebook.com/21draw	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68630	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/26/25, 8:13 PM	1703760171	1748308436		67		1416575635869607	1	3.1184178478955E+14		1701936000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	113745823383431		0	kimberley.joanna			120201371877100249		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/kimberley.joanna		1701617032	1.1374582338343E+14	kimberley.joanna	https://scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/309066088_1267147980687113_3769485699294236454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=pmAgBr_zqLcAX_24M28&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDJ4PUDJFA1094O4Tyhlrai07O_VDdi6EHRtKl8LJzfTQ&oe=65916FCF	ig_ads_identity	1	Kimberley Joanna	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407721628_658939412793076_8453942545159992971_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9VviEp2o6qAAX-S5gzG&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8NeMRQzTJR_zLJPSM-6K0KTYLsncn-02cfYeembvlwQ&oe=65919ACD			0	3	I am very exited to guest at &#064;sous.berlin and have some time left, send me a dm or email if you want a tattoo ✨		kimberley.joanna		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/kimberley.joanna	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68138	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054158		67		1857404828025684	1	8.7617162728508E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107449048746571		0	OPlaneta			120202789200340635		oplaneta.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.oplaneta.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702292995	1.0744904874657E+14	OPlaneta	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410260693_682642797289358_1798363420348183220_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PSZqGLlls44AX9nLT4x&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCPJlF3XAI5ydpHe2fvUR8f3KYikgOWMx2eNNnGeAtnNg&oe=65924A62	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		OPlaneta		63	https://facebook.com/100084698892404	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68591	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		728170209175479	1	2.8907645022567E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104147352498251		0	History A2Z Español			120202286060100275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667696	1.0414735249825E+14	History A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408237641_2091102944564576_1931980006995533391_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iByUsiUmK2sAX-U6EuD&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-YKGp8iCikqnC7Osf2NMpkTTPHNLq2_qK8krW0COnVQ&oe=65922922	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		History A2Z Español		995	https://facebook.com/historya2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
69213	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054158		67		328020539981130	2	6.6765789524521E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674073760115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969863	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405764123_391042083249506_4356062052729687293_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-Di8fRlIE7EAX8PEhjP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8o9LC7UYdth0deKfGPYzuFh6KNK5h25lVbQhnbOdogQ&oe=6592B8BE	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406013548_1427447061319061_7652825964145495168_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6CRdl9bkt60AX8nLaoW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhk_pUBmldNWLXg0hgIWqSuNJC6ZhSTBJFQLn2E0DQ5g&oe=659306B8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
67946	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054158		67		676534534692686	1	1.7442205327213E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434519330465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447716	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409906385_366499669270673_5699358533278276044_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RJ5De1p1FlMAX9wk1-y&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxB551o9NyXFxBgFPImnElTI0hkGlxU93FwezfBLRPGw&oe=6593268E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409963272_1293971191313479_8473361862788354558_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=boiUurGALnQAX8Ljllx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDJ8yffzZeS_kT6ThrfH3I0qtsQeZTWKGN5Sn6qPl-SKQ&oe=6591F3C0			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67434	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		1031093841466391	1	1.5755990298514E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765739870465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702478	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411313156_1151258875854993_2185246994506966879_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3lJ6cP6MBWAAX8VgHt8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC_cqDhytVxZJEH0BxgUpQvT8iKsjLAff0pj40bMV7HwQ&oe=65918E24	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411304603_753124283521739_5252054221153815969_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pwGrYW7plgMAX9qmL2J&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCreTp2ic8TCwxH-86nlMEcGIi0FBl-9dx3GCLj6XtnZg&oe=6591D7E4			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67519	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		734770968071990	3	1.2402546101146E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011741870506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636906	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411495768_2501898173303909_2442352099466498796_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wo_pwpVe6REAX8fpvnZ&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB7GOtjQzljrIrvTN4mE6Wk1gGAX9U08g1M3w7RVjeQjQ&oe=659227EB	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411464514_7492288987466625_5476394650372017636_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CenhMCSk2wIAX_hqGPC&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCf_pfhBlA78xN6i2g0bCQWDCuTVyQbYL7J-hNB-ImbRQ&oe=6592AF73			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67541	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		293952963635788	1	3.6826628893931E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203924309230613		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/3bw5npofyz0yjotryds4lqbb?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702631650	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411177988_3782541765403162_1127089982747718774_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U0xfX0i-H6QAX8eQJtA&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA7OZckl9G3BCGsoFYUjtfwdPhDMbrWspgLY1D_plOnZg&oe=65925FDB	person_profile	0					0	3	The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
69849	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		7088110824585979	10	5.559146662118E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	111862640665344		0	Jada Simone Jewels			120201926288560594		jadasimonejewels.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Jada Simone Jewels		https://jadasimonejewels.com/products/rhea-bracelet-stack?utm_source=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&utm_medium=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&utm_campaign=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&utm_content=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&utm_term=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D		1700694403	1.1186264066534E+14	Jada Simone Jewels	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404310304_1719920855147071_7269749614867713186_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2Nu0Ko5gVoYAX9Ungue&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAXpPKZ_eiHEFFbzqaRZPPHSuZPBj5kJ-uhBb-DNbKR1w&oe=659309F9	person_profile	0	Jada Simone Jewels	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404643605_764654235486031_6611016274703849859_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ksw7P2XarxkAX_llkL3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKiwC7cbXdIL-iBmjLlGw3H4sMSSSNlDV8RxnpGTIJYQ&oe=659236E2			0	3	✨ Treat yourself to some wrist candy ✨		Jada Simone Jewels		5883	https://facebook.com/JadaSimoneJewels	0		SHOP_NOW						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67712	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054158		67		1337495410204545				1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	122608000815989		0	Hashtag Hacks			120203302558830222		hacksdetective.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.hacksdetective.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702471100	1.2260800081599E+14	Hashtag Hacks	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410669011_6839165149470624_779027336820668498_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LI9mRakWuMAAX-2gLGZ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBekdh1cy_yuLkqvuCWgknV5xXK7IRxWFgsN-BHjbGv5Q&oe=65919155	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Hashtag Hacks		626	https://facebook.com/100092170448156	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
70070	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054158		67		931238271821779	1	3.9353916967658E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112116480243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554391	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404898877_1039281947115858_8296589884212717976_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y2NNwtyAoB0AX-q3EzP&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAbezHo_08QLvFLDDEAKHmflIFvCJk2aDqwZtyZ7cYOg&oe=65923AE9	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404555860_935421567898055_3599086550714141450_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3IFXwhJAyj4AX_slegL&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCCdk4LsKlIucrr_gCYVJ0O2zIur6unik-kvgKE2TVCwQ&oe=65925A7E			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69402	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054158		67		659637089651490	1	1.387554705507E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220477360404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582546	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404319089_675014511401411_4513060975949551745_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S7GpfgufM0IAX-YNMvN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3mhN-Qpk75VX4KwKZx569MEd_D724uG-L-MrVtATPoA&oe=6591C0D2	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402957807_256956764046331_3256204974770598092_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ituh2dRY9ioAX9yVZqp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBemFJtSsP6MYFQUsUgDMlobACTruPp60ORsE2HnNdMDg&oe=65927198			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69730	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		890689559365213		2.7834020851566E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779365580250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678775	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404286689_2650950335067980_8718050196012372022_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qbl6yn4w6_QAX-ysf4-&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDbKydRs0xJCeFfYK-4x6rR5Ec0Cx08BZe_l_mVJIMiyQ&oe=6592293B	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69743	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		889642729352898	5	8.9788543133228E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721115290167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679000	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404549215_1715815735586018_265815704509471861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w6MJY-G4Zg4AX9Oezz3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBRsrVW4oyQOPpSsJ4BAkySoBdawt5cSnGeFil-vkWqng&oe=6592D782	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69707	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		781681310431081	5	1.0156560028262E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721035170167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678881	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403723303_340445045354355_4047403071000238198_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pRsfrS4YYjEAX8M0qgw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAevUL08kVA7SFRj6KRozUOgOZhZmJvfZwP6QvD3k-CHw&oe=65925703	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69521	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054158		67		600165972186073	2	3.2593441350221E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611860460115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722788	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404154291_2048835892152985_4740149835412102812_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z1zwMHh1vMgAX8MlFdZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDBpO-X5Aq2TgpxNNMqVhp9LzLX2RHxgyN9892s-Y_D3A&oe=65925A92	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404838062_875694943998333_1946770185864598412_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5s0PtFaUOfMAX9VSSar&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBjS5ipiG-fL6zffRFhumBNHAaK3a-D79CvgUfgnsx_OQ&oe=6592125D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69579	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054158		67		1275980146426593	1	3.1829295430231E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111590884348619		0	Scoolinary			120203949326570679		scoolinary.com/christmas-desserts	Watch more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.scoolinary.com/courses/christmas-desserts		1700678817	1.1159088434862E+14	Scoolinary	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402664058_720056699997645_854940460759025271_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=14d2C6KefooAX9ofz9K&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfBDn7pX_HgeEnkbxICg60OEZVIB7gEcWgvT7d4m4gqKkQ&oe=6592E08E	person_profile	0	scoolinary_en	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402659285_1029081084871036_5158437725605398841_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zdObX3ltZRYAX9OkMXh&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfA_3Vnf0BXOC7CYPIaWZceUkBkrUa-VsmYMrQBUF-Sz0A&oe=6592F907			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Scoolinary		180771	https://facebook.com/ScoolinaryEN	0		WATCH_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69323	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054158		67		1389756191892067	1	1.1047826775675E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632222660115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796910	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403064068_1571440460265003_2441801669882602344_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SoDD2uORBjcAX_7yxAS&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCDyA_hQmHxeOQFxnAEjv3ukjc1o8KkU5_oJtaBLKH0wA&oe=65922E2A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405795886_1069679394215537_9144451891006281591_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CeBGA9nJUb8AX-aTOCA&_nc_oc=AQkvZjgu6Ii-O_bCI3inTEC9jFevXWy4v7styOmo56-yxANJFJdbtLTBmMEd40vejIU&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAS3jTmn0mS7q2SR5yI7_OpGuYeATaUi-MP2fI4n_aFCg&oe=659338C3			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67180	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054158		67		360765666539539	1	1.0117283265519E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475619230743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976805	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410958807_1151193502531421_8372088273117159713_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RXOblkQsBPUAX-lRzrJ&_nc_oc=AQlh6PLh9DjRvdvt7-3MFwvtKljVUn67QDnxMnvTDk6joVCgXU2LZ77E-U8az7xmWAy845JmiOt9w4fxpQdMIBdX&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBC2_uc5wIDbwdar9c7U8tLki1Hjo6hnYwbTGXbSkFbZw&oe=659220D3	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410959081_1031463294775899_2509517458248682676_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wcoVE-tAiPMAX93WR3y&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDQE6uPtbUcE0B1MpsHbZUzYSpI1mXcUc4-IopNAnO4hw&oe=6592EFE8			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
70119	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054158		67		362524396312662	2	3.1389075824949E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201539252650115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700547906	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404295481_1005927380487109_5032301552518584546_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NuGsGbpWmtgAX8AAmt4&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD6IQDWKKpnpM7DMmCjHUTsuoBXJUWJb1n7qXliWP0lrw&oe=65919A85	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402954228_1684626785359540_1485955735372058139_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fot2jQldpeoAX-xaEBX&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDk1lnt1iDZ7sB_m6XgSxcNf2qC90NNTU33nVF7XsovSA&oe=65927C9F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
66462	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054158		67		1026887541918809	2	7.1736665033051E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120203653110750183					NONE	text					1702922983	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412315546_269951816085645_1421101670576023690_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JVDmp9Ql71cAX8LVn33&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD1wYqnpyC_E42zmAym3WthfhvSO6YcCwBWnjT4qF1Okw&oe=65927168	person_profile	0					0	3	One of the greatest joys of the holiday season is giving. Here are some great ways to give back to Fort Bend County!<br /> <br /> 1) Toys for Tots Presorting: help sort toys and set up for the 2023 Toys for Tots toys distribution. <br /> 2) Volunteer as a bell-ringer or angel tree attendant.<br /> 3) Provide pantry items or volunteer with Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry&#039;s Holiday food program.<br /> 4) Volunteer to help homeless families across Fort Bend. <br /> 5) Area pet shelters are always looking for volunteers especially during &quot;Home for the Holidays&quot; campaigns. Remember to adopt, don&#039;t shop! Consider volunteering with Fort Bend Animal Services.<br /> <br /> Check the comments for the links to sign up for each volunteering event. Hope to catch you at one!<br /> <br /> Locals, are there any I’m missing?<br /> <br /> - Joanna		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0								1702886400		View Edit Delete
69920	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		809818364248382	1	8.9682915145006E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579107690115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633033	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403607526_3632137717064523_3664626805718657230_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NMDQ9QwXpdYAX9MrKRh&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDl_ab_QjZczELtVR4P5F3QqFiqcjBnGhutETmeOUe3Iw&oe=6592C1E1	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403629283_725687072780106_7545920873549754182_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8gBjdX3kdL8AX_92YqV&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCzjRd6nxqDkgaNPFberfGDDPxYTV7gb4wp4d0nehPM1A&oe=6591CB3C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69909	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		664584522488526	2	1.2862751187325E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158874250403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632998	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405061756_1076466036870857_297012227490179890_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EQLZzjpXSYgAX9d2XTU&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAkoZBtTCabGT9phLACPQZ5WXQqwh2x7FlH41OBWS6Llw&oe=6592944F	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402652939_1389834181958553_1995958920550988269_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AHxT29U5OoAAX8GlenE&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAcj4daEyHm0cys3Drnya7PA4DYbX3N8gq3PjC7OD6HAA&oe=6592F814			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68628	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		312362591693839		1.4272105615288E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101598762667562		0	Blanco entertainment			120201401743190549		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	In the colorful panels and witty punchlines of today's comics, female illustrators capture the essence of women's experiences with a vibrancy that resonates deeply. These artists bring to life the joys, struggles, and the often unspoken realities of womanhood with a deftness that's as empowering as....	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1701636108	1.0159876266756E+14	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407823400_385872717438514_3627636120844193243_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PkRV5rNWf-MAX96e-n-&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBpHXlgwyFycg1o0836u1o20S17PRTXVe0KqIeWF7vc3Q&oe=65917DF3	person_profile	0	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407987080_855024809651569_5035097820990203763_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sX69jcp5nCgAX-O_DQp&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCUH_8ggPwXTYDqhiAGjJ-u45KZ-3d2XX0kZzBAPWEanA&oe=6591E3B4			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Blanco entertainment		53	https://facebook.com/100084702515578	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
67606	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054158		67		883817626404838				1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107484338786638		0	The Good Life			120203686500330437		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702565801	1.0748433878664E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411098239_288032930903586_3883919159968976750_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b5F5E4w5h7YAX8spjdL&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqQ9sG9ArOjAZ21zHmbECOuYXV4aiFZ-imQsty_xQkpg&oe=659271A0	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		The Good Life		1880	https://facebook.com/100086048831352	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67804	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054158		67		320873187502352	3	3.8508444062965E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548029209		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494473	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410720290_275124541823844_5112327570320181035_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UEQqDgcBnNsAX_fn6xG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCO36VjlZjNcaI5J1TpjuKmoq1cIKSewFKIv2JwejFwfg&oe=6591C407	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410851685_812742410653917_3925021598781976833_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cFu9RJxvbKoAX8KDc0t&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDOIdC_Tlf5FHADuPhe9rwH7Mg9oPHdXEUnPRzdM_3FbQ&oe=6592817C			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66691	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		1034535070944178		8.851472866062E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203800483330518		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703505657	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412548317_910401070136295_3759380771553876049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YyHxtmIiNW8AX_cgGtt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDVwitTV7hcla6Hgijwpj6EpXUAzvYL2U5MO9JAXlfqRA&oe=65923355	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414027881_750574450278860_8000123261913264303_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HXs6vtVNe-0AX8X9WoX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSPQBHfViLg4J5yWZwiyXM8vcJWjMxUT8noVUyfgOqkg&oe=65920708			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68255	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054158		67		348360551145769		3.6017906668063E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104004358796647		0	IMIND Mental Health			120200829818390224		fb.me	Learn more		NONE	image	Will Insurance Cover TMS Depression Therapy?		http://fb.me/		1699645327	1.0400435879665E+14	IMIND Mental Health	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/399643979_1210702000319142_3153167803278352692_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FYXEcq2AFPYAX9qDHJ2&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDHThCy8JofUKhBBgSAqxhx91dyO2GqdvJKf7LqTHE9Mw&oe=659228E2	person_profile	0	iMind Mental Health Solutions	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/399591025_919498286558153_1445601391316220668_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vd3QjH381jkAX_BLTh7&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDnwOI4jECP_e0c4RXhaMvpoouV-x4OybuZJHd-OaVplA&oe=65930D06			0	3	Many depression sufferers have tried everything. <br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried anti-depressants...sometimes 3 or 4 different kinds.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried traditional &quot;talk&quot; counseling.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried following mental health advice.<br /> <br /> They’ve listened to their friends and family tell them to “just choose to be happy”.<br /> <br /> But for many people suffering from depression, none of the above have truly helped them find lasting relief.<br /> <br /> Until now.<br /> <br /> A new form of treatment known as Brainsway TMS Therapy has been clinically proven to be effective at treating depression at its source.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy uses magnetic-stimulation to reach the part of the brain that controls whether a person feels happy or sad.<br /> <br /> In fact, Brainsway TMS Therapy has been proven to be effective for ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​patients who didn&#039;t respond to traditional depression treatments.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS therapy can potentially help depression sufferers get off their antidepressants, which is a major plus for many patients.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy is:<br /> <br /> ☑️ Safe<br /> ☑️ FDA-approved<br /> ☑️ Medication-free<br /> ☑️ Covered by most insurances<br /> ☑️ No systemic side effects<br /> <br /> Thinking Brainsway TMS Therapy may be the right choice? And want more information? <br /> <br /> Here’s what to do:<br /> <br /> Click &quot;Learn More&quot; below<br /> Fill out the form (30 seconds)<br /> Schedule a free phone consultation.<br /> <br /> Talk soon!<br /> <br /> Dr. JoAnna VanVleet, D.O., D.F.A.P.A.<br /> iMind Mental<br /> Port St. Lucie, FL<br /> <br /> For faster service, call (877) 355-8780		IMIND Mental Health		222	https://facebook.com/iMindMentalHealth	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68589	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		293573379737219	1	2.0736628063665E+15		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104147352498251		0	History A2Z Español			120202286062280275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667696	1.0414735249825E+14	History A2Z Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407358931_733719681937943_7075164544078949158_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O4M4FbovJgoAX-TwyXq&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC9UzzjItsnUJj9kq4Aa4FaLNetPuJHIBc8PoqtszeNGQ&oe=6592EE7B	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		History A2Z Español		995	https://facebook.com/historya2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68806	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054158		67		721807276154364	1	7.4024961128041E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1181854881965784		0	Royal Delicacy			120203290687410409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1701290536	1.1818548819658E+15	Royal Delicacy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406554514_1466114600648562_5912098851643122086_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bvYod-qnM_YAX_sW8RD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBrfq1n4enozuwEvdNplv6FQa9GajF4F4ZvMkgSEL7QdA&oe=6591C89B	person_profile	0	Royal Delicacy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406552227_845795900897145_3058027573532019328_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TxlV1sk47TYAX_PzfPP&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC6BnVpusM7PqhfRzKYY1PFEzBXTgleuiAdIlFmn2PUbg&oe=6592CCB8			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Royal Delicacy		85390	https://facebook.com/RoyalDelicacyFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1701504000		View Edit Delete
68349	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		900613621151450	1	1.7320422439681E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6585777607809		joannavargas.com/booking	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/collections/new-york-facials/products/triple-crown-facial-1		1701966856	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406747956_3674550462784504_4137049871884007342_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bFMMd8BWfqsAX_w8-Xd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCDW52EdeJ62jTB3Wk_7YgLMhjTAGHsGHzcbpaLQ835EA&oe=6591F294	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406748390_673707534848007_664885321753358586_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XWNbKqvlRVkAX_DRWGN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBezANhlcRynBo1kwwrPhy1CyevbO48W9zwJGVHCmSJVA&oe=65928CEF			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68049	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054158		67		915801946835780		7.060869210673E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207706268290456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389831	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410113838_373915225161432_4315613115122492994_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0NMoQ08MxeMAX8Y_uTG&_nc_oc=AQkTf_FYAlsPrc-Opvjjgtb1Bqh5em32l72dip6ba17ukXwDY9JFxS_xPGX4KcKgnnxmft2G09dMDvjQHk0ew0D_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNaqSw51BBr0D6AvhcOA2vVviLczOOjkRkkeKt70ILZA&oe=65931CA6	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408847832_1832114707221289_254153225324393930_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nJAohNJowQ0AX8sSzeN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA0Ed0EqUZBhryr58nPMHaVAKxmuPEH3HCI2lPxJDZljg&oe=6592D5DD			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68104	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054158		67		743057011004977	1	2.9814889262389E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201679243520743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702368862	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406865856_290405336799595_7364209221413467292_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=511o-Jdr8jcAX9Soe7m&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCTQImq7sxhDEB0JGvO4qaFZxbHhDV2ovYLRUq5W4G_LA&oe=6591F4B7	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408504411_376591534754717_7733136875022910216_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hhgl_V9VB2QAX88y5ZR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAe7SX5eZu_cwKkZfc4Z9HzBVwpvknlR92a9EDo9UefHw&oe=659238B7			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67644	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054158		67		353783020588561	1	6.7721608454241E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	112243818028359		0	Niko Stories			120202962074030340		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Fixer Upper’s Dark Downers: The Hidden Secrets Behind the Hit TV Show	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-ua/		1702585367	1.1224381802836E+14	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409921836_371990558530684_1026392085103242356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=elBaRiVj10sAX-YosRx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC0Vin0sIclf2cVbuUiP6dAR907cHHtawHVfu_Hld5w5g&oe=65917AD4	person_profile	0	Niko Stories	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409968699_678201564137680_5733687931049026277_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RSS1NhosnV0AX8g0zxs&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBMWZ03CSwy2OAiCqzWfkmQb8IdYBLO1TIF-2StPBEU2Q&oe=6592183D			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Niko Stories		21	https://facebook.com/100079533857132	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67516	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		1642296806179346	1	6.9454160122425E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011748470506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636963	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410766733_673546884933149_5390485424039436545_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QrVDSz64FWEAX9La95H&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBaw1sFWJT6wLvw-jAoCfG5VmJvawFVDZwZ7c7EIlSrjg&oe=65922ECD	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410835000_224817237235912_4047441065315569528_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hIkiHohJmboAX9g3Vgt&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBihjQfgyS8HCq_iNYMAXgRsy4FoCfaGQcSyL0vCHOL8g&oe=65915AD7			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67781	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054158		67		273239142394536		1.3989916943323E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548091409		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494400	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409751426_1311163910285219_4588452698398977547_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CXl3EUtO45MAX8D4xJj&_nc_oc=AQlrMr_qs53vusRWUPEAhL9Iczvlhk1TPFChcE18UocSX71RhpDYnDlgwnUIMkE9Ywo&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB5Y18yqhU18UuKbH_ErCfhdnwZ558TJ7c-UTpCfYGCQg&oe=6591D370	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409848520_304001898625924_5983432819507188504_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dOwUUMUNgg8AX_zBkcp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD4yU-9AX7m0-pHZvZviSbQ4yIpSYbhJYTUMKUaSoU6JA&oe=6591CA71			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68944	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054158		67		678279850767858	1	2.939732132992E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300670450596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151673	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404661022_874428740728052_177485236009779351_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lV6mhPa4V0cAX8t-uB4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDN4bc0gli3dUDxAZd_QW_IkzzBpSJKUxukXi7vAd29ew&oe=65918B86	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404640519_366338029295464_3476437546355765904_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5-tQLgCziHIAX9DzkGZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAj5U91ImtYR36rhFmbmcuMRb6Dt9Pa6oQm-tQGGXWzuA&oe=6592F6D0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69270	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054158		67		353552027358548	8	3.5265593721915E+14		1701158400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103925852704978		0	Family Clothing 4			120200787301830169		mfamilygift.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA Y1	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilygift.store/joanna-y1		1698375286	1.0392585270498E+14	Family Clothing 4	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/395837234_826817829445284_8714417843147309276_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4iUDrbKGNGcAX_ba8Qe&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBukV4yClzlCKK0CWra2gK4UAwqw71vQ88pJRKIm00bxA&oe=6592340A	person_profile	0					0	3	Limitited edition - This shirt is for you<br /> Order here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilygift.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1zm3KhKaHFXWHcAxeTWF7QMTmwlSxna9PvfOUZkL253xfEMdq74Gch91oOs9A3hG_hYjwM-oouybF9J9e4Vi7lBb7osd54dnNn6UfAQeTbw_6qiNOrmdmDe7P3J_k9tvk3yxs3jcooGniXEw72Tg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilygift.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Clothing 4		98	https://facebook.com/100092689473077	0		SHOP_NOW						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68938	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054158		67		1534491180640965	2	2.3139807788105E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120200685809900123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700053226	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401665707_737177881776037_4402428300958524847_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MSjyUXXFfnEAX9LHIX3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBxKwiPQuB5S1Ui9gVleSJI-VKmkI25CmXucZmtn5XYPA&oe=659259B6	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401722453_1046305139740914_9055438400608848248_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tK9NFl_RdTIAX9FvZVB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBu5VeQHmG3xwkarH69dsfNGnYDFxd__2NVahMCAwr7sg&oe=65933810			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68395	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		1048669983003084	1	1.3194874920981E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997303020476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940680	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406783058_2211882215869559_3731462585837652148_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=414ucLM2sEkAX-RgR77&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAmpqrVLOs12SxcZ2AOo3U4-af-AlrHiiHE2lQ3FpP_2g&oe=6591B164	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406793193_891636732361903_3820270384965802269_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3q9xN5u_LpkAX9ubz82&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB3tS9EkzqihU8IvwKjHPBGlZ-bxuBmoyVxNc0-CESt6Q&oe=65933D86			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
67707	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760164	1742988581		67		869964134833701				1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120203249817530344		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702471845	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409586718_1143208049995789_3937073499646960770_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rUO0_zLHhwYAX8VAvFE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC61I4aY1YW0mX8d0mZY7fI5rdoi8CYBYO9uMD5sOkVuQ&oe=659277D3	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
66460	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054158		67		906268860935098	1	2.9053993680819E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	129043333619048		0	Joanna James			120202102888540187					NONE	dco	Joanna James	{{product.description}}	https://facebook.com/61551032757689		1702899684	1.2904333361905E+14	Joanna James	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411162847_381345424341994_4806514562967527102_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2qo1RA-b9MoAX_jkjvH&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfA2wCLKjGrtUvj4twPHDDBLTzbrqKZ0HsUAfOymuLpmrw&oe=65919E4E	person_profile	0	Joanna James	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412296753_734848095200205_3682435131500366133_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ji615-DcJ-4AX9ZUS_O&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAf0dTc2STwLhLI-Hv5q6T9KfjHghP87wTWqL-C4kmblg&oe=6591C45C			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna James		11	https://facebook.com/61551032757689	0								1703059200		View Edit Delete
66687	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		24368521569458196		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204757753160062		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703511041	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411964533_1573434586808055_6924979019524723982_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zXw2DX8ygo4AX-4MYnZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6QWtJIxScv0PqoyAE-RVFgaxLGA0b5p54oPQHsETRFg&oe=6591E0F0	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414583201_3680362705617403_8979065578617455560_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=__WDtWjc8BkAX8w7JO3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDPdstOl8NzZ9qlL_CDDFhlQOtt-Bm-XGart7zb70f0jw&oe=6592DD52			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67084	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054158		67		709681354499664	4	2.1117062204031E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	328690820916913		0	Jim Fisher			120202082026570705		morelifesales.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Discover How Top Agents Are Getting Off The 'Buying Leads' Hamster Wheel	Life Agents: Watch this video if you want to sell more IUL and Annuity - GUARANTEED	https://morelifesales.com/learn-more		1703101081	3.2869082091691E+14	Jim Fisher	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412070595_879433227184750_5766400941857825805_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZnP-D-w1E-gAX9WAPED&_nc_oc=AQnmu7ZDA5Y2pEVLTYA0x-eXF39zghIBOWeILr23e5mEU8cl_PrfD482PnZN5tZ0wyqrPgRIxErPUEAk36yyJfCc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDQCYdkQ87wDpne-CC4aOeHYXq33A0SRIfBBbnPuQxqcA&oe=65918ECA	person_profile	0	Jim Fisher - Jucebox	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411771211_275260432208315_5422634346286339223_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zrEx40wo6OAAX-06Uju&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDD8ajj_A3fz5XDkj_UV2cXEZDpOGNGA3kLbr8CSXcqQA&oe=6591C5DA			0	3	“I’M SO TIRED OF THE BUYING LEADS HAMSTER WHEEL!”<br /> <br /> I see it all the time…<br /> <br /> They’ve been told by their IMO that the way out of their mess is more leads (and better leads).<br /> <br /> And what’s the result?<br /> <br /> ❌Agents drop out of the business…<br /> ❌They bang their head against the wall…<br /> ❌They keep buying more leads in search of the “best” leads<br /> <br /> But there’s a controversial and surprising truth…<br /> <br /> If you’re only focused on buying more leads, you won’t consistently close IUL and annuity like top 1% producers do.<br /> <br /> Why?<br /> <br /> Because there’s something that top 1% producers know that most agents don’t.<br /> <br /> Leads are important, sure.<br /> <br /> But how you convert that lead is more important than who the lead is.<br /> <br /> And that’s why I created Agent Shift.<br /> <br /> After proving this system with 1000 agents (and guess what…I actually use this system myself), I’ve realized there’s only 3 things you need:<br /> <br /> 🌐 Custom-Built Lead Generating System<br /> 💰 Proven Selling System<br /> 📈 Customized Coaching and Support<br /> <br /> So if you want to get off the ‘buying leads’ hamster wheel, then click the link below to see if you qualify for our Agent Shift program in just 30 seconds!		Jim Fisher		1204	https://facebook.com/jfishercoach	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
69720	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		863050158832945	5	8.4403303105709E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114866079891340		0	Trivia.com			120200721167820167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679091	1.1486607989134E+14	Trivia.com	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403062126_649605070587053_234047071631406610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fkmSHS6SykIAX8n-nnt&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqirX2kdWrh7uLJhl3yNhPcKU2lqspjgrlyzhHN8LXTQ&oe=6591BD67	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com		19830	https://facebook.com/100063472063438	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67455	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		1432194340667848	1	3.0213621263957E+14		1702800000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118760431268839		0	lookporcelaingirl			120203487811020681		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/lookporcelaingirl		1702679266	1.1876043126884E+14	lookporcelaingirl	https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/358377870_1425775771603663_8927361842888995981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=kqmJK4WO36oAX8AmHXA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfC8-0M8KECIzwhmTIfxsRwkLD5qWDcA7r5BmA7M1J87gA&oe=6591804A	ig_ads_identity	1	em.	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411080290_253845767498582_1912123639835930660_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gkGY8Y2JHhIAX_6aveg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBJ-qo3pPBpChxo31NExgMbQzzay4JwvJWOJ4YVT6BwhQ&oe=6591F6C1			0	3	k a p e l u s z n i k cz.2<br /> <br /> &#064;jolawachelfotografie <br /> &#064;joanna8grzywacz <br /> &#064;monikaturekfashion <br /> &#064;oplotka <br /> &#064;marta_ruta_hats <br /> <br /> #sesjafashion #fashion #fashionsession #photosession #sesjaproduktowa #sesjamodowa #fashionphotography #fashionstyle #fashionmodel #model #modelka #polskamarka #martarutahats #oplotka #streetphotography #streetphotos #streetstyle #hat #retro #retrofashion #klasa #szyk #wehikulczasu		lookporcelaingirl		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/lookporcelaingirl	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67504	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		853991553090014	2	1.3934563812892E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011751270506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636971	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410165235_1195645181394242_4017851237256315234_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tXlJ4lP940gAX_7QpXj&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBd8RELeO7pFwKZHko4gtHRG20GjFQ5-QZ1LuY95tU5xw&oe=65926424	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410154159_1295802111085287_2410655888943011415_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zoCAKQuvZ_MAX9JIpbK&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDhO3Nq4tOubKQZ4QKpLsG-AIoWnkzFTtzbwzS9A5eeiw&oe=65925CE8			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67495	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		1539031053598074	2	3.4592548147453E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011752200506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702637068	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410162100_1539238783518140_3543192232717280269_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mvNJ_owcIbMAX-DkuBM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAZcvUjfA6bEQ4qkiGZjNu_uKq758eOeT1WW-2R4RwEFw&oe=65932DEB	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410187905_1602742983466838_8532536963873533518_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qdN1mwGQgNEAX_1pmp0&_nc_oc=AQlEu06Qv3uMofivjiora1gZm_JOnMvWFqYGzd7jyF4Fs0xRZLGEXiJzNscmAoKqfsg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCTBmf1pXynr_oXyGWipAXeBj7P-lnbSZ6eFUmMf6Eecg&oe=65927C61			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68086	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054158		67		198797749959607	1	3.3654094912721E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143587200670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374825	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409931223_994352648330470_7197681055236351739_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WfkMF68CkT0AX9ekEC-&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2cDSuFQu8xnYcQMEQTUsAr0mn0QDu5SZGOrf2qiUUVA&oe=659258F3	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409923208_3676753202595089_2417902061560605656_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GXh9Ider4PIAX_eOONW&_nc_oc=AQnJnwIYa-0JWsBqAUdg9tyWekjOQ_3PxOT3eA-UeMimfKemftCyKOYwg_h7aD8YXx4&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzovBJ17zXAYhjmSBu2eyNR06LIHC2NoCYbu3Fe1z7aA&oe=65933D80			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67396	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		729102898782563	1	8.1955520659284E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508615790427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806521	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412138634_332418086221565_6191504394971214481_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x7N7ReDIyVIAX_HcnmP&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC2sUMlUR1_lXuzW5so0MK3YNEGh8axYuvX5F8fLpeKBA&oe=6591726F	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412113061_1720066551833932_2361316143120556340_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OybhRWdabYQAX9qV_v1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBAHYJG8HP20cc7XGKk0TJY6PmkBh3E3ga8aN19UTMlMw&oe=6591D638			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67551	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		1823140501440451	1	3.7112143547265E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205077878510729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702629886	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409793273_270939172640676_4803176305132715513_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EjIsS8NmCpQAX9LzqAj&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8YnI7jxexrVujLaB6Hs9Y5mSdUtlw3-d3GLZ06zqE3g&oe=6592CE10	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409197520_1089211205765987_4768412701340728770_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7nVkHz57BOcAX-lvgfk&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfClYVIhg00MaYvL0DuTKdaqgAdKRMNhxtEPC8hd7pDR-A&oe=6592CEBE			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66854	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		662223022789808		8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967030390018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299799	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413032776_643848967713223_3551356380090879862_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5IMurCQdfrAAX8JH74K&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB1gI-9eSwjuYnvmI8Kc2im83-lxkvyig8oFcgEOeX6Lg&oe=6591F96E	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412893449_6319645721471226_2055107429827460301_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=75Ez-RaNWl8AX-8vncO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRTjuUc-xa7Gl5aqn7I__Klt8fEBYFbUhy0AFIz2bL0g&oe=6592E4C0			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67090	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054158		67		1541655430019006		2.1117062204031E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	328690820916913		0	Jim Fisher			120202082026600705		morelifesales.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Discover How Top Agents Are Getting Off The 'Buying Leads' Hamster Wheel	Life Agents: Watch this video if you want to sell more IUL and Annuity - GUARANTEED	https://morelifesales.com/learn-more		1703101085	3.2869082091691E+14	Jim Fisher	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412926961_1560313881410438_9065068368971468964_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XRseFWPmQwIAX-Xyl9n&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDUPQruuDHtt231Z0KxvV000PAMeEL_0DHPRNx_46klww&oe=6592A7A9	person_profile	0	Jim Fisher - Jucebox	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412916353_2826991014117619_3386206030799227836_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V06UymXf13QAX8rUtgv&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDV6Ooz786r86zIPz0qzGiB3SDvFEBv3fb8f_L3viKjFg&oe=6592085A			0	3	“I’M SO TIRED OF THE BUYING LEADS HAMSTER WHEEL!”<br /> <br /> I see it all the time…<br /> <br /> They’ve been told by their IMO that the way out of their mess is more leads (and better leads).<br /> <br /> And what’s the result?<br /> <br /> ❌Agents drop out of the business…<br /> ❌They bang their head against the wall…<br /> ❌They keep buying more leads in search of the “best” leads<br /> <br /> But there’s a controversial and surprising truth…<br /> <br /> If you’re only focused on buying more leads, you won’t consistently close IUL and annuity like top 1% producers do.<br /> <br /> Why?<br /> <br /> Because there’s something that top 1% producers know that most agents don’t.<br /> <br /> Leads are important, sure.<br /> <br /> But how you convert that lead is more important than who the lead is.<br /> <br /> And that’s why I created Agent Shift.<br /> <br /> After proving this system with 1000 agents (and guess what…I actually use this system myself), I’ve realized there’s only 3 things you need:<br /> <br /> 🌐 Custom-Built Lead Generating System<br /> 💰 Proven Selling System<br /> 📈 Customized Coaching and Support<br /> <br /> So if you want to get off the ‘buying leads’ hamster wheel, then click the link below to see if you qualify for our Agent Shift program in just 30 seconds!		Jim Fisher		1204	https://facebook.com/jfishercoach	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
69632	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		309290698692082	5	1.4784743894358E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721418430167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679704	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404571232_367729272457304_8979649860983857110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KVAQO10cB04AX-rEzS9&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCIsKaT71eU-dJoYFDivHjzLGiUYjGRKov-iZvLHysUNw&oe=6592A273	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66561	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054158		67		715599890288589	1	1.3209916185539E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	321859047846875		0	Sage Goddess			6526488972608		www.sagegoddess.com	Shop now		NONE	video			http://www.sagegoddess.com/		1703622757	3.2185904784688E+14	Sage Goddess	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412872044_781354343800885_4763795682755468457_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rz0rSea3sysAX-zEVYM&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDzv0WWQ0DrnEERt_M8B60EZJhQ4EKUB-Da14AxPwqQyg&oe=65928158	person_profile	0	Sage Goddess	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412873855_255772627338480_7192365616649382668_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_StZdigdWqYAX_i6mrU&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD0vRwxDZgTKsuHp_G0mE272gqnAYcf0Nv9N-6kui9unA&oe=6592888A			0	3	Happy Cancer Full Moon! 🌝 Check out this incredible giveaway we have for you today! This trio of chrysocolla malachite free form, black tourmaline with the Eye of Rha, and lapis lazuli ankh. can be yours when you purchase this Embrace the Enigma Leo Full Moon Set by midnight PT tonight (Dec 26) 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.rocks%2Fnew&amp;h=AT0pBSEhrugo6PihIPLEd20MW0t6g5EKGAZJkMTYZIi3l-cEehlDTmcEg6-VINIWFCD-LgbkRawjRaWU92YCj70qfq9l-XepXXIDRpcLhk8EDPcqEWrea3AsCwK_HBZye3Mw1AuCgk0mQxyWOJcKjA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://sg.rocks/new</a> 🦁 This kit comes with a custom Sphinx Lapis Lazuli and Clear Quartz Wand, an intention jar crafting set &amp; more. Also in the shop today: This 2024 Moon Phase &amp; Astrology Planner that you’ve all been asking for with stunning images, affirmations &amp; more, our Full Moon Mist with notes of rosewood to channel the Moon’s energy, this custom Higher Purpose Moonstone Pendulum for guidance on your next steps — all part of our Cancer Full Moon set ♋<br /> Join us on YouTube tonight at 5 pm PT for our free online Cancer Full Moon Event here: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.rocks%2Fcncr-fm-yt&amp;h=AT12lNCzzfV3a73EONAGIGiTXJMOnzRfGmj7TrfpghDpFmoxDgpamfBS7AtZ8Mb3-De7fmvjFPeLT33OMxjof1IbEDdlI6aMKVMiRfzqNPXqGCp7_e14ZptJckt4OjXxcupyndIOBdPS5YAyfHQbhw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://sg.rocks/cncr-fm-yt</a>		Sage Goddess		1709323	https://facebook.com/SageGoddess	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68102	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054158		67		1770421563431298	1	2.3547476980417E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201679480240743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702369039	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410021646_1138472690369609_8955548530381608296_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hYbpLHi8FL8AX8Ka7EY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCulT_F3VhP6bems_cJ5z_ChIfR3NlpnDGtafduR-WkLg&oe=65922693	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407794940_999821304450289_5104069754097791467_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2v7o8Rl-cKUAX-y7Wzu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB53zwk_b3u6-LOwCVLW5ctnX3DGQTCEiIF1eH_Ao7ssw&oe=65927E40			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68444	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		313737831561071	4	1.0403142506366E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543259983710		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899281	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407715359_736239448347658_6550084272692278471_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mir6BPQjLhAAX-6Sfej&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA68aQ5WaYKHjKeLNpZIMAzfyUydxIoJXkkOb6ndmhItw&oe=65929DA2	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/393732441_1520155035497308_5761476591957823328_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rz3vhRBfRdMAX97jnEw&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKrsUQ8gsyeirg000AbvJlKBf8Obdq9isVFVaOjEIwtQ&oe=6591AB20			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67315	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/23/25, 5:28 PM	1703760162	1745447281		67		911420627024763	2	3.75085856848E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	218789368308514		0	21 Draw			6534471647573		21-draw.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Painting Portraits using Gouache	Offer Expires soon! So Hurry!	https://www.21-draw.com/course/painting-portraits-in-gouache/		1702898371	2.1878936830851E+14	21 Draw	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411133811_3514292242145933_584050983302642923_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zch87SRYbh0AX8VZk2H&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBJRA2dBAHuih2H5t-8drlU3W-fJOYX4Xm22baDu9o87w&oe=659144AC	person_profile	0		https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412302863_744853957495109_8908422657099145833_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9-M8ppfkI_0AX_zGoR2&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBhc7wg-kG4xsZUk6-QCcjOZRkU47rbwBv778exDbxGHA&oe=65926C7F			0	3	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a fantastic course and so relaxing to watch. I was mesmerized. I use gouache often, but learned a lot from watching the layering technique with a large flat brush. Thank you for sharing your process and all the valuable tips! (Joanna)<br /> <br /> Do you feel intimidated, assuming it’s an advanced skill that only professional artists can master?<br /> Well, good news! It’s MUCH easier than you might think! Get ready to learn the basics of painting portraits and techniques for using gouache!<br /> Your instructor, Jordan Rhodes, demystifies the process of portrait painting, by explaining in detail each step, giving you clear demonstrations and teaching you easy techniques that you can use right away. With Jordan’s guidance and helpful tips, you’ll realize that creating a portrait is nowhere near as daunting as you thought!<br /> ⁠<br /> 👉️ Check out the course and watch some FREE lessons: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcour&amp;h=AT2nkXkh3vLUwsIUDPERUEBxER8PJcU0y3Oc6zujTJBqQoQCtdagaqxA6G2cxwfJ6J-UAUVFAD-AtCUmDCUA-9fFwhIam3CpOF8PdQC-mySOYAHgUBXLVPdT1A03uIZ31zOp3s8jljKBUW_jSByfpjzEpjQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/cour</a>…/painting-portraits-in-gouache/<br /> ⁠⁠<br /> Discover what’s in store for you in this course: ⁠<br /> <br /> ⁠✅ Discover how to paint your very own portrait<br /> ✅ ⁠Learn about gouache and how to use it<br /> ⁠✅ Learn how to prepare your paper and set up your workspace<br /> ✅ Learn Jordan’s techniques for mixing colors and blending<br /> ✅ Understand the planes of the face and divide a face into several values<br /> ✅ Get started by painting a base &amp; value layer<br /> ✅ Understand how to build up layers and control opacity<br /> ✅ How to add details to the portrait and clean up edges<br /> <br /> This is just one of many fantastic courses on 21 Draw! With an annual membership, you will have access to a full library of high-quality courses taught by industry experts! ⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Check out other amazing courses: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcourse%2F&amp;h=AT1SR9oYEi9FTiM8iqnOgL0mC8_ssaEtZvoJJLnkDx_XxSCQ2zlS20QDObYbG_WroliGDQC2UWZbyRigZ7ZGrqLlSxRcehBfgyMslt2NWKfdQPTAehWCx_09mVSJ-oOhkWKqLg1XuouyQM6_qDJSJZxgr64" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/course/</a><br /> <br /> Some of the course subjects include: ⁠<br /> 🖌️ Lighting and Shading⁠<br /> 🖌️ Human Anatomy⁠<br /> 🖌️ Facial Expressions⁠<br /> 🖌️ Dynamic Poses⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Procreate⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Photoshop⁠<br /> 🖌️ Drawing Landscapes⁠<br /> 🖌️ .... and MUCH more!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠⁠All these and many other value-packed courses are up for grabs for a limited time at 75% OFF! 👀😲⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Start learning today: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2F&amp;h=AT2nTVmlkCI-i3Gr6wSKD0zcj9wx6oS7FgmauL4jHfzvFPTfrIj38RPOIVAm7CftNyMCrNEYPYn8F8hROU5eUFiAJmrYnAUBqobwPpATyF5sHFyfJGjdDx4Nn8GSYikwM1yj8cuh0r0xLRJvg-HSMepuDWY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/</a>		21 Draw		130588	https://facebook.com/21draw	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68352	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		1078340313600093	1	6.8036317428007E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6585777582009		joannavargas.com/booking	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/los-angeles-spa		1701966856	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408686372_1101244064584202_1633085338052783091_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J9dhw3pK7hwAX_0fzjf&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA5hnk8YiqCwhZWrB2u-x5kF01GukxGa8tl7unTxopasg&oe=6592629C	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407987077_2657987187693386_693067452736429596_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2QbihLWKS94AX9Xe2S-&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAxuh9J0oItb59gk7-KN3nSdYy0uREvc5Mk_EyqmnwyXQ&oe=6592958F			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1701936000		View Edit Delete
67407	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		697655729137748	1	2.0514982750299E+15		1702886400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103267065679041		0	joanna_davis_art			120203848584930299		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joanna_davis_art		1702739777	1.0326706567904E+14	joanna_davis_art	https://scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/240507935_285702440025534_4051986472213160999_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=b3uwbtB3jRMAX_051bz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCnGMerduCXy1Vncoy-bsW_9ivx-5HPvzPW9GkNMWVeFQ&oe=659316E5	ig_ads_identity	1	Ｊｏａｎｎａ Ｄａｖｉｓ Ａｒｔ	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411436436_892445035892358_7158479638545946035_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZgQ1eAe_x4cAX_lHwIj&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCgjHtb05prxv5adw2D0QdNP3ppN0fFNgDxxLrxXyDaxw&oe=659231F9			0	3	When a group of 4 chaps get together and arrange a 40th Birthday commission for their pal…<br /> <br /> I am thrilled to say that I get commissions from all walks of life, but this is a first from a group of lads. 👌🏻<br /> <br /> In fact I don’t know if you guys know this but I always ask for the history behind a request as I like to have an emotional connection with what I paint. <br /> <br /> So when I asked for the story behind this piece, this was the email thread that followed…<br /> <br /> Email 1: “Err, so we’re thinking of a painting for a mate.” <br /> <br /> Email 2: “Of Portscatho, and the lugger, it is Portscatho isn’t it chaps? Not the other one with a P?”<br /> <br /> Email 3: “Yeah, Portscatho - it’s hard to say after a load of rattlers that’s how I remember.”<br /> <br /> Email 4: “The Birthday boy (its his 40th) likes to jump off the lugger in his tighty whities to the Baywatch theme tune, but don&#039;t worry about painting him in it.”<br /> <br /> Email 5: “So when can you paint it by as his Birthday was two weeks ago?”<br /> <br /> Brief summary (no pun intended):<br /> <br /> - Location? Portscatho (81% certain.)<br /> - Has to have the lugger in it.<br /> - Colours? Not fussed.<br /> - Size? Do we need a size? Just whatever you think.<br /> - Framed? Yeah, because he’ll probably drop it, so best it’s protected.<br /> <br /> Fabulous, I’ll crack on. <br /> <br /> 𝙿𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚘 𝙻𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛 : 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚍.<br /> <br /> Happy Fryday 😉☀️ peeps.		joanna_davis_art		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joanna_davis_art	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
66868	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		1155426942102220		8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967015340018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299788	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412477820_2125141377656252_4606690845585856747_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rJPdJxmBhjAAX8cPPE2&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCBucTGfkjKfUGa_U8ln4fJCv0C_vJAiiYT_u9RCPLnvw&oe=6592618E	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412478588_869363661404003_3611721758593159757_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QRIStf-LGD4AX8B-LJZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBLB-64YpkSMjLPfacpjBVUtifCyYYNrRzNDqIGoWJ-vQ&oe=65916CF4			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67208	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054158		67		1505640386670030		2.5809983036598E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68331	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		644142460998109	3	3.6807866254761E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202419244160520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	37 Photos Of The Place Joanna Gaines Lives In With Her Partner	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702018929	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407983292_1067995357880526_6979270046607014080_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rI6qKzMaoDgAX_qC-n_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCDA7UqdNgFF6il7WDYAr1VIDsZj8L9w4OCwVz6ed_AaA&oe=65918755	person_profile	0					0	3	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69850	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		3617313211874185		5.559146662118E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	111862640665344		0	Jada Simone Jewels			120201926162600594		jadasimonejewels.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Jada Simone Jewels		https://jadasimonejewels.com/products/rhea-bracelet-stack?utm_source=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&utm_medium=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&utm_campaign=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&utm_content=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&utm_term=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D		1700694301	1.1186264066534E+14	Jada Simone Jewels	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405485544_869544334654120_5276334839579520115_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z8pbS2FE0coAX_AGMtE&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBYZPVxzdJOSbfXfPbESjoRc2li2ppPFE66f3LZSB9nzQ&oe=65929C81	person_profile	0	Jada Simone Jewels	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405521112_337971572172946_5414100578704051643_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pAowuynUrUQAX-1xG-s&_nc_oc=AQlVx8Hj2fJQqvt0tpEFjejGuFvlWKRTjK7RPKx_WefCk8u3-O6GNn2O4L91hxFey-v98nQYHT9q_2tkYfA4UBqR&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAa4O-3eBU1ihNJATJqmyVM-E6L_hxaJg3hjkgOx4ze0A&oe=6592CA35			0	3	✨ Treat yourself to some wrist candy ✨		Jada Simone Jewels		5883	https://facebook.com/JadaSimoneJewels	0		SHOP_NOW						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67469	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		1295294284497631	2	9.0481120115712E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774758800385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633134	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411406002_1268593501200657_3083224984249133525_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YWGucTv6rMcAX8fvtGy&_nc_oc=AQmRRpN-BDgNbMXFMwQWBGSNPiQEIPXh1l1N3mmLzHRZW3MQlorS5E6dB7KPoyhankE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCerVDaZvg8ajTyAqjeb8cnWF3nGNtlm7lfJh8jY2FimQ&oe=65921534	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411297079_317841657840865_3242262784578749924_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2dM2tOG1Qt8AX8SVBPn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAQ25pJVlz3o96q7EQ_rLa9ydyuSmK5_u3774WsoiHv0Q&oe=6592FD41			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
70052	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054158		67		356913636858488	1	1.0757231434739E+15		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112185820243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554499	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402423053_1548947435856130_8393071294053521001_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CHTR1LDFsR0AX_CuCQm&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfADwdDH_DtKiry3QeBP9SRPMcqHTaTbUnu_6qihuq-UZg&oe=65914599	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402655996_2675969945874517_308038105234161081_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UVIKXTACxgsAX8J0AJW&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDhDBGY8JFZvlwGtE9TzY5St8BimZ7hUHvNj61oJjNgw&oe=65930BD9			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69711	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		812412984017506	3	3.0928944528021E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117390571392405		0	The Crafty Collective			120201779029030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678023	1.1739057139240E+14	The Crafty Collective	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404665006_3577870452454325_6287188178643273559_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=adCukoK_T8UAX-M1br5&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCGSadBQFFNkve9Z3GnzX8TFSVOE_r4YK_pYDs889y1lA&oe=65932E9D	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		The Crafty Collective		825	https://facebook.com/100094121992035	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67526	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054158		67		327265566853437	1	7.4027569795163E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011731090506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636900	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410405149_2017058205346941_2104807082801441951_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P6xMjzVZZR8AX-afFZc&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBuE9to1lB9URnRiYw2SdWGSlnbqf1EZU82AZ3ALWzuEw&oe=6592B025	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410472169_360921859851678_416150048887146742_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DOE2SP31N1EAX_yeBnF&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAP3rGsKtDTluttvGIOpw3BHSMTjPOyN1tOtbBi0iKz0A&oe=659173B7			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68032	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/14/24, 5:00 PM	1703760166	1731625238		67		1076994807014687		6.7743684786976E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120207707375800456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390638	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409567950_352340800870447_8227648239384670623_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wbxnOCFePugAX95774S&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCV20DZTktcMWy5DIsn1FeS3A_STvHfsDACUS6-TrZfrg&oe=65932918	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69741	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		885910889645627	5	3.5632109572798E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721409990167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679679	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478545_996064758122985_9149296117747152661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hUUWkjfAGPIAX9VKXQx&_nc_oc=AQkCAyF9EVSzJbK-VDXcCnqAyCYQ1V4xs9cJS52pGjGQCVKx7irSPzX8I0q-db5BgQ1FhV6W7m--qhP7XDjDO674&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCG-72R6GyO_40tt7cQYwixTmeVCisFtl38hMwm__r0_A&oe=6591F4E3	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68547	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		1900078400407662	3	8.5905531262535E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104893872451761		0	Sierra College Information Technology			120202249277790296		getskillstoday.com	Learn more		NONE	video	IT Certification	FREE Info Session	https://getskillstoday.com/		1701736547	1.0489387245176E+14	Sierra College Information Technology	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408269419_346999591253870_786263578066207512_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UBNNGEUrFBUAX9JNjh9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBNruXNcXyVmK1q9aQehZ7E-l6rC1swjIm2DzdAA2YVgw&oe=6592980B	person_profile	0	Sierra College Information Tec	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408219450_1013141976408996_6439469436677808667_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BRNE56c9RvcAX9TZdsh&_nc_oc=AQnNGpX2XRTcecyCn-98DoMX7FYfU-ITQa0dsIDQj5c2lKSovD8QD59R4vC4RFi-G9Uyo-Wyd0h2XJTuHltSD2HX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBmqziPeY73ukgyuL2wVv4uHiKrpyDZlTo1mVpjV65UVw&oe=6592C6AE			0	3	Level up your IT skills at Sierra College! Join our Jan 22nd program for continuing education.		Sierra College Information Technology		21	https://facebook.com/SCITDept	0		LEARN_MORE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68392	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		300563855633303	1	3.534290139605E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997304830476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940760	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406397111_723186759361486_6680775637281615284_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=USMJjMx33_wAX8yYGit&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDapgZAihxLeCLqaW7eOlkD2c1D_Kj3W9mCM0rMQl-tcA&oe=6593375B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406421836_1046977143177760_7370574588309776991_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9cCE-A8Wh24AX-ONyKH&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCYhj9-rZuyIg1VkaTBhotOf2nFcsRHi58HRuYWO9Fnbg&oe=65915E88			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
67248	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		329739116490266		2.9387042645447E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX_EH7C_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZVeKhb3QsqmOPd_6ifILDimyN_R_ywSx4VUWe9eozBQ&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69984	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		1831427993976697	2	1.3477895628176E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158876990403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632998	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403751468_1394208244501101_8179527101555557293_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YLb9B1le4-0AX9puSUN&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBKcIBs2dMOJlgU7v1IAi9gS4Hohgr2MY8MKAFBGejDIg&oe=659305F2	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403863324_352125867493656_2287195741045699322_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mZ2UX5cmTncAX8s9SkC&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCvhoGqgvho5-Lei6_yieQTz7DSBtbtPPCZeLRmIXavdA&oe=6592D990			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68325	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		3083374521797135	6	3.7523690827598E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074059100476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015928	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409120564_583126687291171_4421596376010933811_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LmtnnWeUl78AX9x1koX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDsEBBCLvrLoZoNf2Mog8N2HiABgnR30uKpViG9Jd_ChQ&oe=6591899D	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408031436_647712920639131_4237475343539725371_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YohvttE9RTUAX9nXS77&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCLQpGdvi7UJHDJ_xY1UD1KJtC5ikldm2lo3FkKjx5LnA&oe=65921C70			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67375	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		1549291352496601	1	1.0291905416868E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	157384851487469		0	Joanna Rengel			120203291805980024		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joannarengel_corp		1702825646	1.5738485148747E+14	Joanna Rengel	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411024236_861374675723674_1458460050278938334_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d3ujNHDZOPQAX_1PkZx&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAW52wij_5urmJuxCFBm7k_j6ci9OKRWi82xbBYHCOTsg&oe=659236CC	person_profile	0	Coach Creativa & Espiritual	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410661300_840006447812632_424646929416406244_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ko-oqM4snKEAX82Q5ae&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDdwI3PodftE-FyPNmbzSGxRjVH3LKdoNQKN9E9wnpGEg&oe=65933542			0	3	Desde pequeños no nos enseñaron lo que es el amor propio, pero nunca es tarde para aprender a amarte incondicionalmente y a darte ese amor que nadie más puede darte, solo tú mismo. <br /> <br /> No nos enseñaron la importancia del amor y cómo nos beneficia para creer en nosotros y poder crear nuestro negocio soñado.<br /> <br /> Yo te enseño a reconocer tu valor, a darte cuenta de la capacidad que tienes y el ser humano hermoso que eres y sobre todo a despertar la creatividad dentro de ti. <br /> <br /> Escribe en los comentarios la palabra AMOR ❤️ para ayudarte a trabajar en tu amor propio y desde ahí iniciar tu negocio. 😍😍😍<br /> <br /> #creatividad #vidacreativa #transformación #crearparasanar #arteterapia #comunidaddeartistas #crear #arte #bloqueocreativo ##arteterapia #emociones #terapiasexpresivas #amorpropio #cursos #paisajes #arteterapiaengrupo #arteterapiaintuitiva #arteterapiaparatodos #love #nature #fotos #art #arte #psicologia #creatividad #negociosoñado		Joanna Rengel		1141	https://facebook.com/joannarengel	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67302	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		660922842916641	4	3.7770544798512E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	541829670064587		0	The Goat Manchester			120204729476790066		thegoat.fanlink.to	Buy tickets		NONE	video	Granite Lion Presents: SunDub + Mighty Mystic + Green Lion Crew	Sun, Jan 7 | The Goat | Manchester, NH	https://thegoat.fanlink.to/010724		1702913800	5.4182967006459E+14	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411851475_1095692144921400_2513855467810894941_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8_kZ2ojD2PAAX9YjBHr&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWFpnPlnTfeCqbfcDOnPmjyBYBJMhG5HvsPQyEnOq6gA&oe=6591E5B9	person_profile	0	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412337792_683797797196334_4247667404787222207_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7xlNMx6i-cQAX_jtVoW&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-ZI9fF-Nrff2Z3d9I9ImQpeFjWC7ExO03EiLji5I3Gw&oe=6592494E			0	3	🎉 Get Ready to groove! Sundub &amp; Mighty Mystic are hitting The Goat in Manchester, NH 🐐✨ Jan 7, Sunday. Special beats by Green Lion Crew! 🔥 Don&#039;t miss this epic night!		The Goat Manchester		10500	https://facebook.com/goatbarmanchester	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69815	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		1755189778236299		6.8579776031172E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779358230250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678748	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404275079_681458767299748_350875266989297425_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AsM-FRsshBQAX_Ji0Yc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvQUyxilXExMGI8EevgLrmfJY93kK1xKAHfRSi3xlQZQ&oe=6592CBFC	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67918	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054158		67		322664893952447	1	8.8490669980809E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411475370044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458265	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410398668_1095949271563160_8864216580120899954_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qvw9fXZzU4wAX_oxO_E&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAxFHy1swqXsxpL8rkrcrXLvxqzWy1a1wnKrLjyPwUcGQ&oe=6591C1B4	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410389755_1435098750407753_8399647633024498651_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PyrJh7VtlewAX9Pgloe&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCEvu4cyi0Ums5WdxRW7dQ7NKite0QyfanPbcN4Hv_-ww&oe=6592C0C6			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68473	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054158		67		357598830294016	1	1.4163970659749E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458821500691		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856193	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407698919_221330587582365_3847514897425380742_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YSci2A6fzAgAX9uWwRq&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqcMdGL6qpw3JEjgjvb1WFwwycjztqrSEgivaFGjYYjg&oe=659327A0	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407983976_1080275773386844_3700926557583303340_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5JB0kjKUMpYAX86p3to&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCpkp8wgQK2gCYCYrTLdzZgRvQx9znGuVJyRZAuxCu5wQ&oe=65929202			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67942	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054158		67		198584163314275	1	1.4836345357521E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434460710465		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447461	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410575619_1549424445797746_1173101590695672602_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sIEgn2TsToEAX-a0849&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDD6aRdq5UCoaJbyiWXubaoaiZt37p3Ryf0Wbe09vALhg&oe=65921B48	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410351312_1093332808277390_4813531435938121383_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6uyW3ea2Rv8AX9VsFBr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCq-Xvk3uFqLKZebQNtzjT-mxZfhC0L3pgbCEFXw5OOHw&oe=6592A0ED			0	3	🔞🔥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68145	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054158		67		873330597833376	1	2.5833579551485E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498191320278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287800	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410314398_910034596710472_5221271736908185645_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W3Cb-2b6bCEAX-s5a_j&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZL1Qf1ssotrAWm5cxU8d4c9XYPwAQuMF52uvHWUuUVg&oe=65922B64	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410143368_1378175143076425_7075409625372991998_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ejCgC43bUgkAX88ySkm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBmNDlD6WsTReYq-kDeO7s_EM2av_nnqmfp_AlZTp8fvw&oe=6591DEE0			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67874	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054158		67		368132602551869	1	3.0868299210975E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169414070427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462171	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409721876_199125886599105_1589237875225215921_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wujnyuyrmn4AX-ZdZ16&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAqVi7SSpHoPrPqfIWgN__5XBUl_0rbGVjq8r90Jf3NmA&oe=6592ECA5	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409700256_738347227679634_3652169204669765812_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uFydvpQuIsQAX8LUuqQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCuhD873EwcXrydi3_f2FnPRHMg8oYxkF-nJKEhwbBLKQ&oe=6591A604			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68694	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054159		67		385066083949996	1	3.6508893618018E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200730042300540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701409278	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404831155_752273640063506_6527178701470263930_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4ifl87ZQjy8AX8eyMv-&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCffbghBDGL4MpabPGD-l5DX2N_zy-sucFbGGEFJ5E2Tw&oe=659210A7	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404825980_1518237808933978_8795126837688525815_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TXn2B8C7bwYAX_xHGvn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdv2tmpNLKU9cAbzwnxtGa2cC_2lqyh51ezCd8myrLWA&oe=6592B705			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69991	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054159		67		3142813869359960	4	7.0344910566097E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158889500403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633021	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402928743_222092460916162_5646587252098902105_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SlzyC1pMBMUAX9vDqPA&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBVLQPB0J7oVJPDqPUW1vUHN12iFtV2zzgaCKmnxrz-hg&oe=65916499	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402944310_2614483045386305_4401758604488674502_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Gqrxh3l7BsIAX-vbE_H&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYf-cVsc-etIDzO30VHrXclR6n-quU_wyFyid5nVo0aQ&oe=6591C0E0			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69368	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		650133627280846	1	1.3831548822773E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343748470404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843449	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405798245_1434749167105896_7792931748134634518_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0ceXQSf1pJsAX9QzvpE&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC2Qg1XeAQtVpFyIFgB7gteqCva2lo6OpfnIto2Nv1Abw&oe=65918B74	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403717355_728399339139341_7444161196881745016_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yZXaPYlA5a4AX-5Ma7k&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDr07KoMewZu_sFdX18XcY_P2ttGUqTCsEBk8WajSbdvA&oe=659151F9			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69203	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		1192947812093630		2.4725411142976E+14		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495769223556		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700488723	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403604594_706496401407873_3386959245189523628_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FhwdMDC336kAX9f-a_1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCG-f4asUNIUGVOQrkH1fcEKcOsklq4x7lf8KMoBsbYIA&oe=6591A2DB	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403603740_3617283778488076_2538065533749317892_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5OGRLusvfkcAX9smFfz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwmKhbY-OxSjp25Yrj3uXeWJ-GKEwJEddJa3TxmJPa2A&oe=65927CC9			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69119	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		894969255299040	2	6.948599559537E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203280986320596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701067795	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404617419_658282249793323_7240651422716422980_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hHBoIINK-mIAX8tLyjN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfArgQOSXLzxzYBP8xz0Hbii3GkJbutiJJMNfk0qG4eehA&oe=65917FE4	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404637004_364844929382188_6699639089043337707_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NHEH7I2TRigAX8XwCrj&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAKXpQqdsAFRaAA8lfuO2-1fhgeE8lGIXTNDg39YKi5iQ&oe=6592A797			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
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68182	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		1370355626898345	2	3.6443256627351E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204870556670427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702210409	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409223082_1080368146748702_6139804444637454194_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JL13NMoz2r8AX_xKZTJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCSoiVE8RsMhP2EAtg4c8ECg4zWMSeWoTq9mTDQj9g22g&oe=65924C7E	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409923246_1388860918505851_8848541147294556852_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lTic52-L0HQAX8baqef&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAR3oBqys1u9b6StsKlZIlmk0n9BnFA6yskVvPUmPeKgQ&oe=659309C8			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
67304	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		1028004541821145		3.7770544798512E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	541829670064587		0	The Goat Manchester			120204729476790066		thegoat.fanlink.to	Buy tickets		NONE	video	Granite Lion Presents: SunDub + Mighty Mystic + Green Lion Crew	Sun, Jan 7 | The Goat | Manchester, NH	https://thegoat.fanlink.to/010724		1702913800	5.4182967006459E+14	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411851475_1095692144921400_2513855467810894941_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8_kZ2ojD2PAAX9YjBHr&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWFpnPlnTfeCqbfcDOnPmjyBYBJMhG5HvsPQyEnOq6gA&oe=6591E5B9	person_profile	0	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412337792_683797797196334_4247667404787222207_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7xlNMx6i-cQAX_jtVoW&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-ZI9fF-Nrff2Z3d9I9ImQpeFjWC7ExO03EiLji5I3Gw&oe=6592494E			0	3	🎉 Get Ready to groove! Sundub &amp; Mighty Mystic are hitting The Goat in Manchester, NH 🐐✨ Jan 7, Sunday. Special beats by Green Lion Crew! 🔥 Don&#039;t miss this epic night!		The Goat Manchester		10500	https://facebook.com/goatbarmanchester	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69099	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		725806815684057	1	3.6065454632719E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690798800115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701056103	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403206909_387729253587507_7336215221113183435_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aypc7_0hzS8AX9AcACz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrkCOdt0q_JJ8SCHXFHOkb6dx_NQ-NPSkdPLpNxsjzhQ&oe=65926612	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405802574_364472356035868_8881540999144879508_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LIIgNjeE6hMAX-OKPzw&_nc_oc=AQlKxAlcA7Q7uN18RlS9j__p9nRujzWssvUwJd1yFGqiS4qarsoXqAyuVVGgFuYYWTlvgArBYBhMMda7ByC2_ZWD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBF7NYnmEhBAJZ-iV_yj8sSM1_phuaNhqlo0s4TDj0sJw&oe=65924890			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68071	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054159		67		331986179624078	5	1.4427714265846E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100602492862162		0	History Nation			120207704970220456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389004	1.0060249286216E+14	History Nation	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409717135_681875847408383_6083353083630581751_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6RTIGTzjFcYAX_9-xQB&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD2sOvfSKgyaahSRwU5362czHhIqcSAFBNMLx8Ba5_TTA&oe=6591BD4E	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Nation		3643	https://facebook.com/100087250000253	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69338	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		798099705416635	1	7.0387344507037E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120976047665655		0	Theteeaz Shop 1025			120201581401360469		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls31		1700888206	1.2097604766566E+14	Theteeaz Shop 1025	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404452951_2448630782191296_858492662100038493_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PU8DIrYOpFQAX9ypLat&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC5fy6UHbksqRs410RYXN34VIhgu8rA7Azoo3ueVlVt2g&oe=6592F62C	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls31&amp;h=AT2iEVYqbYlp3woAQG2VY4PovBt0RPHfs0F8O6VLND4ctnebfa0LPBkGeNgd-LI1AuoQYj8emcSg7Czxe2b5j84bH9v7d9Fiz03eTcJfw5mt1Khc5TTCtIWoYNNISsujsuzdKGOhnSxQS440kqPI1Q" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls31</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1BxlQHQbvxKNY_XbuGoM5hl_wKOv2Pz2yHshET0DamzTqnLuEM47xyxLrrhkoGcvI1l9ZepyW3TNe3Oz94h0zyhjVjIsAF_kt9my-i-OGtrBIWFPmjSVtbEi6ssVqGbtjiL1wotaOvyN9YY6IUUA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Theteeaz Shop 1025		0	https://facebook.com/100095086818770	0		SHOP_NOW						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67794	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		7048635585195730	1	3.3773328554761E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548083609		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494398	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408218839_271632618865376_1309274729702981900_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Qcf7ehSd9TkAX9wLxD8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfABe7fJVmH-pDtubHj5ZWdJ-o0-QDV3nprA9nZwlFLztQ&oe=6591E6AF	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408218903_211733351980119_1938539846996858947_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PcQlLkdahqYAX9Se0qq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAiGpL8ul0sxvzkexDuLrVMCDdoWSfjEPJaAznj6CX4pA&oe=6592826E			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69533	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		740726018114437	2	1.4596353512751E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207902150403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724560	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402666368_899900074439346_5559456302418050672_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zx_kY54dwhUAX9p7sK3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCqIHSzUb1nxAhtQa22H9Di-3d0oYF_JAq5SjZ7XW4-ow&oe=659217A2	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405072822_1567526707389326_6712886024159211092_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wCH8gUmGDK0AX_sX2G9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCe5P0Ur_bHWLHLlIuZh62pFw2IzvnKPAWjawk9dyywHA&oe=65919125			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67877	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		1685863198563763	2	3.1333757819738E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169359400427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462145	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409699305_325014423758079_6818913830596953645_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5b03_pQTuUUAX8tbymA&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfB20M6B6_sTckn4NfVmDgcs1JjhXOuOZIg31XIwqZ5xeA&oe=6592DB9F	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409699774_1342524206625795_7575472445143958285_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cbr70jkQ-VoAX-m9-aS&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCqEOOn3K2pX4ov63EUrfdN8_gPHWaKJ_Vmki6POgp-8Q&oe=6591F6B1			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68727	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054159		67		726412962703705	3	3.1120533461667E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	147021062061602		0	Ruggable			6526009084506		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Ruggable		https://ruggable.com/pages/the-home-edit-rugs		1701367104	1.470210620616E+14	Ruggable	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406376349_1077173253459448_3317105546360363451_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BPQBRvdGbpkAX8NhBUV&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfASkvFS5xsBmP31ZDlPicpYbck0QTyojzjQOkYbQi-ZKw&oe=65926BAB	person_profile	0	Machine Washable Rugs	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406378369_312767875016191_4006189635487077051_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VrbsEPcVhMEAX-W__cT&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCug6pIF7ggDiiO_riWL1xwAWHk3Syzbybg_AkspO7ZGA&oe=65920234			0	3	Must-Have Washable Rugs: The Home Edit Way!		Ruggable		625436	https://facebook.com/ruggable	0		SHOP_NOW						1701331200		View Edit Delete
66678	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		717710716985190	1	1.4116496797725E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	183219678207073		0	VerveVoyage			6491326999494		daily-prize-supply.com	Get offer		NONE	video	Trisha & Garth's Cookware Giveaway is Here		https://daily-prize-supply.com/blog/the-best-dutch-oven-recipes		1703527125	1.8321967820707E+14	VerveVoyage	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412682716_326608013529517_7502474111151046887_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h5SEBbso4aQAX_S06U6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCZauilApMxn4WZa56yCTgIPT0Ihe2jJRGDmhHtxg-xUw&oe=6591CB7A	person_profile	0	VerveVoyage	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414142441_686336896927429_4975453725463823151_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Qf4jk04JhUIAX-98vNy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC4vV4EcRqGjg0eVgFomrH-TKZCTvnOt4GNj7wnL9aSHA&oe=65928C6D			0	3	We&#039;re back again with another CRAZY giveaway from 𝗟é 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘁 - This time we&#039;re giving away FREE cookware sets!		VerveVoyage		0	https://facebook.com/61553846354624	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66821	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		1130646981238895	1	1.011550793263E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	136560499545717		0	ForFun-105			120203150264060019		a.read4funs.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.read4funs.com/ad/a29hbGFub3ZlbC82NDQ3OC8yMDIzMTIyMzE3NDM1Mi9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703324862	1.3656049954572E+14	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412905667_712073400879073_9213034419998546471_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cGFHdME_TBEAX_F_E8V&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDsyFcTfsI_4d-tkM3nT_jYGbJzg2R7J7K7Mu1UqZ9SIA&oe=6591923C	person_profile	0	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412307144_1392997214648114_5180927457043450342_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lNlAaA003C0AX--LTP9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAreUvBgnMf0kWkiKPTHhKkms2Z5hQmbaVh-tru_TM8Qg&oe=65925DCD			0	3	“As of today, you Joanna Tyree are Cancer free! The scans were clear, your labs have been improving daily. Jo, you&#039;re in remission.” Rachel&#039;s hand froze, and I froze.<br /> What did he just say? Is he shitting me right now?<br /> “You better not be lying to me right now Brian. I can&#039;t take a joke right now.” I said timidly.<br /> I know he would never joke about that, but I had to ask. <br /> “We&#039;ll go over what to look out for and statistics and what not but as of today, you&#039;re in remission. You did it, you beat it.”<br /> “I beat it…” I whispered in near shock.<br /> ————————<br /> Joanna<br /> “Today was my mammogram…” I whispered and her face softened. She didn&#039;t probe, she didn&#039;t nudge me to continue. She waited for me to gather my strength to continue and I was so thankful. “It&#039;s stage 3…”<br /> “Oh Jo!” she wrapped me in her arms and I sobbed. “That&#039;s not all….” She pulled back but kept her arms around me. She raised a brow at me waiting for my answer.<br /> “I went to Brian today. He&#039;s the one who gave me the results. I figured since Mike&#039;s office was right down the hall that I would just go ahead and tell him. He was on his lunch break, so he didn&#039;t have any patients…”<br /> I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. “I caught him mid thrust in another woman...” I don&#039;t think she meant it but her grip on my shoulder got dangerously tight.<br /> “I&#039;m sorry, what? Where is he? I know how to hide a body without being caught. Who is the tramp? Do I need to kill her too?”<br /> I held my hand up with wide eyes. “You know you are pretty scary when you&#039;re angry. But that&#039;s not even the worst part…”<br /> “What do you mean that&#039;s not the worst part? Your husband is having an affair with another woman. What is worse than that?”<br /> I let out a breath and rested my elbows on my knees and bowed my head. My golden waves covering my face. “It was Lisa….”<br /> Her spirit glass dropped to the floor and shattered. When I met her gaze she looked frozen in shock. Her brown eyes that usually reminded me of molten chocolate were nearly black with rage. She didn&#039;t say anything. She didn&#039;t even look like she was breathing.<br /> ”Rach…?” I probed and she shook her head.<br /> “I&#039;m going to kill her. Lisa? Our friend Lisa was sleeping with your husband on his desk at his work? Lisa that&#039;s also Married to his best friend that also works in the same office? That Lisa?” I couldn&#039;t formulate words, so I settled for nodding my head. Rachel was silent and usually when she was this mad and silent, it was bad.<br /> “Rachel, what am I going to do? I&#039;ve been with Mike for 17 years. Since the day I found out I was pregnant with Gage... I don&#039;t know any other life. I have never lived alone. You know how much family means to me... I was a foster kid. My own parents didn&#039;t even want me. I don&#039;t want Gage to grow up in a broken home too.”<br /> “Joanna. First of all, just because you have a kid with someone doesn&#039;t mean you need to stay with them. Second of all, Gage is already grown up. He&#039;s a young man. Thirdly, you are never going to be alone. You are my family. And lastly, how long has this been going on?”<br /> I shrugged. “Truthfully I don&#039;t know. I ran out of there as fast as I could. He tried to get me out of the car, but I threw my ring at him and drove off. I just couldn&#039;t stick around. After the news I got this morning and then that. I was pretty stretched thin on what I could handle.”<br /> She nodded and took a few deep breaths before taking me into her arms again. “Here&#039;s what we&#039;re going to do. We&#039;re going to finish off this bottle of spirit, we’re going to watch a bunch of chick flicks, we’re going to eat to our stomach&#039;s desire and get a good night&#039;s rest. And tomorrow, we&#039;re going to go to your house. I&#039;m going with you, that&#039;s not up for negotiation. You&#039;re going to talk to Mike, and we&#039;re going to pack you a bag and you&#039;re going to stay with me. After you&#039;ve given it some clear thought without pressure from anyone and you&#039;re ready to make a decision then okay. But you can&#039;t make any decisions while you&#039;re living with him because he will cloud your judgement. Now chop chop. Pick out a movie, I&#039;ll get the snacks. You can change into a pair of my Pjs too.”<br /> With Rachel growing up an Army brat, you could hear the authoritarian in her coming out. She marched off to the kitchen while I changed my clothes and picked out a movie. Hours later she was passed out on the sofa with a line of drool coming out of her mouth. However, I couldn&#039;t sleep. I just couldn&#039;t shut my mind off.<br /> I debated on waking Rachel up to let her know we were adding one more to the party, but she was snoozing hard. You definitely didn&#039;t want to wake Rachel when she hasn&#039;t gotten enough rest. She turns into an instant bimbo and I don&#039;t have the capacity to deal with that right now.<br /> I made sure to cut on the porch light and unlock the door and go into the kitchen to heat him up something to eat, knowing he&#039;s going to be hungry. Yes, I may have been trying to bribe my child into not hating me with food, but it&#039;s a risk I&#039;m willing to take.<br /> I heard some shuffling in the foyer and a few curses and then silence. Going to check it out, I peeked around the corner to see Gage kneeling down to pick up my purse that he had knocked over, but all of the contents had spilled. Including all of the brochures from Brian&#039;s office and the paperwork with my test results on it. His face was pale and he wasn&#039;t moving.<br /> “Mom…?” his eyes raised to mine. His bright blue eyes that matched his fathers and they were starting to blur with unshed tears. “Mom, what is this?”<br /> I sighed, something I&#039;ve been doing a lot of today and knelt next to him. “Gage, son, look at me” he did and I could see the tremble in his body.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want to tell you about that yet... I wanted to wait until after SAT’s and until you picked a good school.”<br /> He shook his head. “No!” I gave him a look and he mumbled sorry. “You know what, I&#039;m not sorry! You&#039;re sick! You need me! I can go to a school closer to home! I can still achieve my goals and dreams while being here for you.”<br /> This is what I was afraid of.<br /> “Baby, I don&#039;t want you to put your life on hold for me. I will be okay. I&#039;m a fighter. I&#039;m strong. I can handle anything. I want you to live your life for you, I want you to make choices because you want to do them. Not because you feel obligated.”<br /> “I&#039;m not obligated to do anything. You&#039;re my mother. You gave me life. If you think I would for a second abandon you in your time of need then you&#039;re sadly mistaken. You raised me better than that.” I took him in my arms and he bussed the top of my head. Now that he was nearly an adult, he was almost a foot taller than me.<br /> “I just want you to have every change you can possibly have in life. A better life than what I had growing up.”<br /> His hug got tighter. “You&#039;ve given me an amazing life mom. Let me help you. No wonder dad drank himself into a stupor.”<br /> I couldn&#039;t help it. I tensed at the mention of Mike and Gage unfortunately noticed.<br /> “Mom?” he asked, raising a brow.<br /> I attempted to brush it off because this was an adult matter. It&#039;s not something a teenager. He wasn&#039;t having it.<br /> “I know you told, Rachel about it or else you wouldn&#039;t have come here. So you have two choices. Either tell me what I want to know, or I will wake up aunt Rachel and we both know that won&#039;t end well.”<br /> “Just tell the boy!” Rachel said, peeking her head above the sofa. I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged and shrunk down further waiting for the explosion of what I&#039;m about to tell my son.<br /> “Please don&#039;t hate me…” I whispered to him not expecting him to hear me but knowing that he did. “Your dad and I….I will be staying here for a few days.”<br /> His face scrunched up in confusion. “Why… you and dad..you&#039;re my idol couple. You&#039;re so in love. I...What happened?”<br /> “I thought we were in love too…” I sobbed a bit knowing full well that that was the truth. I thought we did love each other. It was great, frequent, we hardly ever fought, we spent time together. I don&#039;t understand what happened.<br /> “Your dad is having an affair and I found out about it today.” I couldn&#039;t meet his eyes. I was filled with shame. Shame that I failed my marriage, that I failed my family, and that I wasn&#039;t enough to keep my family together. I felt like there was no way out of this dark place. I can&#039;t face him knowing that I failed him.<br /> “Who?” was all he said. I looked up and his face was turning red and the tips of his ears even redder. A trait he inherited from his father.<br /> “It&#039;s not important…”<br /> “God, mom! Tell me who!” I trembled at the anger he released.<br /> “Gage, just calm down…”<br /> He shook his head. “No. Not this time. I&#039;m not going to calm down. Tell me who dad decided to throw his family away for. Tell me who dad thought was so important that he would chose to break up his own family for.”<br /> Wait, he wasn&#039;t mad at me?<br /> “You&#039;re not mad at me?” I asked stupidly.<br /> He took three giant steps towards me and engulfed me in a hug. I could feel his own tears hitting my forehead. “Why would I ever be mad at you over this? You&#039;re not the one who stuck a body part in another person that wasn&#039;t your spouse. You&#039;ve never been anything short of amazing Mom. But please. Tell me who”.<br /> “It was Lisa…” I muttered knowing he deserved to know, but hating that I was thrusting all of this on my child.<br /> “You&#039;ve got to be kidding me!” was all he said before he stormed out of the door, got in his truck and sped off.<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> “Go after him before he does something he&#039;ll regret. He may be mad now, but he&#039;s reacting to emotional overdrive” Rachel&#039;s voice was sad but firm. I knew I would need to go after him. After that were dropped on him in the past hour, it&#039;s a wonder he&#039;s still standing. It&#039;s a miracle that I&#039;m still standing, but I&#039;ve also had spirit to help drown my sorrows in.<br /> There&#039;s only one place he would have gone. He would have gone home to confront Mike. Rachel trailed behind me as we all climbed in my car.<br /> “You don&#039;t think he’ll do anything stupid do you?” she was silent, but I knew the answer myself. We drove the short 15 minutes it took to get to my house, well my old house, and sure enough his truck was parked in the driveway still running.<br /> I could hear the yelling from outside. Shouting from both Gage and Mike. When I got through the door it was clear that I needed to calm one if not both of them down. Pictures were smashed, there was glass everywhere. I rounded the corner to the living room to see Mike pinned to the wall by Gage. Both of them were nearing 6 foot tall and well built but seeing our 17 year old holding such an advantage over him was shocking.<br /> Mike&#039;s eyes met mine and they bugged out.<br /> “Why?” Gage shouted.<br /> “Why would you do this? I thought you cared about us? Was it worth it you prick!” his voice cracked with emotion the more that he spoke. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder causing him to jerk before turning to meet my gaze.<br /> “Let him go sweetie…” he shook his head in refusal. “Gage, let him go…” My voice was soft and he slowly released his grip on his dad and Mike sagged against the wall while Gage fell into my arms.<br /> “It&#039;s okay sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. Rachel is in the car. Grab a bag of clothes and go to the car.” he nodded and walked away.<br /> “Jo…” I held up my hand to him.<br /> “Save it…I&#039;m grabbing a bag myself and staying with Rachel for a few days.” he stepped towards me causing me to step back. The hurt in his eyes was evident, but it was his own fault.<br /> “Can we please just talk about this? I made a mistake, yes, but we can fix this!”<br /> I scoffed. “A mistake? An accident? What did you accidentally fall and land in her hip?” he hung his head. “And the worst part about all of this is, it wasn&#039;t even a complete stranger. Lisa. My best friend. How long has this been going on?”<br /> “Well?” I probed when he didn&#039;t answer.<br /> “This was the first time in years that I&#039;ve been with her…” he wasn&#039;t looking at me, he refused to look me in the eye.<br /> “Wait….you said in years. What did you mean?”<br /> When he raised his head he had tears in his bloodshot eyes. “We called it off when Brian proposed to her. I&#039;m telling you all of this so we can air it all out. So we can move past it. We had been seeing each other since highschool.”<br /> I felt a pressure in my head and my heart sinking to my stomach. I looked to the stairwell and saw Gage sitting on the stairs listening intently.<br /> “Why then? Why continue to be with me? Why even see me at all if you were with her too? That means you had been having a whole other life for 10 years. I-I can&#039;t… I don&#039;t understand. Why did you marry me, lead me on, continue to sleep with me, frequently by the way, if you were with her?”<br /> He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. I was way past angry at this point. I picked up a vase of flowers that he had gotten me two weeks ago. Now that I think about it, those flowers were probably an apology for everything. Gripping the vase hard enough I was sure it would shatter. I chucked it. It hit the wall next to him shattering to pieces.<br /> He didn&#039;t flinch, he didn&#039;t move, he didn&#039;t even bat an eyelash. He was taking my temper tantrum and letting me get it all out.<br /> “ANSWER ME.”<br /> “Because I love you. I still do.”<br /> I cut him off. “Nonsense. If you loved me you wouldn&#039;t have strayed. You wouldn&#039;t have kept it up for 10 years. So try again.”<br /> “I do love you. But it&#039;s possible to love more than one person. I thought I was in love with her too, but I was wrong. I didn&#039;t know she was seeing Brian until 6 months before the proposal. It felt so wrong. I felt used. She was seeing both of us, using both of us for money, she was getting a high off the rush of getting caught. She was vindictive, so I cut it off. I broke up with her.”<br /> A half choked cob and laugh left my lips. “Then how did I catch you balls deep in her this afternoon?”<br /> He let out a deep breath. “I truly don&#039;t know. She had been there to see Brian but he was in with a patient. She had waited in my office for him and one thing led to another. I don&#039;t want to be that prick and say she came onto me but she did.”<br /> I walked up to him and slapped him so hard that his head whipped to the side. “You should have said no. You should have called security. You had so many opportunities. I don&#039;t know if we can fix this Michael. 10 years of infidelity out of a 17 year marriage. Do you know how many people Lisa was sleeping with in college? You could have given me a STD! Even when I was pregnant! All of those appointments you missed because you were busy were you out with her? All those conferences out of town, was it her? I don&#039;t understand it. You just shattered every bit of trust and faith I had in us. What was so wrong with me that you couldn&#039;t be faithful to me? You know how hard my life was before I met you. You know how important family is to me! Growing up in the foster care system, I didn&#039;t have a family! You were my family. Lisa was my family. I hope it was worth it. I hope she was worth it.”<br /> He put his hands on my shoulders trying to calm down my ranting. Gage stood up from the stairs and started towards us. “Take your hands off of her. Or I will...” I had never heard that authority in his voice. Mike stood back and held his hands up.<br /> “We can fix this...I&#039;ve been faithful for 10 years. Not once have I strayed in that time. Well, except today. But it&#039;s not you. It&#039;s never been your fault. I could break up with you or leave you because I loved you. I couldn&#039;t bear to lose you. I didn&#039;t want to live without you. I was going to call it off when you got pregnant but she convinced me to stay. She tried many times to get me to divorce you, but I just couldn&#039;t. I won&#039;t. And don&#039;t say we were your family like it was past tense. We are family. I can fix this. I can&#039;t live without you…”<br /> “Well, it looks like you&#039;re going to have to figure out how to. I don&#039;t know if I can ever forgive you for this. I am going to leave now. I&#039;m staying with Rachel. Goodbye, Mike.” I whispered and walked away.<br /> Gage had two bags in his hand. “I packed your bag too…” he had a far away look in his eyes.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want you to hear any of that...I&#039;m sorry, son.”<br /> “Gage!” Mike called out. He stopped walking but didn&#039;t turn around. “Please...just take care of your mother… I love you. Both of you.”<br /> “Save it, dad. If you loved us, you wouldn&#039;t have destroyed our family.”<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> The weekend had come and gone and I had a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed this morning. The amount of spirit I had drank this weekend was catching up with me and I was highly considering calling out of work. The sun had barely risen in the sky, the remaining bits of darkness still lingering on the horizon.<br /> My phone was continuing to blow up with message and message, voicemail after voicemail, and countless emails all from Mike trying to get me to come home, to work this out. Lisa had sent me a few messages both asking to talk and to apologize.<br /> Brian had sent 2 messages. One checking on me, and one apologizing. I don&#039;t know what he had to apologize for. Nothing was his fault. He and I were in the same boat. Both the people we thought we loved betrayed us. If anything I should be the one apologizing to him. If only I had caught on sooner.<br /> I had thought everything was perfect. I had thought that our love was strong and powerful. I thought nothing could come in between us. I thought that we were invincible. I now know that all of that was a charade. I knew that none of that was real. He used me, he lied to me, he betrayed me. He destroyed every little piece of me that I thought that I had.<br /> I knew once all of this was said and done that I would never trust again. I would never fall in love again. It wasn&#039;t worth it. Besides, no one would want a washed up, jaded, 33 year old woman with a 17 year old child, a cheating ex-husband, and a list of trust issues a mile long. Not to mention cancer. <br /> The cancer alone would be enough to scare the strongest of suitors away. What am I even thinking about. It&#039;s been 3 days since I caught my husband, deep inside of that woman and I&#039;m over here thinking about future relationships.<br /> I shouldn&#039;t be thinking of these things. Especially things that will never happen. I knew that my walls were being built up as high and as strong as they possibly could be and I would make sure that no one would ever be able to tear them down.<br /> Dressed in my mint green scrubs, white lab coat, and a stethoscope around my neck, I looked in the mirror. I looked tired, my face was puffy like I had been crying for days, which I had. My green eyes were dulled out to almost grey. My golden hair was flat and lifeless.<br /> I looked haggard but Rachel peeked her head in and whispered “You are the most beautiful woman I know. You&#039;re going to get through this.” her hot pink scrubs with paw prints on them only flattered her every curve.<br /> I narrowed my eyes at her lying hip. “Don&#039;t even give me that look. You are veterinarian. If only I swung that way.” She whistled and swatted at my hip and I couldn&#039;t help but chuckle. She always knew how to cheer me up.<br /> “So let&#039;s go out for drinks tonight. We never really got to celebrate you getting this job, and we need some spirit therapy. After all spirit always listens.”<br /> “Gage has football practice, and Mondays are slow anyways. Please.” She poked out her bottom lip and widened her eyes.<br /> “Fine. Just a couple of drinks. I start Chemo this week and can&#039;t drink a lot. Brian said that if I am going to drink, I will need to limit it to one glass of spirit a day.” she lowered her eyes and nodded.<br /> “I almost forgot about that. It just doesn&#039;t seem real. You know I&#039;m behind you every step of the way, right?” I nodded and hugged her. It was true she was an amazing friend. I trusted her wholly.<br /> I peeked in on Gage and saw him sleeping. I went over to him and rubbed his head like I used to do when he was a toddler. Oh, how I wish they could stay small forever. This world is too unkind sometimes. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that I would be there for him for everything. I wouldn&#039;t let him go through life alone like I had. I wanted him to know that he always had me, no matter what.<br /> “Don&#039;t be late for school. I&#039;m going to work.” the guest bedroom he was sleeping in was almost too small for him and it made me chuckle a bit seeing this growing boy nearly falling out of the bed. He groaned and gave me a thumbs up.<br /> “I love you, Son.”<br /> At work I had to sit down with the head veterinarian and explain to him my chemo schedule, which meant telling yet another person about it. In reality I just wanted to keep it to myself. I didn&#039;t need anyone taking pity on me or treating me differently.<br /> He patted me on the back and told me if I needed anything I just needed to ask. But at the moment I was currently trying to wrangle in a group of hyperactive puppies coming in for their checkups.<br /> “Oh, aren&#039;t you just the cutest little thing.” I squeaked, picking up one of the fluff balls. They were little husky puppies and boy were they working on those vocal chords.<br /> “Alright, so all of these little beauties are perfectly healthy. I recommend deworming them today and we can go ahead and give them their first rounds of shots. Also, would you like to have them microchipped for when they go to their new homes?” I looked at Mrs. Thompson, she was a spritely woman, so full of enthusiasm.<br /> “Of course, yes. Only 3 of the 4 are spoken for. This little guy is the only one who hasn&#039;t found his forever home yet.&quot; The pup in question was the red and white fluffer I was holding a bit ago.<br /> “Oh?” I asked. I knew it was wrong to interject into patients&#039; plans, but this little guy was just the cuddliest boy ever. She gave me a knowing smile.<br /> “You know, I think he likes you. I&#039;ve always called that one Finn.”<br /> It was so tempting, something I just didn&#039;t want to turn down. In a moment of weakness I thought about how every man has left me. My father, my husband, friends, and I thought, dogs are loyal, right? This little guy surely won&#039;t leave me.<br /> “I suppose he does need a home. And you are right, he does seem to like me…” she smirked and we finalized the rest of the details. I had somehow acquired a puppy. What just happened?<br /> Several patients, and layers of dog and cat hairs later and I was exhausted. The day was ending and Rachel had popped in my office several times to remind me of my promise for tonight.<br /> “Have you spoken to Lisa?” Rachel asked me when she walked into the room.<br /> “No, and I don&#039;t plan on it. She needs to forget that I exist. I have nothing nice to say to her and it would be better if I didn&#039;t say anything at all.” she nodded.<br /> “I know. I only ask because she&#039;s reaching out to me now trying to get to you. Want me to throat punch her? You know I will.” I snorted because she was being honest. I knew she would in a heartbeat. She was the brawler of the group and I was always the level headed.<br /> “Let me finish these charts and you can punch throats to your heart&#039;s content.”<br /> “So, you&#039;re going through with the divorce, yes?” she asked curiously. I nodded.<br /> “I think so. I just can&#039;t forgive it. 10 years. He had been sleeping with her for 10 years. He said he had been faithful since her and Brian got married but apparently she seduced him and he fell for it. I don&#039;t believe it. I don&#039;t believe one word of it. Even if it had been just one time... I couldn&#039;t forgive it. Unfaithfulness is where I draw the line.”		ForFun-105		18	https://facebook.com/61552095643555	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
69000	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		237104799248311	1	1.0530409426098E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201716018440115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140455	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405992197_1075802433463234_750596396325977413_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ldt_DiPKtUcAX8RKASS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBmiTacwXD_RATNwWJsHP10D6fzevyVaMLV3one748c6Q&oe=659331BD	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406144853_911215087304271_3085115032096733325_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3NsAkVwCZEQAX-S9YfN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCEK1Y4era-Qw8mwo5wpUo63km7qCMq_nERvlsf94aZzQ&oe=6592EF43			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68718	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054159		67		1064170748266906	2	1.2652095641785E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100159009599298		0	Sexton & Moody, P.C.			23861320947710538		sextonandmoody.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Contact Us Today!	770-474-5646 or click to learn more	https://sextonandmoody.com/		1696989898	1.001590095993E+14	Sexton & Moody, P.C.	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387052507_6697739987008162_4923117336605618835_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QmkntjeZ7-gAX-srsoe&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDdTfpEkpHXOiQjKdQ1YvSZgoNKo7W6kSJf33_j-gEOtw&oe=65921187	person_profile	0	Sexton & Moody, P.C.	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387787743_644393607678923_5776026910997426944_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GwbkwvPvmk0AX9mj6jD&_nc_oc=AQkqQCMX3KVTNH4UTdPm0tgsAJcdUgldq2TCN88h0mU49lhIB8cZCcZiiz9-ExxKSQv8WQ8MzGxkl0cCmwn8koTI&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCrlWrYPm3JbyKRvDk47X92kqRlgWmYdj6dL3fjtxRNGA&oe=6592A0F8			0	3	Sexton &amp; Moody, P.C. creates a legal strategy for you. We are trial lawyers. We are not afraid of trying your case, and we have decades of experience in using those trial skills.		Sexton & Moody, P.C.		259	https://facebook.com/sextonandmoody	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68083	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054159		67		906345374211758	1	1.0999272511686E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143609520670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702375044	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410389455_924804545651925_1499202031130049938_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Izac42OT9nIAX8cIYkR&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBrjA7rU5azRUoETBpmBAy9K8ytGp5AUoNRbpO04lxhOw&oe=65930052	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409668213_868917011627541_7865702827870431171_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FPMxbRPzmWgAX-a3N60&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCIsrzgsQK1ZmF7GqqyOwY_F_wnREPDcRg1ZZ7sjgtVGg&oe=659288B7			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69828	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054159		67		1804535636683786	5	1.6303717808225E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100377515694960		0	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience			120200721515760167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679858	1.0037751569496E+14	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404272923_2572055626299902_3305460755590047071_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cjPZmL50kSIAX-nJmIF&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxihvfvu9CfhdBoAPeGkbfI3rHSbZxrEgc9l12POPLgQ&oe=6591CE61	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience		329	https://facebook.com/100071723169364	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68144	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		2283075768559642	2	6.2046944346265E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498192740278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287800	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410021916_1259050688099611_4095730994528209571_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZC0rZuWMAmgAX8t-rpu&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBoG5K14LBeN6mVGxKcOCIYvCvh1p-8oVm1G2iC34iJUA&oe=65914D5A	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410238612_716381780426364_2600732729949178814_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FSmB5bOuPPcAX9PLBO1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBRY45Jeih2zkwQGQqbl9NOC_jEPy9ByVmqpKMhoaA29Q&oe=6591986B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68235	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		721333203388752	1	6.8174442375813E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155241300476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094420	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409060969_1149282389418705_2024113360885916664_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qBD3rIC_oDgAX9nFMiD&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAdYgv350MMiqW4wnM9SNYzxmzTVaGz20AvliUAYUSuLw&oe=659279F7	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408745115_2136564940044473_2322500962494543947_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ylNnenrQAboAX_TwSsz&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB9DXqf2-ou-K_rOz9n8QRfn33fhtXf1v3UgyqGtfalzA&oe=6592520F			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68204	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		1364250657560593	6	3.3839384883275E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259664190476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180805	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409183979_3473766239620476_1821771378878008836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zI21_YeQCPwAX9GPVF5&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBt3r5tHyOMSIGV8N2TVHP-1sOP1eZ8a99jRGTkw7fTkg&oe=6592134B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409721427_210800145408817_4896619129806496076_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=35W-BdoRizgAX8Ej-9S&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBErsiLr-AK790__qoNrZ4zqQJfTK7qnD2wp7Umga8itg&oe=6592764A			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68847	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054159		67		994857894944397	2	7.7045505484155E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681737280226		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256555	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406067885_648069793912434_5713489279590612239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tlJOt1UAMeIAX-yzc_q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdf-1oqGyZUt9ZU46opuTVwSercFGgI8p0D2oN1Ixbqg&oe=65914AB4	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406095695_869906881462902_6208796879961297606_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mYerSWHuPDMAX9JyxmF&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChEJ_nFsIc9GSkJwdIdjnDJrCRP0qU_j8jgZsIljUrLw&oe=6591DFF9			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
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67123	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		272558879139170	6	3.622513731536E+14		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120204266116120297		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703053941	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412946982_880539993444407_6994648338144067263_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ajklDJKH3cQAX-frPHC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7Lhkg4L7My39ei0tUKpFTwhQis0ifcKgXvsspp95wrg&oe=65914785	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67561	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054159		67		317286601221144				1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114513601736584		0	Ancient Narratives Now			120202810841760518		pastchronicles.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.pastchronicles.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702567141	1.1451360173658E+14	Ancient Narratives Now	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411065429_103489176192940_4897880234610555786_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-mCd6J-a84IAX9Nz4oI&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCPc2XN6XDC4_N43155dtzQV__RgvQMr_KZMrh7caXYyQ&oe=6592CA12	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Ancient Narratives Now		33	https://facebook.com/100095812980076	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69703	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/12/25, 5:58 PM	1703760177	1739404727		67		787706549827534		1.7938580343989E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102865022224801		0	Tell All Know All			120200721466810167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679791	1.028650222248E+14	Tell All Know All	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403762291_1473273089884334_200510394569536447_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yudTj2MGRfIAX-R1Nfq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAxPYyIMaoPe8Jd6V67HHfqA9xCHyo10WGflOlRsowkmQ&oe=6592F000	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Tell All Know All		340	https://facebook.com/100076181432751	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68093	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054159		67		183545304781024	1	1.0639221315779E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143406120670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374759	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410314280_834281521715680_3894094238271745937_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EmrY8lqEE54AX-A-ky3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA65bd5hUUfJp1CLBBp-Mas0WY9wMAN3ZPfC6VIQyupBQ&oe=6591C920	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410763665_855644583014617_6844749219760079787_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NgW5kPs6f2gAX8gZLBY&_nc_oc=AQlmgBr37Gc54lzcPA1NujlfM-CgHcfug33PUSZy19Iim8VPQSfbpZPFINIKbep5dc8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDk6CCEp4smFvxAKcIb__cjeIwxkEFAvTKmEURuQJY8RA&oe=65918186			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68979	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		1099091808139291	1	1.1927144683551E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119816401108725		0	Complete Day Magazine			120200984171550257		falafelandcaviar.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Los productores intentaron ocultar esto al público durante mucho tiempo, pero ahora, Joanna no solo rompió el silencio sobre su esposo, sino que también supimos lo que sucedió detrás de escena que terminó el programa.	Fixer Upper de HGTV es uno de los reality shows inmobiliarios más populares de todos los tiempos. Chip y Joanna Gaines se han vuelto súper famosos gracias a sus papeles en la presentación del programa súper popular y a las celebridades por derecho propio. Pero cuando su matrimonio comenzó a des...	https://falafelandcaviar.com/desarrollarse-verdad-j5-ext/		1701108970	1.1981640110872E+14	Complete Day Magazine	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404670057_671834515095456_4332834205999626569_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eRPixmlNS-4AX_iljhV&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDrkSP4W0nMkf0105a3zdTNMc-oHqtWBUzcdqehEuPGvQ&oe=65932FB9	person_profile	0					0	3	Fixer Upper&#039;s Dark Downers: Los secretos ocultos detrás del exitoso programa de televisión		Complete Day Magazine		48	https://facebook.com/100092596243928	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67655	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054159		67		724948689696891	1	1.4331922042166E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203186062260102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611703	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409808951_1558399324960447_1549424245174653442_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J4jCY5UTg7UAX9I2UmI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIzvGmFRE-3UOLXQPC5h9Wvuij-rX58hHspOm3JhZ2Lg&oe=65930E28	person_profile	0					0	3	😍😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68162	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		2703105383190360	3	1.7739747544135E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974529600427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287518	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409187940_223486370787830_4538062319520819290_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cdIh3laDTDIAX9HR8fQ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmuNfBSIVB4gVqClcOqZA1qC5kFYwGKCDAOjZ2LE1MAQ&oe=65922159	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409208553_1075133586825968_7513024662009184094_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9f_342uNIroAX-lFcdq&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCp4VClOdoctgH17akhGbRf69OaFYgzKdgGMqEbRqHXUQ&oe=659302A3			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
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67924	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		323848020609152	1	6.7341792161746E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411460440044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458246	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410363761_756905582973360_9000738208133626692_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ENr8YVwDIaYAX9bKFH4&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDeqj1fPQmWpKlXqv1JF9im0ruv7DnKjyJuT8z-X-nclQ&oe=65915B0C	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410352638_871587394661641_5051529478702849088_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZuEzrbNv6ekAX9752g_&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD9Dgqq4Ahra_N_nb98X0FGPKyC-qe-HN3RrQ2tRdq2OA&oe=659248A2			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67201	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		668583662103253	11	2.5809983036598E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
70003	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/15/25, 4:53 AM	1703760179	1747302786		67		864495981870754		1.3650113674381E+15		1700640000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120200897279950371		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628525	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405142534_399530465734023_7876386034155910778_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rsQ2UMwT4tsAX9EjgO5&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAY_cq0DT06xIfOy0biCaYeIq4ZPOdsYz-3KWCVnf2g_Q&oe=65922E0F	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67521	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054159		67		914371960123547	2	1.0595847252931E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011738180506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636913	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411186481_368221909042202_1554773818045291356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tJO3-t14VeoAX-8SLiN&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqqo_wSvenZ5PM3jmgoLn8PS6wER7kzrSLsZYXyDiPmw&oe=6592980B	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411167913_1072909830406145_6060815276937445531_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcVlntXgeEAX9H--V3&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDnRyVo3Ii6zMqFl412idofw3UYA1zY3lsXqQSPf1FFmQ&oe=65923BD6			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69261	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/16/25, 10:09 AM	1703760175	1747408143		67		1436120903609877	1	1.0436455269737E+15		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	250649795610429		0	Dermal Repair Complex															2.5064979561043E+14	Dermal Repair Complex	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404313136_347307491283082_1198989991511443987_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OJI8_IcGZrEAX8kkx6x&_nc_oc=AQlOHRdhqYbSEeTIcvziXG0VF8OaM4FS5EFLNqxP9w4vt1vBBaU4hcAN_kn1qDvQsLs&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB9276kZG8KUaGGfJkh1FKC3B3qK-TlnLFXQbWmPdCo4A&oe=659160E3	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/DRCxMD	0								1700899200		View Edit Delete
69737	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054159		67		876741057102289	5	1.6303717808225E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100377515694960		0	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience			120200721515760167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679858	1.0037751569496E+14	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404272923_2572055626299902_3305460755590047071_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cjPZmL50kSIAX_MY7LI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDtgNrRZOogdq8kJT6D8NmM_a-k2pxKKs-8_ncpVhvwPg&oe=6591CE61	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience		329	https://facebook.com/100071723169364	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68637	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054159		67		6755761684477656	1	2.1228461850161E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107994988993702		0	Joanna Joanna			120200567893590328			Contact us		NONE	image	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/2253917728132845/		1701531935	1.079949889937E+14	Joanna Joanna		regular_page	1	Joey Rosado	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407088411_805678488234990_7557580433618271816_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uj0aFu6eaIkAX_H791e&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDAt7npIAl7HUumNvmbAlWRYZpuMnm7fKRYDZ0VbQPx0w&oe=65926D82			0	3	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment - $695.00<br /> <br /> 1 Bedroom 1 Bath apartment that’s undergone a stylish remodel:<br /> <br /> Modern 1BR, fully renovated with sleek finishes, open kitchen, and updated bathroom. Enjoy ample light, and a prime location. Close to shopping and restaurants. Don’t miss out. <br /> <br /> Apartamento de 1 dormitorio y 1 baño que ha sido remodelado con estilo:<br /> <br /> 1 dormitorio moderno, totalmente renovado con acabados elegantes, cocina abierta y baño actualizado. Disfrute de abundante luz y de una ubicación privilegiada. Cerca de tiendas y restaurantes. No te lo pierdas.<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Joanna		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=100080150565277	0		CONTACT_US						1701504000		View Edit Delete
69581	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		6326245420814787	1	6.8396664713566E+14		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111590884348619		0	Scoolinary			120203949991880679		scoolinary.com/christmas-desserts	Watch more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.scoolinary.com/courses/christmas-desserts		1700679799	1.1159088434862E+14	Scoolinary	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403165003_1004316080677060_960250927448256659_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N-9QPYCF7n0AX9bNu4g&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAEwBFwKbIDupgZppyhCjeqCNDIN01Snf6uGAGOxEs3bg&oe=6591D48D	person_profile	0	scoolinary_en	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403070609_281846920973396_5232418989146644336_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-6EfYx_CAWkAX98L9K9&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD5so59IjrFmqBM0xvF1uXwmaCCzeiyFvnxpPfpSwvtjQ&oe=659273F6			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Scoolinary		180771	https://facebook.com/ScoolinaryEN	0		WATCH_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66979	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054159		67		351828500914870	2	3.2329143636803E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120766401101493		0	BioBursts			120202829672380756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213172	1.2076640110149E+14	BioBursts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411532370_3244327099194137_7988257233821687837_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gyXmY3zl4a8AX-SLIN1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwKJ6TZ_bcq0Acf-3azHEWuDUpw4H1uB2OmIuWf3GfwA&oe=6592737A	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		BioBursts		5440	https://facebook.com/100095312214573	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67273	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		735535798015728		2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX8Yb4nO&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChhy9HM6t8mMEeFHrdWyRYfx-gSjLvId4HxlLz65sO3A&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67679	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054159		67		371194305488116	2	6.4168487792438E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	134903889714448		0	Tukors			120202883797090627		www.tukors.com	Learn more		NONE	video			http://www.tukors.com/promotion/?pu=Q6WADKXPCIF6		1702569212	1.3490388971445E+14	Tukors	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411029051_324140557078841_1188121295366507721_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PlyI4hI2dY4AX_Dgltw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDU-K_vE-wvjM6i_MH7k6ZC3zGHJTAU9gsr8FHaj1yCFA&oe=65926EC9	person_profile	0	TUKORS	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409844471_1099029471259234_143016486257394765_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D8YluSaYhrAAX-AMdSg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCIajXmeD0fAlWQxAYrn-aE3BGhODrwdUagxRDanE2rzg&oe=6591864A			0	3	&quot;그 사람은 입이 무거워서 믿을 수 있어.&quot;<br /> Be friends with a Heavy-mouthed person!<br /> <br /> Let&#039;s Learn Korean with Tutor Joanna!<br /> <br /> #learningkorean #koreanlanguage #hangul #hangeul #韓国語 #韓国語勉強		Tukors		18	https://facebook.com/Tukors1	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
66701	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		1535334483945575		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120202512516600122		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491565	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414604321_693185739624951_2245707465439767603_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gix3rta5rUAAX_LjdLY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAMLO8sjpkHnmQ_FNvn03c8U10T0Jd8-IwAw36rxW_8A&oe=6591BB4F	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414620446_1104479800964513_3624753788227088913_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G4q6N6zhjQgAX8IypVd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmT9NXUiNWwN7IlTknoM7ILzIKG19ZGZ0Anm8urBzc5Q&oe=6593272F			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68283	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		721119496606734	1	1.1286477218022E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672500390427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030399	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408054967_1449949025660208_9016130772082601126_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lFMLlaerWWAAX9bsAAm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3JzcqrtilNiAB0aBi12GMmlgd2sFy5jglkdE1GRrlvg&oe=65920973	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407990605_904181730912074_7476023733112313584_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u7kTZY7ASnYAX9BQF-f&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD1nNzZXlcBvkuDGv0Pt3goevM_nz9eMxy4UMlbNuQZpg&oe=6592CF3B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67945	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054159		67		662428556050597	1	1.0573440553142E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434498650465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447711	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410360540_2479641845576215_6956821414906263863_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MA1WhTE5RAgAX_onJW8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDc2Ma3D0SWRyCzHnGwn-tF6588UTbojpnKqhQDv21iFA&oe=6592E13D	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410395039_350614130916838_7595151222508042111_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UmH5SuKuf-4AX-V1uAc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBD3ayjiauGDn5elnmxNhlPCQ2TSiauD6XO6CSzy8-szg&oe=6592D0B8			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68483	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054159		67		692321326332058	1	3.7990176448273E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458621170691		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856166	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407736261_754865689802608_914252324138822229_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Tw_6-09DQmkAX-wuekZ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFQb1pL5HhdBlgbLFZG7SUNB0ylD2pJqbrrReSuxnVyw&oe=6592314F	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407711909_884382323056607_5649972978349155871_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cdMLGhTw5m4AX-yx3c3&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAfbYT7V195f_A7fvVS2gfqgpafQyCk8LGi_PoARye9pg&oe=65914B89			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67695	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/17/25, 2:17 PM	1703760164	1747509455		67		370963222141237	4	3.6125688964328E+14		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120202081808030160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702543427	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409725127_422659510329156_1058455245414528834_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kdieOYtDZ7oAX-hxJkx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEzhgl8VWLrG7nbpFWSgeC0F9xQw5V1hT4SpuDnR6rEw&oe=6591F48E	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68868	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054159		67		1098411901590186	2	1.6770116560793E+15		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103144986091260		0	CMG Daily-Choices US			120201714799950520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250783	1.0314498609126E+14	CMG Daily-Choices US	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406100759_732040505014048_1066743151974080284_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3aodNuDMeRAAX9KC5Vj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCX7sgk72l5cyXUV5RIb-4HrBv0B3W23tASl0u_4hzUuQ&oe=65916DD9	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG Daily-Choices US		113	https://facebook.com/cmg.dailychoices.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68157	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		872554921032877	1	8.9736484511529E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498169930278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287784	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409729476_1486429211931547_4135707304775805188_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s2sGENmEOBUAX9wflr6&_nc_oc=AQkwG3co5A2GxJFPuWTxxmRWWSS8_RQoz0qVMWaBc6s9pApCMt9xeQo5oFvatWt_dHc&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxIiFZO64UBGTrZnUc2QoinVtcXkwF8rgcdIBEfAqy_A&oe=65931230	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409820896_704558541632163_6115430432487449525_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vepCsGPvtScAX8g-yUj&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBPlk7KoTiUSHnZSim0Vo2BfYrECr9AV7H7h7cVrfaufg&oe=659166F7			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69144	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		2122571101455242	1	1.7253932346141E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690719060115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055871	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405197137_721340756189547_7738916926066625864_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LdBaJLXGeZ8AX8UIB6O&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBXcO4t9AEJmEuZ76AOCESOR8Kkk489rAqLjPs6kXJClA&oe=6592B001	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404996762_1188207095471900_7601182738525582442_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z1uZiDkXgLcAX_O0SUa&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAwUB9Z8j4NN0kSyoVRFPICiNrnZSjAYUPCSH1a3aDnPQ&oe=6592E3BE			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69043	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		1062463814785377	2	2.6384812298732E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715933630115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140267	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406044196_24182196258092373_8838822603103042870_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NR_tn1GnYmEAX8kJcr9&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD7JfWUbvpcBMxXan7jqjWtxHHcgaJD8AkUwHnjU3Lx0w&oe=65916E4F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406108323_1443267746230226_4895212633771626450_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NK7dQp-z2gUAX8E_vlP&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCqroiJL8dBuPv3KkGsPL1upBXv1mFEcseFPShqKor5Xw&oe=6592F906			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68516	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054159		67		7219233024804355	1	1.0756220267728E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	329658663759031		0	Galerie Barbara von Stechow			120201354192890746		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/galeriebvonstechow		1701808886	3.2965866375903E+14	Galerie Barbara von Stechow	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407712121_394400122920472_3281892789139054948_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p0UXHHnY7x8AX9XGqnU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8kb5QMXdkb8rSbilVaPRjFY91pAfxwoVvit6CbwCI_g&oe=6591871B	person_profile	0	Galerie Barbara von Stechow	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407662124_936745181359339_710105645680272195_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUxYUHxVWiwAX_kXuyK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC83TH5h6RtV6btCURlIaWkYuSzY-rJC3G7p-qUMfpmow&oe=6592BD01			0	3	💥We&#039;re thrilled to kick off ART MIAMI today with the VIP Preview. Join us from December 5th to 10th at booth AM327 for an exclusive showcase of contemporary art.<br /> <br /> Discover the latest masterpieces by Alireza Varzandeh, Tom Christopher, Leszek Skurski, Andrea Damp, and Joanna Skurska. ART MIAMI, a vibrant hub for art enthusiasts and collectors, is the perfect backdrop for these incredible talents.<br /> <br /> Don&#039;t miss this chance to immerse yourself in the world of art. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing our passion for contemporary creativity! 🖼️ 💫#ArtMiami #GalerieBarbaraVonStechow #artgallery #kunstgalerie #kunstmesse #artmiami2023 #artnews #paintings #germangallery #ContemporaryArt &#064;artmiamifairs <br /> <br /> 🇩🇪Heute starten wir mit der VIP-Vorschau in die ART MIAMI. Besuchen Sie uns vom 5. bis 10. Dezember am Stand AM327 und erleben Sie exklusive zeitgenössische Kunst.<br /> <br /> Entdecken Sie neueste Meisterwerke von Alireza Varzandeh, Tom Christopher, Leszek Skurski, Andrea Damp und Joanna Skurska. ART MIAMI, ein lebendiger Treffpunkt für Kunstliebhaber und Sammler, bietet die perfekte Kulisse für diese unglaublichen Talente.<br /> <br /> Verpassen Sie nicht diese Gelegenheit, in die Welt der Kunst einzutauchen. Wir freuen uns darauf, Sie willkommen zu heißen und unsere Leidenschaft für zeitgenössische Kreativität zu teilen! 🖼️ 💫		Galerie Barbara von Stechow		1261	https://facebook.com/GalerieBarbaraVonStechow	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
69447	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		886108749336134	1	1.0768760604078E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632013890115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796599	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403754450_291822623206034_3961078416638268245_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2YWKers5WqUAX8Hvuf5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAZ9reFA4-jZ-IC0FcPJNd-JWT16l6_3CMUh8e5SQsMBw&oe=6592BA8F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405509418_365595995969832_5338630860648448796_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M-aQ-0448jgAX_D83lg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDnRCHuTJ13WDzbWKiKwOBCxSr-VVcKvcOEeCrDuMZhvg&oe=6591767F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66484	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054159		67		1617771725418319	1	6.4426024096769E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120201885838410183			Send message		NONE	multi_images					1701109171	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404596715_1077491880111844_1082406078132874183_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0HzXCrwc5W0AX-LzQYz&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDrh7Swydgo45jXsmj3OiyhUUWaTWNnOXYfCS08fOw6lQ&oe=6593248D	person_profile	0					0	3	Q: What&#039;s a real estate agent&#039;s favorite way to start the Christmas season? <br /> A: Gingerbread house decorating! 😂 Cause these are houses we all can afford! Hehe. <br /> <br /> P.S. Which one gets your vote: Ava, Mysha or Olivia?		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66672	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		1108640367228314	1	2.5805555040621E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104926531949545		0	Joanna Stanecka			6504941935842					NONE	image	Joanna Stanecka	Kultura, Teatr, Film, Koncert, Publiczność, Muzyka,	https://facebook.com/joannaratingen		1703548916	1.0492653194954E+14	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413805773_2567219550107155_8881567761480335078_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aqn5dOLHQGQAX9fU2oj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAaya83jXlYXFqim5mrFIE7Mj7cXUPKHNihK7q7P5JZQQ&oe=6591901E	person_profile	0	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413844412_579612264342487_3605505569398520731_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xYxBce59gTUAX9CAe40&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIV0PZfWEaaSQrw9brYw-be8Cvv6vd4lBgEZp2_qOOfA&oe=6592B020			0	3	Od wczoraj na Spotify<br /> Bierzcie i jedzcie z tego wszyscy… <br /> Jako odtrutka na kolędy - pasuje świetnie do choinki<br /> Jako soczysty dodatek do suchego opłatka<br /> Jako „wielobarw niepospolity” do zasmarkanego grudnia. <br /> Album pocieszy, posmuci, wdroży refleksję. <br /> Pięknych świąt 🌲💝<br /> <br /> From yesterday on Spotify<br /> Take and eat from it all.... <br /> As an antidote to Christmas carols - goes great with a Christmas tree<br /> As a juicy addition to a dry holly wafer<br /> As a &quot;multicolored unopposed&quot; to a snotty December. <br /> The album will comfort and implement reflection. <br /> Marry Christmas🌲💝🍒<br /> <br /> Von gestern auf Spotify<br /> Nehmt und esst davon alles.... <br /> Als Gegengift zu Weihnachtsliedern - passt gut zum Weihnachtsbaum<br /> Als saftige Ergänzung zu einer trockenen heilige Oblaten<br /> Als &quot;buntes Gegenstück&quot; zu einem rotzigen Dezember. <br /> Fröhliche Weihnachten 🎄🎁		Joanna Stanecka		1151	https://facebook.com/joannaratingen	0								1703491200		View Edit Delete
66826	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		265201292945617	2	3.3739535257836E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	104321446078990		0	MentalGymnastics HQ			120202795857010240		thedaddest.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://thedaddest.com/trending/creative-cover-ex-tattoos-tw/?utm_campaign=Creative%20Cover%20Abhinab2312-v2%20Dynamic%20PPI106%20a13f%20-%20Unknown%20WW%20FB%20CRG&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=WC&utm_content=DC&network_code=CRG&v=3		1703335618	1.0432144607899E+14	MentalGymnastics HQ	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413861327_736999335147288_2071163753931784560_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jZmmT3Y2J2AAX_heWkl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC8xBFn5aJ8Ezopn3hbuFymZXxxdkpIr2hajpI2qMrvXw&oe=65914D4A	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		MentalGymnastics HQ		78	https://facebook.com/100095154452872	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66973	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054159		67		900314121462274	5	3.2085676418162E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	111233318296643		0	Multiple Choices			120202829733320756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213366	1.1123331829664E+14	Multiple Choices	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783833_869622144811496_7149635715460326849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YP19n1yGdBEAX-aT_me&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxBqnRrglq26U6QjluPtXuVWc5k_fjohGutBHMP85gDg&oe=6592C96A	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Multiple Choices		34	https://facebook.com/100083202375576	0		NO_BUTTON						1703318400		View Edit Delete
69907	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054159		67		662856632670709	2	1.4596353512751E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158909050403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633020	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402941658_1376542216280142_7915691737579476860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x3Y0ITP1YIcAX8saohh&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB9X7tf3hQuvd1qzu3n7Fsv5XOOaUTy15-FpKiYPYvfag&oe=6591E888	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404650697_1535008707302436_1509348642444172335_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E9Bm9QCrxocAX_ofwF-&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAVcoPsNrU-vFTyewY-Pin8-DPoM3CX7sxz98ksqOk9qA&oe=6591A25C			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67789	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		709644344216658		7.013065186452E+14		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409906260_864005982079610_3896895483156584497_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m5MWHUqZh4IAX-qjFhh&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBEGVn1jfUnVwRp1MoP5fHQ3KjyO8HHfO1g33EbKjWKww&oe=6591A822	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
68131	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		890471655622978	1	3.2489947987316E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	138576156001792		0	Passport to Adventure			120203350784910212		travelfiber.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.travelfiber.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702294355	1.3857615600179E+14	Passport to Adventure	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409530802_1013933263053438_500847400551941487_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VnTHmVFllHgAX9dCY5b&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAi6Gj-Vi2BZjq6IBNqraEwVvqqiA2E3exL93IL0TAG7w&oe=65926837	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Passport to Adventure		96	https://facebook.com/61551723967747	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68055	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054159		67		893192942213791	1	3.8128137759064E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	146002998587788		0	AllDay Past			120207706509030456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389970	1.4600299858779E+14	AllDay Past	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410746761_330658146581433_2274347648341475271_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KlSVbRBxR5YAX-OjzT5&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCjGj3bva3PTIndo_Y2jUHNTAjl6NRm1mdGLlKs2zNDeQ&oe=6592DB35	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		AllDay Past		75	https://facebook.com/61551689318955	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68122	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		1294405861957489	4	6.981368022681E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216183220123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310356	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410244409_726566545689989_4567993620263082997_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nAqapzmlN9UAX_clJhd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHwn9qI0meI-ImYAeInFMYKXCvMymP-nk1nOgh0ReSwg&oe=6592349C	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410219914_592682066322535_3324166281347404186_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1zBOXE4JKGUAX_FaxT4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDn5vk9rLqOJC_Gbi1yD0bYN6HqySI4BWPa5OrffJXrHQ&oe=65916D01			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68257	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		824645612768983		3.6017906668063E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104004358796647		0	IMIND Mental Health			120200829735590224		fb.me	Learn more		NONE	image	Two Minute Free Online Depression Assessment		http://fb.me/		1699645053	1.0400435879665E+14	IMIND Mental Health	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400734941_362076516342456_8687727955540156741_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EeBv0WdZRbsAX_CAtsT&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCB5fr-Lh1-xByGKrHL1bcI5IijfDub7Kox7M7WZMNzfA&oe=659256BD	person_profile	0	iMind Mental Health Solutions	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400742745_604389355070621_8849427130824172488_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q6iH0Pv1zCgAX-J8mug&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPXwscRof-V7ZI_0r_nGwseaUljqdoiIfXGLfUqdoqOw&oe=65916598			0	3	Many depression sufferers have tried everything. <br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried anti-depressants...sometimes 3 or 4 different kinds.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried traditional &quot;talk&quot; counseling.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried following mental health advice.<br /> <br /> They’ve listened to their friends and family tell them to “just choose to be happy”.<br /> <br /> But for many people suffering from depression, none of the above have truly helped them find lasting relief.<br /> <br /> Until now.<br /> <br /> A new form of treatment known as Brainsway TMS Therapy has been clinically proven to be effective at treating depression at its source.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy uses magnetic-stimulation to reach the part of the brain that controls whether a person feels happy or sad.<br /> <br /> In fact, Brainsway TMS Therapy has been proven to be effective for ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​patients who didn&#039;t respond to traditional depression treatments.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS therapy can potentially help depression sufferers get off their antidepressants, which is a major plus for many patients.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy is:<br /> <br /> ☑️ Safe<br /> ☑️ FDA-approved<br /> ☑️ Medication-free<br /> ☑️ Covered by most insurances<br /> ☑️ No systemic side effects<br /> <br /> Thinking Brainsway TMS Therapy may be the right choice? And want more information? <br /> <br /> Here’s what to do:<br /> <br /> Click &quot;Learn More&quot; below<br /> Fill out the form (30 seconds)<br /> Schedule a free phone consultation.<br /> <br /> Talk soon!<br /> <br /> Dr. JoAnna VanVleet, D.O., D.F.A.P.A.<br /> iMind Mental<br /> Port St. Lucie, FL<br /> <br /> For faster service, call (877) 355-8780		IMIND Mental Health		222	https://facebook.com/iMindMentalHealth	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67028	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054159		67		189633810901577		2.8484499086294E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120203514463600367		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703139864	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412848132_902649071038849_8790486031788318900_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SRk3pI-GXTUAX-PCXYR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSgyXv989nMcDWyUCSxKqsRhT5_j7sIzDzyG47Xqzchw&oe=6592490C	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66683	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		1530474687735779	1	1.6930137348669E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100241923130958		0	Plume.et.encre			120204267136690443		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/plume.et.encre		1703511216	1.0024192313096E+14	Plume.et.encre	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414217717_1089748555712335_5855076377534313222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kTkms90yy3EAX-0_RCv&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDFWjs8S2iqsXMSf4xWb4BwUruBMPEiwIMaZfFPAmG8ug&oe=65919822	person_profile	0	Marina Kapralau	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412695483_916710583391335_7055098892990156165_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k9m_1bHxP2UAX-Z8Wvz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBTsqb0PHQhrsvIBzopbICuomCxLgVLMTrjqj0lKRIbGA&oe=6593380D			0	3	What I read in 2023 👓<br /> FICTION <br /> The Last Train to London Meg Waite Clayton <br /> The Christmas Box Richard Paul Evans<br /> Hello, Summer, Goodbye Michel Coney<br /> Leave the World Behind Rumaan Alam<br /> The Cruel Prince Holly &amp; The Queen of Nothing Holly Black <br /> 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne <br /> Into the Heartless Wood &amp; Echo North Joanna Ruth Meyer <br /> True Grit Charles Portis <br /> The Library of the Dead Tendai Huchu <br /> War &amp; Peace Leo Tolstoy I, II, III <br /> Letters From Father Christmas Tolkien <br /> NON-FICTION <br /> How to Make a Game All By Yourself Matt Hackett <br /> When Women Lead Julia Boorstin <br /> No Rules Rules Reed Hastings &amp; Erin Meyer <br /> Don’t Make Me Think Steve Krug<br /> Build Tony Fadell <br /> Navigating the Politics of UX John Scott Bowie (yet again) <br /> Content Strategy Kristina H. <br /> Information Architecture Louis Rosenfeld <br /> Story Genius Lisa Cron <br /> Set Boundaries, Find Peace Nedra Glover Tawwab<br /> The Accidental Taxonomist Heather Hedden<br /> The Bestseller Code Jodie Archer <br /> Wired for Story Lisa Cron <br /> The Creative Act: Way of Being Rick Rubin <br /> The Insane Are Running the Asylum Alan Cooper <br /> Chito-Grito Georgiy Daneliya<br /> A Life on Our Planet David Attenborough <br /> The Smart Girl’s Guide to Getting What You Want Mary Hartley <br /> Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Mindy Kailing <br /> Think Again &amp; Hidden Potential Adam Grant<br /> Motivational Interviewing Stephen Rollnick<br /> Cinema Speculations Quentin Tarantino <br /> Never Enough Jennifer Breheny Wallace <br /> Designing Connected Content Mike Atheron and Carrie Hane <br /> The Old Magic of Christmas Linda Raedisch<br /> How To Be An Overnight Success Maria Hatzistefanis<br /> Voice: User Interface Design M Cohen, J. Giangola, J. Balogh <br /> An Immense World Ed Yong<br /> Strategic Content Design: Tools &amp; Research Techniques for Better UX <br /> Manuscript Makeover Elizabeth Lyon <br /> The Confidence Code Katty Kay &amp; Claire Shipman<br /> That Will Never Work Marc Randolph <br /> The Forever Dog Rodney Habib and Karen Shaw Becker#books#booknerd#bookworm#bookworms#instabooks#nonfiction#career#careergrowth#careerdevelopment#careergirl#girlboss#literature#книги#люблючитать#литература#карьера#карьеристка#карьерныйрост#книголюб#книги#инстакниги#книжныйчервь#девушкалидер#booklist#списоклитературы as		Plume.et.encre		0	https://facebook.com/100094136801411	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67642	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054159		67		369663835641449	1	3.3323724037354E+15		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	331187007696379		0	Joanna Nichols			120204440011060398			Buy now		NONE	image	Several NAME Brand sneakers, Air Jordan, Adidas Size 9.5, price is for each.		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/360615969879610/		1702626886	3.3118700769638E+14	Joanna Nichols		regular_page	1	Joanna Nichols	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409872679_24282711984677342_357379366652464104_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=l931816JZBgAX819xqq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCe-mB3FMVzGgeCmNonHkFpsWW3Fddai9FULVnwn0qUwQ&oe=65932809			1	3	Several NAME Brand sneakers, Air Jordan, Adidas Size 9.5, price is for each. - $50.00<br /> <br /> Lightly used Air Jordan, Adidas, Nike sneakers, Size 9.5, various styles<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Nichols		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=100001247890964	0		BUY_NOW						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68348	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054159		67		1616118595827558		8.9177252588062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6585777583809		joannavargas.com	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/collections/new-york-spa		1701966857	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407925736_620582436781442_2796719506810871333_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Iuhhl0D3C_sAX-7XW2_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD5nV80Jfl5jxzT3_l-8tKBNkEI-OV54JnvwF8egXpwdQ&oe=6592876A	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408816041_331873276276130_8909268571148640696_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SGODGrXjgKoAX-Ej_jW&_nc_oc=AQkjp8gyxWLyiGuJUBz5mtojxNeAk4vgVHBuRtELe8GL8b0OVgHGF8eKMEHiWzyeuks&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB4xHbqX9MnI76rfajWm05q1OKLOTQ_5f_rdl7VQK1gaA&oe=65932A61			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69819	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054159		67		1588070195267457		1.3699666969605E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201778998720250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677962	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404501919_1399764947592984_5324204061772205548_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c9ePsZcglVUAX_FZ9xy&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPNA-DIJ0cU7WuJzHDZatA-C4DJYY_zCj7uoiwN8g9iw&oe=65933ED7	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69277	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		322805477269236	1	1.0236980221848E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632010410115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796591	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405538534_313887381577026_9106739791306620705_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AFJwAY4YFZgAX9vul_7&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAlNsuV_VVIElTSQgPD8tUUXTmFKpkoKsZZklRuTl8iQg&oe=6591C8F3	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404594264_891894712512648_5955675214774676774_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-U9v2BSOSUoAX-NR_L3&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC20gkBjG5h2m9hvDCNYQZLTXnWRges0k_VorKrOOqTBw&oe=659180E7			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68244	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		1424165661474137	1	1.0767845366757E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155247600476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094434	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409589971_1052304956110374_3556196149653610877_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ufM08uDOEK4AX9hmpUq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDiUHys8_tJE710Ap2EpkFsnRz-RwMpsDk-NfzrQI5SPQ&oe=659302F1	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409659678_1412239489638781_2237131546198925729_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b8Nj-mKiUt4AX-L11zB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDumJ-z_wgtySphitmVKaZ9sG2AqRmab-WcGv5BeVLY2w&oe=6592EF86			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
67319	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		886160946551517	2	3.8225503758371E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	218789368308514		0	21 Draw			6534470948573		21-draw.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Painting Portraits using Gouache	Offer Expires soon! So Hurry!	https://www.21-draw.com/course/painting-portraits-in-gouache/		1702898262	2.1878936830851E+14	21 Draw	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410674343_1744734729365121_8330630127109463705_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lslyU8iS7sUAX-Dhgiz&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBC3IHu4hRWIZSrVtmWnrDGwYyu8tQVnJjFL4kHEDzmJw&oe=6592B07A	person_profile	0		https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410662821_822311716250658_5754943864370093328_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KQXtfVkKSmoAX_gUUsU&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD6Dl5TfXUc04jVRNMZUgu2Iwlj0FdKscnA9S0GpSyqJg&oe=659248A1			0	3	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a fantastic course and so relaxing to watch. I was mesmerized. I use gouache often, but learned a lot from watching the layering technique with a large flat brush. Thank you for sharing your process and all the valuable tips! (Joanna)<br /> <br /> Do you feel intimidated, assuming it’s an advanced skill that only professional artists can master?<br /> Well, good news! It’s MUCH easier than you might think! Get ready to learn the basics of painting portraits and techniques for using gouache!<br /> Your instructor, Jordan Rhodes, demystifies the process of portrait painting, by explaining in detail each step, giving you clear demonstrations and teaching you easy techniques that you can use right away. With Jordan’s guidance and helpful tips, you’ll realize that creating a portrait is nowhere near as daunting as you thought!<br /> ⁠<br /> 👉️ Check out the course and watch some FREE lessons: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcour&amp;h=AT0vr9Txre-FE5Xtusbqx0tMM1t9WIAor3WEkfLlwb2r8xzBUo3XK0yOUkR_xoAScNrK1t7KuBGAdCNMTYKZ820wKU6XxcxQOGD0kEUqrZAaSfQhKIYNLwe2t84ihJju-SYzM5oKBDSQyWhCDPEjnuFcrno" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/cour</a>…/painting-portraits-in-gouache/<br /> ⁠⁠<br /> Discover what’s in store for you in this course: ⁠<br /> <br /> ⁠✅ Discover how to paint your very own portrait<br /> ✅ ⁠Learn about gouache and how to use it<br /> ⁠✅ Learn how to prepare your paper and set up your workspace<br /> ✅ Learn Jordan’s techniques for mixing colors and blending<br /> ✅ Understand the planes of the face and divide a face into several values<br /> ✅ Get started by painting a base &amp; value layer<br /> ✅ Understand how to build up layers and control opacity<br /> ✅ How to add details to the portrait and clean up edges<br /> <br /> This is just one of many fantastic courses on 21 Draw! With an annual membership, you will have access to a full library of high-quality courses taught by industry experts! ⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Check out other amazing courses: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcourse%2F&amp;h=AT3zrZqBR7tBjAzOuTqUFUjRGPPexcbEW1VwykjOVCypisF2fOp-U-YSwdzQPVceegzPOjkGhdLklNZfccHRsqoysxICdzSzI6nInZN2zXzUurWeRep_BmRffqeYBFKT-K_52Z3094MzFnvC7vRiHvG-Qko" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/course/</a><br /> <br /> Some of the course subjects include: ⁠<br /> 🖌️ Lighting and Shading⁠<br /> 🖌️ Human Anatomy⁠<br /> 🖌️ Facial Expressions⁠<br /> 🖌️ Dynamic Poses⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Procreate⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Photoshop⁠<br /> 🖌️ Drawing Landscapes⁠<br /> 🖌️ .... and MUCH more!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠⁠All these and many other value-packed courses are up for grabs for a limited time at 75% OFF! 👀😲⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Start learning today: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2F&amp;h=AT3tC-G8qbX5ZMvhf0fFLifFjgT9FdtC7yhr6iOGWV1v7z68mNpmbbaMSSdZ9dRKVhSTTAW8kqr1ml1JLBR5zkw_HArriechinVFqS3FRumZyeZhBIykbTkE9_YT9rUAgP2avkDBmhX23FQSeox31Ch3In8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/</a>		21 Draw		130588	https://facebook.com/21draw	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67654	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054159		67		732531955412116	1	6.6007631100219E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203186097690102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611722	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410385964_884733440030849_183674805069930753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5gDI2BZzXtIAX9rKPXX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoTuWfMuYJqgeLeW2qQfRPxBAQjboKyvOQMQ2BRZc4Bg&oe=6592E0CB	person_profile	0					0	3	😍😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67109	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		800532898754624		3.6476807956901E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120204108005460682		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines' 'So Called' Marriage	A Look at Chip and Joanna Gaines's Love Story	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1703062438	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411688300_1440594393160851_809774238746819042_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3yGuOsZqXZgAX8pL-39&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJ8DVNl728QF2Vu5tX0MgbepmzCvLItT2hJG3aDd4zIA&oe=6592EC0A	person_profile	0					0	3	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines&#039; &#039;So Called&#039; Marriage		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67353	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		894551175240477		3.1589290310703E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	105343545334758		0	Culinary Creations			6577364619418		culinarycreationsre.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Le Creuset Cookware Sets are now On-The-House 🎁		https://culinarycreationsre.com/		1702850438	1.0534354533476E+14	Culinary Creations	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411459358_1478281766064634_7548390259925829264_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y8J-9NYtcJkAX_zEYDd&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCcXbSwvmxlCsAWd7RcWkihpxMb0eQdJ69sKeNxblNA3w&oe=65917814	person_profile	0	Culinary Creations	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411459329_1433101807370112_8392747796829983196_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-77EBUp6FKgAX_i16fl&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBPF6LCiR0x9YSkwLdYMy0Lf3qpnucNueKYQ29FTEWtpA&oe=6592AF59			0	3	🎁🎄DAY 9 of Our 12 Days of Christmas Give_away Sponsored by Chip &amp; Joanna!		Culinary Creations		8	https://facebook.com/100090339347603	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67072	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		1073456470340415	1	1.084237155936E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	105423539265338		0	Cookware Gifts from the Gaine's			6580956148473		vitaquestexplorers.com	Learn more		NONE	video	LeCreuset Cookware Sets are now On-The-House 🎁		https://vitaquestexplorers.com/		1703110452	1.0542353926534E+14	Cookware Gifts from the Gaine's	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412247647_1016110746114907_2177918004262108456_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3LL4z3i0nFYAX9Rqi-h&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB3wdz8m0GmWRx98WmuPxet8CnwYQKxYm0Dj1vpD7snlg&oe=65929D71	person_profile	0	Cookware Gifts from the Gaine'	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412309549_1081868502844269_3453125556077638290_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aEOtLguc1JoAX8iqPwn&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXkyZ1zQbZ7DURtCRsp4XgHmCfPOL4sAXYk-BmskcOdw&oe=6591E4E0			0	3	🎁🎄DAY 10 of Our 12 Days of Christmas Give_away Sponsored by The Gaines!		Cookware Gifts from the Gaine's		0	https://facebook.com/beautybound93	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
66452	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054159		67		861856082075873				1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120202447019970087		joannaczech.com	Shop now	874	NONE	dpa	{{product.name}}		https://www.joannaczech.com/collections/joannas-favorites		1701462512	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407313147_654848540171147_5591652414345765065_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vIe9qUhniL4AX_DySk1&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDAXCw1SysiVK8ZMQ6DeJERm3p3oOZJ5eqXp8wtmefj5g&oe=6591AFCF	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407297206_1299810764051171_727318511226501716_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=00xRnGt_aIEAX-FDkKJ&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDHu02Ya5evszrRE6x8G_SsJC1fJBOLHHVV1R06rCT4sQ&oe=6593159C			0	3	#Czech out Joanna Czech&#039;s skincare must-haves! ✨		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68462	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054159		67		854601549743459	1	2.7263122872691E+14		1701936000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	113745823383431		0	kimberley.joanna			120201371877100249		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/kimberley.joanna		1701617032	1.1374582338343E+14	kimberley.joanna	https://scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/309066088_1267147980687113_3769485699294236454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=pmAgBr_zqLcAX_Ki4r0&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfD17kvYHlqgHhu17WlF28oIhpIb7wQG2JYR1eiXF2bY9w&oe=65916FCF	ig_ads_identity	1	Kimberley Joanna	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407721628_658939412793076_8453942545159992971_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9VviEp2o6qAAX-ctFwU&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCB6B1z2gMlHqCHyq2gcNKkS8PdvbZGF_miLdO-OpKKRw&oe=65919ACD			0	3	I am very exited to guest at &#064;sous.berlin and have some time left, send me a dm or email if you want a tattoo ✨		kimberley.joanna		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/kimberley.joanna	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68259	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		917627333033959	2	1.1676279239319E+15		1703664000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	102876439766516		0	Couples Resorts			6521065371406		couples.com	Book now		NONE	carousel	Couples Resorts		https://couples.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=Leisure+Remarketing+Social+Feed&utm_content=Testimonial-Feed		1702049705	1.0287643976652E+14	Couples Resorts	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409530427_1293881561324427_1748911306233055927_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jog_RrX4yNoAX8orTzR&_nc_oc=AQl-o3pYAbc75sF_Wmwz7BI-JQ_0x7dS3r4MU_RGfiVekKWt1YkII7smPhKHNio9a3Q&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCz1I47GOfpG96aERQt7vkeRo3XD5qzXakRhqrIRyIWog&oe=65919C55	person_profile	0	Couples Resorts Jamaica	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407777243_1300845337281718_3104392917863440201_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FrHHs-IDLh4AX_iz56-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBlA2Ncnk6yQcWxnj75DqFN3Nl0PSfvNvZ62cQ-cKlZzg&oe=659267C0			0	3	Four idyllic locations in Jamaica, where every stay inspires your story.		Couples Resorts		491552	https://facebook.com/couplesresorts	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68264	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054159		67		328445586706174	3	1.7739747544135E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672581210427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030389	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406405837_2375148522669633_1373910159565133470_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6UskqoMxK7QAX96BmFg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCm3KB6TOq0EH9qv8PPm_DHSNbLjqp7kwlfnlSdGKDQwQ&oe=65932455	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406836407_1441672023448937_7208212608956794912_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iS7SpGl9KIkAX_tifQ8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBBF6k2jCWKX-j07sfVtcPS4aexGYGU531cY5Erz3BlnQ&oe=65927465			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67059	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		1404275003629507		7.0475279486266E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	84398256230		0	Lowe's Home Improvement			120203529807880616		lowes.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.lowes.com/l/online-paint-store.html?cm_mmc=psm-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-fb-_-{{campaign.id}}-_-{{ad.id}}-_-0-_-awr-_-int		1702539123	84398256230	Lowe's Home Improvement	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411189116_1852423175217755_584097994550898459_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Up2I24jpr4QAX_PJMU2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAtT3jsE5I_bhISN-nmM839HGaZbrTjQivO-SXgiyeqEw&oe=659163C6	person_profile	0	Lowe's Home Improvement	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411137013_1558227531616241_8374490955640630566_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G77EBL0m3nMAX8Q1BM8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBRiIw9OhoDuBW6eaojwPy1DMOz8xjSJrTS8M54WhBFGA&oe=6591F629			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Lowe's Home Improvement		4764659	https://facebook.com/lowes	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66781	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054159		67		718977446836784	1	1.1078664167805E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106745672377684		0	Joanna Renner			6536405121973					NONE	image					1703425464	1.0674567237768E+14	Joanna Renner	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414098942_1089610918709543_2581732803400051153_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mCYTJmzwnusAX-yAwWM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-S_rI64JJzAbWlh2SmxXc2aRReYDTT-lEmxSZEdapmw&oe=659290F0	person_profile	0	Joanna Renner	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414083018_1596972187717864_9112301009021876935_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=17VWah2VD_UAX_aXXAR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHh7vCYPjj3QqAroH366u-p3qdfFx7jqr8fBhUDvtIJg&oe=65919F62			0	3	A coaching session with me to finally get rid of DeJa MOO for good this time 💥🥳👏😂		Joanna Renner		128	https://facebook.com/1443683878	0								1703404800		View Edit Delete
67128	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054159		67		1759414134503352		3.622513731536E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202809704000160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703053228	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412254446_1186096669461859_4844551856218338433_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qzfgmyQJd6UAX9RX4XK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAsAjkpT8BGtYAU6ythH968rSURTGkAV0BnBpq8OFp4Pg&oe=6592EC36	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
69439	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		671039668489402	1	6.4747412424125E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632020970115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796603	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403632539_862438855812093_6590719725102648626_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oFb-WlCpQs0AX-GxclG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDrb1gsDBiroDWFjVPvJnhwvY2aPAv8kqi1HnIKO0NK0g&oe=65925CB6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403628054_369386612208440_6880687477178006167_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BaIRpxo3l0YAX_5iLxv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD6YVwZRgGHiTaJ-4gaRyizyVzyzVwzBxTzjVg8ZnIFKg&oe=65925B5B			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66920	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054159		67		1117542945909521	1	6.9674634566562E+15		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575823200530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703215137	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412994510_742423261253928_9014220159278245707_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mK4ZctRhSQ4AX9vcv2S&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA9R-ZIFGt2zIYQd5jyIKsr-rptazbrj6aT3BKQfJuANQ&oe=65925DC6	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412921786_938018361057817_8868686905551650248_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1bpD1fP3r9sAX8R5BEW&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAZLMDIH4umEixZ5YT3gQc7620mcEkRSr9vPacMBKgFVg&oe=6593169A			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP<br /> Search book id:1374 <br /> Or book title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩,read the full version!		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
69508	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		263926983322697	1	2.7731179862006E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201208047520403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724760	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404296149_301613492693010_590177364344182296_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UVdqEfeMJ0UAX9fpiOM&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfDjbT2d8swxUCw7mQDjaRs2KWLun_gtjtR2XthgxNGqGA&oe=65919E47	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404305875_363725936164219_2871846097240407728_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xtq8z36DBWMAX9ws1oG&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfAAU9ncNUaGHPTYs1Uu5--35-nvaabrYSx_6TLv9pd7Vg&oe=65916DDD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68129	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		647140150698756	1	1.4216986217454E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101538409405008		0	Savvy Saver			120202994002870063		savvydime.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.savvydime.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702294671	1.0153840940501E+14	Savvy Saver	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408179742_1224397541850048_6348229241992650645_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W1YxMfHzLxwAX8vbuQe&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCh5juKg0L5dXN6XlvJKrI1Qt8ePJD93UXyv4IOh-cc2A&oe=65915956	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Savvy Saver		1066	https://facebook.com/100086035737104	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68788	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054159		67		1329029561150169		1.0324412146996E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203115910020294		dreame.onelink.me	Download		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		https://m.dreame.com/novel/1800871680?auto_jump=true&utm_source=facebook_ads&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&af_prt=risingtechnolog&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701257139	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404661461_357658423603550_7695638348842287000_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6CMJCKxBatUAX80kQz0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD2h4YEllKsZosIM7gDN5-tD26oitdDJXAj8rgfuCP1Ig&oe=6592A43A	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404713974_1401117324150602_1889619572435459422_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-POufIJD2uAAX_5yeFB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBl1y9sXXDWFN7U7tPBfbFyrxzPW4Z1KMLxCsr73xucIQ&oe=6591FF18			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68430	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054159		67		1510454093085329	4	2.6439084330318E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202302911090520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701933138	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407711767_360968093115719_5142257806020504388_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jMXrsN7h4xUAX-z2uLQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAGwePUPUACH5QIRKo9UfGNG3IoupI3IAzVTr-7b2iecA&oe=65926F27	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66999	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054159		67		697131058859259	1	1.0186881125601E+15		1703491200	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	102851382158001		0	joanna_zaremba_wanczura			6518513729243		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joanna_zaremba_wanczura		1703184916	1.02851382158E+14	joanna_zaremba_wanczura	https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/342070510_1224234591790482_6051575502908826873_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=vKhFTZP5Q4gAX_7hd7j&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCoz_mYbs0B7MZvsC4FkNmyqOS4R8oi-nzsd1kRjnccQA&oe=65922E79	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Zaremba-Wanczura	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411651872_1506104299959780_2641386110695243369_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QfbhfG55npQAX-oQ3it&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAA3bFOuK6b5WXBJ1GGdbRtpCWQnldPsatL6X8EoMV1w&oe=6591EF9D			0	3	Z tym tipem zawsze wyjdziesz na prosto! #technikistrzyżeń #cięcie #prostewłosy #tipyfryzjerskie #jakciąć		joanna_zaremba_wanczura		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joanna_zaremba_wanczura	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66984	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054159		67		241468375635028	1	1.053935065749E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	108496948606039		0	Pebbles Underground			120204067767830354					NONE	image					1703114541	1.0849694860604E+14	Pebbles Underground	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412651743_375281325074632_1263213695191232292_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4KWCcj_aQjYAX_HIPAd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB2Goej7M_3VQVMzlz_AYNVCoSCdI6b_XVrD18uKTEnMg&oe=6592D6E3	person_profile	0	Pebbles Underground Film and Video Art	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412860941_2307639666087989_7644730820256247176_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b6pWt6Z40foAX-UPEwx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAszk5BdbmideUN3NjbvuTZnxvViE5y6Z-s9iNjkz5plA&oe=65931F13			0	3	PEBBLES UNDERGROUND is excited to present : SWIRLING WORLD :: : - a selection of experimental moving image, crowning our 2022-2023 season. The program will stream from December 20, 2023, to January 15, 2024 on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VisualcontainerTV">Visualcontainertv Online Videoart Platform</a> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visualcontainer.tv%2F&amp;h=AT3QjmVMFLgxnpeChczeTCjV8D1C2-eGs223UG5rg7afwaMIJ__8msRWfMcuqgKVa4QfHUaEKTVRjGjJd9WbQMlWucW-NRPZujeEiaNS4HgEmkDYncfvcHEGMS76XGSd6gdJAlNpibuKDQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.visualcontainer.tv/</a> <br /> Info: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpebblesunderground.art%2Fswirlingworld%2F&amp;h=AT2Rh6pHf3ksb2GQLjvToBGeZl11zji4RzK5Bk2XDJgz0H4Y1s91pL6NRAAmiJh67T_DEtP77MQtLHT4ZBi902U8DvG2ZiQzLXFyPwwBeU1y1HAuCWY5oXUoCVMvNyccEQBR12Ov3i3QeQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://pebblesunderground.art/swirlingworld/</a><br /> <br /> The artists in the program present a diverse range of perspectives and voices exploring social, political, and cultural issues. Issues that are otherwise easy to be ignored or marginalized. The films take us through the forest of reflection on fleeting feelings otherwise difficult to grasp, as well as uncomfortable political and social truths. <br /> <br /> We want to thank VISUALCONTAINERTV for hosting our final program and acknowledge the importance of their work in dissemination and supporting accessibility of experimental moving images. <br /> <br /> ∘∘ PROGRAM ∘∘∘duration: 136 min<br /> <br /> TURNER by Joanna Mamede, Brazil-UK, 2023<br /> <br /> HIPPOMANE MANCINELLA by Ricardo Muñoz Izquierdo, Colombia<br /> <br /> THE CHAOTIC MELODY OF TINA by David Anderson, Aaron Perra, USA, 2022<br /> <br /> BARRIER by Alexander Zip, Canada, 2023<br /> <br /> NEVER LET ME GO by Ruzan Petrosyan, Armenia, 2017<br /> <br /> TEMPESTA A “LES FONTS” D&#039;UNA MEMÒRIA / STORM IN THE SOURCES OF A MEMORY by Rrose Present, Spain, 2015<br /> <br /> ILLEGAL CONTEMPLATION by Rrose Present, Catalonia, 2017<br /> <br /> NO WATER by Pietro Gardoni, Italy, 2022<br /> <br /> ENCAUSTIC/EARTH/PRAYER/POEM by Nik Liguori, USA, 2023<br /> <br /> THE LUCID DREAM OF THE LAST POETS (parts I&amp;II) Eleonora Manca, Italy, 2023<br /> <br /> ROOM / ՍԵՆՅԱԿ by Anna Grigorian, Armenia-Canada, 2021<br /> <br /> TESTIMONIES FROM MOUNT SINJAR / دیدەڤان ژ چیایێ شنگارێ by Huner Emin, South Kurdistan (North Iraq)-USA, ongoing<br /> <br /> KASIKAS SA GANIHA UG UNYA / A RUSTLING FROM A TIME AGO AND TOMORROW by Kuda Bux, Eric Bico, Philippines, 2021<br /> <br /> FROM ANOTHER SIDE OF THE SUN / ПО ТОЙ БІК СОНЦЯ by Oleksandr Stupak, Ukraine, 2022<br /> <br /> #experimental #pebblesunderground #visualcontainertv #finalists		Pebbles Underground		232	https://facebook.com/pebblesunderground	0								1703145600		View Edit Delete
69938	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054159		67		896472865165860	1	6.835970846484E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683736660439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636060	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402653755_6919148951511832_1375615499134476382_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vfUeVoU53S8AX8FbC8N&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDYUngom20cfRbIc0Oa2z9cPbCA-h1Zv00d4Uso3U4YsA&oe=65917532	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402652972_249305828158749_5654615106062135050_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sv3KVv2imw8AX_B0R6f&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA8Tw9S8dGKYhOIcdHqdubAOCzxxZx7HslIGrIMxe-iPQ&oe=65929ED5			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67497	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054159		67		352581460727883	1	7.7411912759091E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011751540506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636968	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409861824_1445484236015246_1074785108878760429_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ldh1B_Am3YoAX8GZj5Q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBb7VpKY4Q0-KBdlQ5j-j_7_zJuRpqu0dDV0EzoRXLL8Q&oe=659316D1	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411065777_1116728189706594_8719350739643296550_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wt8HGstC4cwAX9YNyC7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCEE3oLTgNYMgH3JqzBYF1no8uNEAgQyT_aioL08DwlnA&oe=6592372C			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67341	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		1784564878661469	3	3.4553345143511E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107782662260298		0	Tony Johnson			120201984122390452		gotonyjohnson.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Run 3x A Week For Your Marathon		https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit		1702864367	1.077826622603E+14	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412303866_3495303287351778_8076143579267895596_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S916DzUKvgQAX_E7bZy&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCnQqio2BjqQKlBSg00cyYlZTOEKezx2sqojuwjOIoLWA&oe=6593071D	person_profile	0	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412297180_335243632619538_6435596061384046112_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f7Zti3N822oAX_RbG5I&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBWHWRsT_Qiq_kS7VUEU0i7aw34JvTblF76C-qYsPgmtw&oe=65918A07			0	3	Attention Marathon Runners: Run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or less for ONLY $17<br /> <br /> (If you don&#039;t run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks, I&#039;ll give you a $100 for wasting your time)<br /> <br /> Introducing The Marathon Training Starter Kit!<br /> <br /> This unique style of training has not only helped me, but also 200+ beginner and seasoned runners run their half or full marathons like…<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Joanna won a gold medal on her first half marathon<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Abby ran her first marathon in 4 hours with just 9 weeks of training<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Salma ran her first marathon in 4:28 after overcoming a pelvic stress fracture.<br /> <br /> The &#039;Marathon Training Starter Kit’ for ONLY $17 helps people like you easily run their half or full marathons in 16 weeks or less…<br /> <br /> ✅ without running 4+ times per week<br /> ✅ without running speed intervals or hills<br /> ✅ without dealing with constant overuse injuries<br /> ✅ without getting burned out or bored<br /> <br /> Run your half or full marathon injury free and finish with a time you are proud of, while also becoming the strongest, most confident version of yourself…<br /> <br /> Click the link below to get instant access to “The Marathon Training Starter Kit’ and start your training today for just $17.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gotonyjohnson.com%2Fmarathon-training-starter-kit&amp;h=AT199VYgFLy487QMTfx6L-cIllS_Gw78G0VNioIOwgViZpAwkTs_nhmbX64AkHlw1M1tlZnNvu1YVDY-20ji2bADlBSN5V5cdFKL7LY4LGb__azaLpLqQ9j8t0X74cYPrKAhchXC_RE3xn77Fpk7aDfGlXs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit</a><br /> <br /> See ya inside,<br /> Tony Johnson		Tony Johnson		450	https://facebook.com/coachtonyjohnson.10	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67422	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054159		67		360687966614727	1	1.3860218553277E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765929300465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702456	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411479173_902909228062071_8276517452725928915_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PRwizmfZvbsAX-8pW5-&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBsthSg1p0J92BKn0mSDiSQq0UR7ikb_dG31YA08zqAwg&oe=6591C0AD	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411458106_7215499841877641_3634205670888085778_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7f-Nx88U4PMAX9ooKBu&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDygbNnmxIRnBCw2NjGcJ2BWJ4Ih_MKP7XgBYHd5ePIFg&oe=6592EE97			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
69201	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		366932875802667	6	2.4725411142976E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495769223556		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700488723	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403604594_706496401407873_3386959245189523628_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FhwdMDC336kAX9f-a_1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCG-f4asUNIUGVOQrkH1fcEKcOsklq4x7lf8KMoBsbYIA&oe=6591A2DB	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403603740_3617283778488076_2538065533749317892_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5OGRLusvfkcAX9smFfz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwmKhbY-OxSjp25Yrj3uXeWJ-GKEwJEddJa3TxmJPa2A&oe=65927CC9			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68585	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054159		67		766141135322805				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	379834208813188		0	Look Fabulous Forever			6566855253209		fb.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Lustrous Colour Lipstick - Look Fabulous Forever		https://fb.com/canvas_doc/720769190114963		1701681077	3.7983420881319E+14	Look Fabulous Forever	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408057675_701918322041904_7562089635206327814_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m1kczGfQ0R8AX-EhkHY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG5O8Un0LBZryS7hyzDyt02yp6pYvimw2Q_zj6br81QQ&oe=6591E5F5	person_profile	0	Look Fabulous Forever	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407757630_1403865160551174_2024298616183936605_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RLqdR-iM4gQAX9nHUx7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBOuwzPcd_BitTDFm1pcGOm70y-p7jKDmhk01H8CRGhqA&oe=65920D56			0	3	Joanna wears Look Fabulous Forever&#039;s Lustrous Colour Lipstick in Very Berry. It contains jojoba oil to hydrate and nourish your lips to help them appear luscious and full.<br /> <br /> &quot;The texture is soft, comfortable, moisturising, feels great. Highly, highly recommend.&quot; - Jill<br /> <br /> Try it with Tricia’s 30 Day Guarantee. If you&#039;re not delighted, return it, free, for exchange or refund.		Look Fabulous Forever		57945	https://facebook.com/lookfabulousforeveruk	0		LEARN_MORE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
67906	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		1012879066478093	1	6.7770492087553E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411469990044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458378	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408571577_922021646018699_4058099015452884338_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7pZoE-1lYS0AX90pJaj&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDflSKH0pcgoNtc3a0Fje-sx2AzygmfRiBRgb6WUK7lRg&oe=65932DA5	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409185443_1165240361008050_3729535158177702141_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AgBqvT-YPQYAX_DCNix&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBGSkL_OwYI0pdON0W-05jby7bZGpopnC5HvjcaHNJQ_Q&oe=65918F39			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68896	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054159		67		894605081707261	1	2.885993269208E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	125913043824189		0	Myteez Store 1186			120201603745290604		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls24		1701242145	1.2591304382419E+14	Myteez Store 1186	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406659286_369623182177371_6049625492126312948_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jfyrcJjAIxUAX-tDW6w&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqfVMxaioDJ-1FJckL5yimLOK8QPcprBS5T-VWJ5StqQ&oe=6591FC59	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls24&amp;h=AT0jJS-m_dv1IkDSF95Csg8t9PJc1pTjthQT5T8TJPm0Fvv6fD0ssREAglY49kcAlPpu91zRnGkoA_rZc1lmHu87Ky1O0oEE07jY_N_MzGk5qmXbPDbYqn3s-ZxCxJGzC1hoEAeWcE8CcA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls24</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3__r3GgQxbIjON0WcnuHoPJVOhUvOx7Tstdpy7fED2FVQ2WgHS8bb8sYdyipD7ADt0VskK9AE4kWiurl-hLoPC3VZJNeWk06W71X3Va_ZdxwbzbePaGLSKNExc80oan16f-nmgFPH9Mw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Myteez Store 1186		1	https://facebook.com/100095118730962	0		SHOP_NOW						1701244800		View Edit Delete
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68479	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054159		67		1288156998515184	1	1.095694508102E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458683640691		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856377	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408479010_367509258982288_1494022973746311760_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xGRasrw42pAAX-sdNC_&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFL2HO4qb3ROcVcYoh72zxzLc15cvccL0s5vDrQQTATg&oe=6592F65B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406790547_1008326300248319_4201438284371492083_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Lxhp7cd4GgUAX80Af6D&_nc_oc=AQnCxH39vQc2UKkV7UyUUDSqyVdKCkAkG0IexKnslRH7qU5qJd7uXXCMYZBGxIsgKV4&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfANxSUpfEtNWzEfXsXDdbnYLDlhkgKLluziLuap0gp38g&oe=659321AE			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
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69063	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		1280857359262874	7	1.297378697477E+15		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495714867956		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video	40-50% OFF | Cyber Monday Courses & Certificates	Start your New Year off with Wisdom.	https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700485661	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404251549_255243274214151_1221995075631680717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WH1Fh_ESmjcAX--azSk&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA0VY5RN-FdD5yFyi4PFPePcjgD-sdbmd4fQZLPpKfhXQ&oe=6591D644	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402885485_879294740226766_4330294722598361797_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GLtkFL8LZ_8AX9BneD-&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBfFHNGLKyPkyCqqXJ4MB5HV9ilS7Jz8pV9JbIqADHnwA&oe=659145BA			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69094	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		712959880454793	2	3.2071576089619E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690716090115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055859	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403706057_309803232009149_8735315272160169684_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O-gdXMJPY-gAX-z4LEl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqr9KOLzWzxelEVW3rN6PLTt7o7gNcu4zVQkXqVAbYwA&oe=6592EB6D	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403744670_1340256086687948_899042395368502648_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yD2InTIDblsAX-h4iiu&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDayEGtSDuHJQ8OCLJL7L1z8gUZCxJFGXUMvI8QH-OzBA&oe=6591C6CF			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69097	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		721164389909563	1	7.3281953869928E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690719000115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055973	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405006096_1534544453984014_8149742117027370995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1yHzdjM4LQsAX8CVq43&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAZJEUDI-4SG7D-CzwppESHoMV8qKxKWL9lmy4y7qdLJw&oe=6593023F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405207266_675105651405831_1074279064256370837_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F6TRE0vZVB8AX8I782b&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB-IuDV2cdBQz7Mhjb3Ze52JU1V-S2iEesAJpxSbjDZKA&oe=659176D9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69148	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		7542655879095153	1	9.0154172150906E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281130370596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068508	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405677896_293798912999317_3831682598797242344_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UNJxmUqbnQEAX-bLiYb&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCsgwPvWXkqlo83LDJ-nyPqOQn7P-WIvPTgSRM4pTWWkQ&oe=6591B3F8	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405672311_6920573434645176_2623798356379212555_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ryqLlBrkNQAAX_ntoce&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSofQQS0IydidmJYQAU0VPviL7XIutMbSNGRBg4_sv1w&oe=659229D0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69172	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		1027978878531823		5.7974953763093E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145421020740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	World Exclusive: Joanna Gaines Breaks Her Silence for the First Time.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806347	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404348857_1335065907118570_4362050518726449125_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XdjRj7A-72QAX-eN4Q0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA59gyXc18GDVvARccySvPjUnRb4QhJQVr5Z8dup1tZzg&oe=6591F38F	person_profile	0					0	3	The Untold Story: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband, Spilling Behind-the-Scenes Show Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69174	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		1044358253551261		5.7974953763093E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145433850740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	World Exclusive: Joanna Gaines Breaks Her Silence for the First Time.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806367	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403168334_874914944210405_3255006113410419155_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UsvN_H4xgTsAX_YhGVD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAkyOzlDQiseuJpbCQBDjql-r0S6Bkk1CZRlVdYhcS2Ng&oe=659171A7	person_profile	0					0	3	The Untold Story: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband, Spilling Behind-the-Scenes Show Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69179	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		337345975594978	5	1.0142185298623E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145423520740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Opens Up, Breaking Her Silence Before the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806354	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404301085_1055795538774670_3182974274907892695_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M78XJe1kMhkAX-lQD-t&_nc_oc=AQly-tr-6enc1N143zBRV3AIU8_XYPkSMjryKR6nuinqWu7OP6YUyXBWOWVHSCdB7uUufW0lh9xeYoiL5AiC1JPK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDzGj-FNupvUqAw5GnJWb_BC5lPAyfJQ4gF9Snsbg2k3w&oe=6591BD8C	person_profile	0					0	3	Long-Hidden Truths: Joanna Reveals Husband&#039;s Story and Behind-the-Scenes Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69226	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		898166848547238	2	6.6594709219474E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674075080115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969851	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403634227_728301212513110_610028403737688396_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=deVMjmGAkDoAX9UGTTg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCuqsPHoPg-q3vLSRdUH_myxbLYKFbSYRSkIAY59Pa5PQ&oe=65927262	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403682215_382076917490259_4941083871107511859_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=91ohgodSb-IAX8qTWuc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAnQXBFTCpSyU0h4VpQA-YY7Sw7pGuzDStqQ6nSQeODMw&oe=6592E821			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69288	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		652461410433965	2	3.1631636458366E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632195790115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796879	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403829230_734647171325581_5566138203116879907_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zgxCdsU15wEAX-xriuV&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCi_L8r6--5lLivvqvPj7ZGBzbMKEDSaKsUeYb20E_s5g&oe=6592F6FA	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403762297_698344785723953_5615622323004082951_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hE-iQFKm6TkAX_rSY2I&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDmZEL41SLB5xEPoh_tlM1DwvkibV3qAy5M_GVw9RG1Kw&oe=659199C4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69325	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		1464703220756866	1	1.0011749843202E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632248600115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700797000	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625072_1023439315618650_3181816721466191003_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kI44xAdf1TcAX_bvQPA&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCNQ5fkDw1xSIhxUVYn_Py6YQACHJA0rrFsqazcJsTjZw&oe=65932521	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403622065_704949621313276_1015645405678050824_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Aad4_NMthTQAX_oLw0F&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAXlRX0R8W5RLJjxeeg7rHsCxveqV5uU3SRwT51FI1hJg&oe=6592A19F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69357	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		2974452019352009	1	2.2039643107914E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343773170404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843751	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405559337_190624760776440_8111380486331131716_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bVtyZF-TJ2YAX8cwIdW&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfD96DW99smE8NMgroe4xoQ7RpLBEYy8DO4A47xFGA0Y2g&oe=6593128A	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404315363_1064034135034074_3685239553500898296_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eeA2UlxwCU4AX9LuYda&_nc_oc=AQlqsYcU5fkBjcdK-Db-rSdHtwxJYXRf8bjDg3_IwurSFjoHyjhNBJmYE9IMnvyvew4&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDzoKFC2yCHa6cgl8m6AooMux9Jy4bmHmeMm8mC37JquA&oe=6591A951			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69379	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		851080789993255	2	7.3378963530712E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220452630404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582563	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402645130_904904874373725_4760821050236009315_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=evQEl4z2i9AAX9ZsG5i&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDYgwOE3218DQ23dXUhLttw0KYeYiSvflxQhHZAOyC2oA&oe=6591D6E4	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402636097_753831166669537_3380063276467178655_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PnrZR2OUqiMAX9xsfza&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBUs1nZgQKlvNRxqCsTCIIMJBFnuUjyO23ba64YQwcMMw&oe=659327B9			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69465	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		749267300576382	1	6.6380099561637E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200341095640122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/n2ubobd0mpzo0eypph03lps0?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700807874	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405799288_682813460505901_7348153832684282672_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Vm3YTngoA-EAX-ZrNgD&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfD2CCUYRmO7SQ2_qw1ywfMIyPtC0GsuDBJ_qku97gcNVQ&oe=6591F704	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405527248_344676051478914_5880027157564102944_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4jPnyubXsloAX8Mkx4w&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfA3WjaoVV2jKuk4A3GqTzlDcALZzIOPeIwJb8pM5Nl6qQ&oe=6592127D			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69519	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		387478733612300	2	8.9649315869461E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611863090115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722796	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405076421_1646396165890220_1076726533186617473_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MD1SpEws9DQAX-Vipco&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDboNd5F3sykRdcZlkzyCTqjpaUnbh0gqIUf7vEW5z1xA&oe=65916F9E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403722341_724968396169399_4064326304938847191_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2-S9hsC4ZXAAX9IiLDn&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfBaA-nOpDUMpUCmkqaeBIetiYoD1n862r2yiphzXSm8Tg&oe=65927FA3			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69531	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		740275724793242	7	2.114637285704E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207693510403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724103	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402664104_316420717861727_2635072416390543245_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J1yyL-OSkJIAX9Dfl96&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAvSN3vwyVlHhgWrI_mEruEMumq8lBt5XOQ9rwL6x2yPA&oe=65933533	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402662890_1763016054196482_7166727921242396495_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZxkgfzI74bEAX8DsU3E&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAhYBDMxWRFp5X6nAsQJ9ZME_DGrVj0wlMQ8-snT6ye5Q&oe=6591CA76			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69554	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054159		67		1342004773107986	6	1.0526498392064E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611856210115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722741	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404759495_358664273409237_8407035877915880967_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DDVoAhK5MzMAX-7pNBv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCLJ4OwwRM2V2tLdkREZAFmzf6Cm1d558fNCb_favnVGQ&oe=6592FB3F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404862282_302630776019253_3369954344677624133_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C5nYq9pM_JkAX8_aUvS&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCFZUjYSGXb_QM9BwR__FWYj3LZnPOj3zk5OTNPO7HLUA&oe=6591618C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69699	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054159		67		732264088360502	5	3.3582069914797E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779071030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678105	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404281049_663826785738975_691301604766854849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TR3naDLlUd8AX-mGEXe&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAXqUKfJAOGgQqwH53BwJiPEVkhVsQrz4zOtK02rU1SBQ&oe=6592E151	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69726	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054159		67		1018128062604473		1.0021451142252E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779372070250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678800	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404635050_871400307801914_6122253990712761384_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FmV43zEDciYAX-KG-K2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCKAyiCrI5k0oSOaeujsC4A41vtnX0S0aPgNyCaC0kmrQ&oe=659149E6	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69757	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054159		67		1014925722894560	5	8.6183418227823E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779111620250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678187	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619723_1061366564892535_5544603005193099836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AeSr85PiixUAX8q8Bzn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBh9dD1iU1gsN6111i5nKC4teKX0lnJtvEqitPVqbpuNw&oe=65925A04	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69861	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		383401977362530	1	3.6661940636506E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120205094788650777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Watch and go!		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700645841	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402912410_1042751267035440_8985689230734828265_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=337ua7g_xocAX8nle_i&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSPIgh4Gq_KneYpK_VA-kHhX7SjfaGvfKs2SU_8qA45A&oe=6591872B	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404330912_1725939191259498_8390662719239218496_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KD1S9T_aawcAX9RCfYv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfANMjOis62bF6C5W59frXKTiZQJ_SwEE519DzfwAP85kg&oe=6591457F			0	3	##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69905	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		657686003217968	2	2.7543289549886E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579119290115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632995	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402947154_895156748973880_236570352119597600_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OL90z4l1lWYAX9r_kMk&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDgtXGSvCxtB_9yvfaFkgUcL4AdTyaUiqTOsHBmalIq6g&oe=6591E83B	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403101052_1637558560103906_7134762053611961374_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=miT2J_LZWbMAX88kDvG&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAfOJ1i-r_SZOF3J6YFvljf69rP8qt85hjezOkbpGustg&oe=6592A48E			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69899	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		563541735934801	6	8.805172099296E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579101280115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632950	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404010956_347843237976477_3740570570246046609_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hXgwPetSpoQAX9_buqM&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBozqs1myYQqKuzrRFdp09c8nB66tE76kpg6VywVGEgdA&oe=6591B36B	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404379014_1205538390405163_2393492529654961998_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YWDGQ4MdRTQAX_QV1RH&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAjIhFQinHXHNt6RouZ2CoB8Cwn4xERS4oWq7xDK9MvMQ&oe=6591EDDE			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69903	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		646664974291956		1.1133559163179E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683723900439		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636026	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404390291_369722545437150_7338156430113465261_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t6BL6hmP040AX_J4W57&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBg4WQCmJCm2mOCgYnGLAB_U1XmG6B4-0mHgz9fRVSBHA&oe=6592256C	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404915316_201420576270344_140573175590048116_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6oyHOoYVKfcAX-o4F1Y&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCaYs5w8dRhwkH6qH51z-_hYXlXCBv8sFchDPgywPIfpA&oe=6592CCAE			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69936	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/9/25, 11:07 AM	1703760178	1749485242		67		879567763879474	1	3.6846869085232E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579099090115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632934	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404334471_697894872403590_6116532858412711941_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MrqeKBSv8TgAX9SE3Dr&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDw-lCYuh_u-ROmNtVN6woKgTjITmFpKr9uHE5XilpGqA&oe=6591CF27	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404186668_2129151467424970_8148990040884802778_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i0WxsEkELPMAX_GyPUc&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDitNbLqUu8fxUdJsm2fUKXWuB3R2C8_qFJo2fJ5H2lcA&oe=6592E8BB			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69981	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		1510845176402879	1	8.8108155008122E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683741810439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636263	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403765421_664525122332881_6356975516979484049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GvcOVSrFrz0AX_Kab4x&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoDUeGcHC8UTUS2YlURd1-nyc7KJcoicKzotWf2btMkw&oe=65927D1E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403605851_1490272241819605_10392827146101762_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mrcI5ZBxr3QAX9gjHHS&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAKw-qQ_UGYhDnk2KUSCELuDR-aVB-Ww9RUvx4MItuI7w&oe=65932550			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69997	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		4212656035726591	2	6.6765789524521E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579099440115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632936	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404356678_691983619697061_1816449146191190518_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jlde2Zg4Ci0AX8tDV6D&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKd3Av_IiL7Gin5PvXpDNT-AFsYxgXov-Pdzy9HdyCLA&oe=6592A5B7	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403856096_1132085807758975_8388035688724676163_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OLmBmzUjJcEAX831d93&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCQcHNSQsUlRo8Fcbsgz3ebGqLlPrTFcn3aPCQUr_CTNQ&oe=659147CC			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70031	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		359354856628543	1	1.1113667636057E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120201317718460781		WWW.KILZ.COM/MAGNOLIA	Learn more		NONE	image	Mini Reni: The Living Room	Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® Paint	https://www.kilz.com/blog/mini-reni-a-timeless-renovation/		1700591443	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404917040_1073078414053498_2124887376199579042_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Tu07Uraa0r4AX-1ElPF&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoze7BLRodnPgFuMeHidi0jqFa7Y4LXXUS7nIl01HluA&oe=65923B3C	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404902283_1284041465602045_548141185579171742_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1pOpS24cmyEAX8oYI--&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA1PruxVq5lha-F0ctEnOPiprwUieDfblWXZ0iPTo83BQ&oe=65928054			0	3	By choosing to paint with Cottage Grove, Joanna created a refreshed and cozy living room.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
70002	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 9:31 PM	1703760179	1747621870		67		693521112738090		1.3650113674381E+15		1700726400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120200526838560179		simbaly.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://simbaly.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628533	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404588485_196472310176175_9112666564065374741_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PPmiMUz-B9gAX9jjrET&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAnKrX11fPhJ6rMmN1-ttC2MmwwAJqQARhb-9svSBTtsg&oe=6592766A	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70068	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		1068685090983641	1	3.7979394780732E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112117340243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554369	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403606342_868551777977635_4769642418886868961_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WdvYJ_z7yJMAX_QFvh3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB--9hLDKE5z6LLi7KygG74dCZEh_Z8adk7zsGSNDiSEg&oe=65933465	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403608086_217347458056668_4226085500606888385_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YibI3CdU8C0AX_X26In&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBVapkA3bb6OKg8TRT0yfdOfeNcIdjU9EQP8vu16Ito9w&oe=6591C709			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70100	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		250796761038654	7	2.114637285704E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090800520403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700544987	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402147789_318549287607908_5215828173157963567_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_hG8ooFcItgAX9eH78t&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDgUmDoIkkZzD2w4NbU0GXmhmWGLuWljvS_eCWIhL7h6g&oe=65931355	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402098246_648615874082317_2829677153806577230_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dLKptvc9qQwAX-p3oQ4&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCej5aPmt61Kr22NitFxGw92mrekXwHeBnguwUXmibOeg&oe=65921368			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70113	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		321675143978426	1	7.2191264947662E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201539286530115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700548217	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402581696_1426790081517235_464063225998854680_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a6WsPzsZc10AX_SMOni&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBYV1vvbMi9VAcWGjzvV4o3zkjdlU-o4g__nK0WBNW59w&oe=65928D71	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402590906_341197178521827_7801316839728845479_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q8nefVIhankAX_HzoGd&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCdvMk2PMaSpE6quldb13L7Kh7c5O0eHlyi1dtjCf4eyw&oe=6591AE19			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70111	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		305068799014966	1	1.0346972944343E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201626267090439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700551960	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402928252_6786110671476096_2094374651669744750_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eXotUICc1E0AX_qdOva&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDj3Q8JazRC1-6iPyW4jq_pfOJn4wbYhLpTVpBApr0jUQ&oe=6591E7B0	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404299390_872420604326818_3340003911307303964_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OsX68fgpz28AX9QSS5E&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVN3fniaBgV5r-FA3vAc-zpWPwunWCUfHyCLnMg4Pgiw&oe=65921C8A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70117	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		343906684957381	1	2.0040443433069E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201626261170439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700551953	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402552905_356476383626204_1011094949448858090_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vUQbb_0dWtMAX_x7_jf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBUwpN7buMUDON5KZIa-Eaao1kaS72nudBIBjt2M2ULwQ&oe=6592EC3A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402637174_883093443542356_967916050063395685_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HKkz37Z0yR0AX-ZHjdK&_nc_oc=AQnaIt-OIeAQo30_0xP1I3mjTsLq7UkBB1glPQZ3Ewqx6jNRAJHy9FRDRVnQUkcMLvU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfANhmVgH3zzr6A1Yrd7gzGjYXWpibVU3k0cn2NIdl6f0w&oe=65914CE5			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
66428	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/2/24, 9:48 AM	1703760157	1725288491		67		690553372928813	1	1.52653016145E+15		1694674800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23859211750350562		https://joannagrabska.pl	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannagrabska.pl/		1694333048	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/375872847_617848750501081_1677364542333022358_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WXswVb523ikAX-axcXp&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBCZ2oQ7GsQtYW3rfj_QwSrtEG1bXV3u9WlWyFdjbsEmA&oe=6591B571	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694329200		View Edit Delete
68636	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		1074721330380017	1	2.7026612132174E+15		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200979091380773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701579355	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407378422_778703364016185_1959835034146373791_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jqCviFrDmcoAX85DEGk&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvg1WkrfPMfnKpNWrRkc-d5cHOUgrHM-y4WeZMJU-EaQ&oe=65922EA7	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407425417_554888520171483_1146267023616455905_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZCCrGQGuHoAAX8oB-9U&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAPgHDCwDQ8VSui0DyUH8tLf8SvYUFL7tBiMpRxG2knjA&oe=65925D8D			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4996	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701590400		View Edit Delete
67909	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054160		67		733416252027601	1	6.598384496867E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411473770044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458268	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409764702_390332543430205_8131728287677125891_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0eEOnFQm7fcAX8FMML9&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDqhqse0p7Ida14HJGewahYWt6n1qUYa-nncNZgyJVR6w&oe=659273EC	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409583146_2011435122562894_475236473943778552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_tnm04AXFfAAX_utlBV&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDeybTTNeQt0dcZCBVMIMbylJKTFa-rhYrtIa7mNzZnpA&oe=65928769			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69753	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054160		67		906444607739687	5	3.3582069914797E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779071030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678105	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404281049_663826785738975_691301604766854849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TR3naDLlUd8AX8RudGH&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDF_ribXzYDjixjwiIAlS_liAZLX4rMitQL5V8h3Sr09Q&oe=6592E151	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69834	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		6998495333541506		1.0051758140478E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779083570250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678135	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405259946_862600855406763_4157166056653863836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f1q50EotfcAX-OT8Gu&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqtvovQ4DKmR95lePZPjYk2Ssvm84yLmqmM7wZJsTd3g&oe=6592CF3A	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67757	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054160		67		867285931709902	4	5.891996700146E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548134609		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494409	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409986041_1789280244867026_555231955438941709_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9tlJT3a5nFwAX-P2Ooj&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmbcQ3f8wxYGCwww3RGw74MmbDtcoBJ9cD4UhtKI4vhA&oe=6592C037	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410005734_931318311697344_3745117535278474315_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7mtu-0Ac2mQAX-AeQBh&_nc_oc=AQk6B-LS4988JwNqsjraSqlaici4599lT3SuPr-W7Q6VUyX8bn8VN1dtlD8N19T3IhyKA5ZdgFvqKcY22j8-kUjh&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbZVm2tSXXC2u6yQOMF1L9oAqAg3CGQEsCst3lrVA01Q&oe=659319B8			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67034	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054160		67		310752095275404	9	1.5123013262127E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202808760180307		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703151015	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412359890_1089179555425684_760954709594799323_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zvFANUDyO2QAX_um1Cj&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDdCQ4fZvvuHasITd1lZ7HMUL4QjjbFabJ8W9xrov000Q&oe=65927160	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66900	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054160		67		1718775045284994	1	1.4667980520649E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	305283975264		0	Pulmonary Hypertension Association			6534887854361		phassociation.org	Learn more		NONE	image	YOUR DONATION TODAY IS CRITICAL	Give Hope to the PH Community. Make Your Year-End Gift Today. Over the past year, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) has shared the stories of several remarkable individuals from the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community. Each individual has a unique journey with PH and special connection....	https://phassociation.org/donate-now/		1703256611	305283975264	Pulmonary Hypertension Association	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412891661_167691669766451_2861534313841546423_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=khKKERpiI8UAX_Ocbbx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBa5x5AHVV_FLj43Pc7wYybMTc8I03VdB4f7aUoCBYMEw&oe=6591F035	person_profile	0	PHA	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412899208_268902359520263_6438631544511547612_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mgoXWoHmZPAAX9dOPLy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA3rYMt-XxGr-SR1mIzSPWdJNotrzkTmzrHVbzie4_Szw&oe=659316B9			0	3	This past year, four PH community members— Karly Loree, Barron Honea, Isla Grey and Joanna Grey’s family — shared how PHA has impacted them. <br /> <br /> Barron Honea, a former basketball coach from Corpus Christi, Texas, suffered from PAH symptoms for nine years. After receiving a proper diagnosis and beginning treatment at a PHA-accredited Care Center in 2021, he was able to return to activities he never thought he would do again, like fishing. <br /> <br /> He wishes everyone could have the same access to treatment he had. Consider making a year-end gift today and support greater accessibility to quality PH care. Donate now. <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fow.ly%2F6TX050QgP1a&amp;h=AT0c-GIp1tGWrET1gGBAwRsQKiNuIQMm7NciSVNahyOyNFjBXLi5MCqtDbBYf_qfqG_UMgonV4elemxx2HFGbFln1puN10O-Q-kEaF9FMZuP9sLq-ZNOrc_QnPAF1rIpjcdgOI3-BYpViZCMutlRelr0UsxD_tbqpLPCBfRgN-I" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://ow.ly/6TX050QgP1a</a>		Pulmonary Hypertension Association		29586	https://facebook.com/PulmonaryHypertensionAssociation	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
69886	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		324637940309025	1	7.169413800276E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158891520403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633012	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405201185_2133653873646540_5362882201335367461_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a_YFr4xXKD0AX9GlUFR&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCwvyNk9SKXvAKmlm26K5jC_L9XL7bWalXVK_yuWJaP5g&oe=6591FE9F	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403604431_1717542858736066_2111385366420550262_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QcJZ7rnsQz0AX-U7mq5&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDEIDLIhRYOjXCYOgD9Uhdlj89NHMrIy9NOxv1ChOW2jg&oe=65916B1F			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69989	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		3055488311251955	1	1.5407586466594E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158885710403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633016	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402975181_6798327796950826_4439983028937967769_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JQhBcGFdRTsAX_E10zE&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDajJbub0NkO3Oi_N-RJf9uSKnMha4RQdN3fJAyJ2LZeQ&oe=65916E72	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403717556_753206529977825_6955388642276882338_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PB8I7-r7OaMAX8yOTve&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHmn-IU_f0u7HCXMibhG0NyZRjhLAyDkJpR7KkvOtVFg&oe=6591B6A6			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70025	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/5/25, 3:36 AM	1703760179	1749112589		67		7746910778657912		8.5476698305394E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124900667376340		0	Live and See			120201388465440388		sneakertoast.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://sneakertoast.com/trending/funny-say-sleep-syn/?utm_campaign=Sleep%20Talk%20Tweets%20EN%20V1%20MM2111%20Dynamic%20B2B%20206%20LMM%2095b0%20-%20Unknown%20WW%20FB%20LMM&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=WC&utm_content=DC&network_code=LMM&v=2		1700614325	1.2490066737634E+14	Live and See	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403735987_3508609896053719_8877759634432707048_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4-ETTXiQvvYAX98DCN_&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAkmOEbs6aVjYtEP49Li7bunNJOPWu6jyM314H4jtA87A&oe=6592004E	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Live and See		13	https://facebook.com/61551734783441	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68634	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		236995059406963	1	2.4817315420334E+15		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200978689040773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701578999	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407191470_1056522345494177_6610296677297110098_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o57w2_yZAsgAX_l2NQN&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBjNEoqg692wKm3Ww-HtIi4TwHb-_QaUhR_dfruqot8aQ&oe=6592BE4C	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406595381_1379403696011435_9094638682907054955_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sn4auE9IwmQAX95P13F&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAvezoMcJJ5vy4KMjwDYzpARsRXjgmdsDVr2GOGNq--4Q&oe=6591F467			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4996	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701590400		View Edit Delete
69342	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054160		67		329778486349333	1	2.632756767403E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200360107560122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/whua31xndyremjbxijcrpp5v?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700883268	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405888085_238251205940821_1064715419336869594_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RxbGcLwxSWIAX9Teq3M&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB8S7euuCgTpc3GQkq4U_jwQadLWuR_LqOhhCukJziAAw&oe=65928FA5	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405772130_361146279802207_3679779019245397624_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lKlKISv-v4gAX-OdBqS&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDxorxZIQ4hi_KC58YCRlAER6ayZzmAF6Wa9zgYnADGtw&oe=6591C888			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69915	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		725110302384679	1	3.584110334326E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683768540439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636307	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404612440_870220308132119_293735583574694130_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=B313_CByVmkAX8x4WAE&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB_pWqSWl_DxkUrQzw1ekzfHDuAMumMtggVipJ-n2NHnA&oe=6592006F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402953092_280358621669258_5352654131293648868_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bxH756o8MLwAX9hkuLM&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD3jnMX8xhgsJXtZqKusmkv7l36G9gR9EsHtvyIMLE4gQ&oe=65922B9C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68716	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		720435052975826	1	8.4421327740298E+14		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103114198920092		0	luva_architecture			120201165446780606		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/luva_architecture		1701383730	1.0311419892009E+14	luva_architecture	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407206320_888607296262874_6564846381230065040_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bbeHjRCyOX8AX9KSd9B&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDdw2wHLc70YVclcTftW_z_PLdnJ0VFrvutDFcNBPMxhA&oe=65921AE9	person_profile	0	LUVA art&trendsetter	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407191663_2044077219284389_8345245558973630865_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Phm4QZZJta0AX8efV-v&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC-s0cqr5SVGmUWfysK80B5mpX2IVhJSJQkdQJBrws8Ag&oe=65919E2F			0	3	Lobby biurowca <br /> <br /> ##interior #luvadesign #projekty #lodz #artwork #home #style #design #furniture #lifestyle #lobbybiurowca #nowyprojekt #nowarealizacja #gatsbystyle <br /> <br /> Fot. &#064;joanna_majewska_photo		luva_architecture		50	https://facebook.com/100076911726714	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
69777	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/8/24, 11:22 AM	1703760177	1725812543		67		3270557689917050		1.442981893229E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201779378060250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678825	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478384_307379925475582_6668460916514100970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p_2ZDPSghJYAX-ok2ef&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC3JQM5Ip_JV2Tm9JavmXGNhPacP-ZjErVBqFx0VagPkw&oe=65928475	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69065	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054160		67		1153098349000529		1.297378697477E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495714867956		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video	40-50% OFF | Cyber Monday Courses & Certificates	Start your New Year off with Wisdom.	https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700485661	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404251549_255243274214151_1221995075631680717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WH1Fh_ESmjcAX--azSk&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA0VY5RN-FdD5yFyi4PFPePcjgD-sdbmd4fQZLPpKfhXQ&oe=6591D644	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402885485_879294740226766_4330294722598361797_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GLtkFL8LZ_8AX9BneD-&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBfFHNGLKyPkyCqqXJ4MB5HV9ilS7Jz8pV9JbIqADHnwA&oe=659145BA			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68696	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		703372354844411	1	7.263277023329E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200730041860540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701409269	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406382470_351652887515776_5925545891784025031_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5YuDExeeD-cAX9hilKl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCnXOGrMxQ--rKIr0g2e9wsT1mV8XyjU5KjnO_5PwNsxA&oe=65932FBB	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406808549_270034935663986_3751251172133380061_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sM9w-fF9uwAAX-nTdxk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCyFO5J_s_jkpqvH93JVBEOXmAD3l9bDPMI1NGkjE0Mcg&oe=659309EC			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68388	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054160		67		1753451458502571	1	7.0601770815924E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997318620476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940779	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409071662_364541739417381_3200702199391172462_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vXvErZElYe4AX9Q9dd_&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAGSLG2Onl8uN0u70drGyeKIbw5DdcnkQQ4RI2huTko5w&oe=65926553	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408935378_889151196175814_8125778676810933449_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9x6wMFyQVAAAX_rnPFP&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA2fYqRO2sROZdpZRk6crCAFu6XkqJ6li0XD2FMrxJuHQ&oe=6591AA64			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69832	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		3579454312331225	5	1.0051758140478E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779083570250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678135	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405259946_862600855406763_4157166056653863836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f1q50EotfcAX-OT8Gu&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqtvovQ4DKmR95lePZPjYk2Ssvm84yLmqmM7wZJsTd3g&oe=6592CF3A	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66770	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054160		67		708536997902667	1	1.0179179092854E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	1592304324409075		0	Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Luzinie			120203024504030665					NONE	video	Magic Light of The First Star - Wishfulland & GOK Luzino				1703447340	1.5923043244091E+15	Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Luzinie	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412915710_345383844794793_1072820877310859660_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Kuv5ElLkLfEAX8fuSKM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbN7U94D09qGXNAlVaE8HiheXHN9RhW9Zxu6vxHWEaHg&oe=6592CC50	person_profile	0	Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Luzin	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412933816_394891606227023_3842333637933870291_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s9S48XkwJQgAX_Cu6Kj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC_LmsOcKh8taZoLrj6btDsDmhUUYrN9VnlhFKRmudxLQ&oe=6592BBEF			0	3	Epic Power Xmas song is here!<br /> Świeżo, mocno i specjalnie dla Was!!! <br /> Na wyjątkowy czas, wyjątkowy utwór świąteczny! <br /> Pełen przygody, pełen nadziei, pełen radości.<br /> Wspólnie z zespołem Wishfulland oraz współpracującymi z nami artystami życzymy Wam wszystkiego co najlepsze!!! <br /> Najmocniej jak potrafimy! <br /> <br /> Tytuł: Magic Light of The First Star (in Luzino)<br /> Produkcja: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LuzinoGOK">Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Luzinie</a><br /> Zespół: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wishfullandband">Wishfulland</a><br /> Tekst: Maciej Subzda<br /> Reżyseria: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marcin.kryza.31">Marcin Kryza</a><br /> Montaż: Jakub Klein <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Druga-Perspektywa/100063645337212/">Druga Perspektywa</a><br /> <br /> Gitara prowadząca: <span class="_39_n">Filip Różalski</span> <br /> Gitara rytmiczna: Adrian Grabarczyk <br /> Gitara basowa: Maciej Subzda <br /> Perkusja: Michał Nawrot<br /> Wokal prowadzący: Marcin Kryża<br /> Celestial voice: Jolanta Bańko<br /> <br /> Chór: <br /> Gabriela Roman<br /> Natalia Mrozek-Rutkowska <br /> Joanna Rostankowska <br /> Tomasz Kafel <br /> Marcin Chwałek <br /> Epic Ninja Warrior <br /> <br /> Aktorzy:<br /> Starman: Grzegorz Klein <br /> Dziadek: <span class="_39_n">Daniel Kuptz</span> <br /> Ojciec: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/adam.benke.908">Adam Benke</a> <br /> Matka: Natalia Mrozek-Rutkowska<br /> Elfy i dzieci: Alicja Benke, Weronika Benke, Krzysztof Kafel, Marysia Kafel, Nikola Kożyczkowska, Mikołaj Płotka, Oliwia Płotka, Zosia Skoczek, Amelia Wasylka, Natalia Wasylka, Leon Wasylka, Joanna Wójtowicz<br /> Czarnoksiężnik: Roman Hinz<br /> Kostiumy i charakteryzacja: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BernadetaSkoczek">Studio Kosmetyczne Bernadeta Skoczek</a> <br /> Operator Kamery: Jakub Klein <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Druga-Perspektywa/100063645337212/">Druga Perspektywa</a><br /> Mix&amp;Master: Maciej Subzda<br /> <br /> Patronat medialny:<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NordaFm">Norda FM</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nadmorski24">Nadmorski24.pl</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PomorzeKultury">Pomorze Kultury</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GazetaSwietojanska">Gazeta Świętojańska</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TwojaTelewizjaMorska">Twoja Telewizja Morska</a>		Gminny Ośrodek Kultury w Luzinie		5078	https://facebook.com/LuzinoGOK	0								1703404800		View Edit Delete
66593	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054160		67		697861612335290				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	149187418450228		0	Epic Reads			6521119001456		www.epicreads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	"A vitally important story.” —Misa Sugiura, author	New from Joanna Ho.	https://www.epicreads.com/books/9780063059351/the-silence-that-binds-us/?maas=maas_adg_569212BEA739C4E9C3CA25B3A699D1C8_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thesilencethatbindsus		1702937194	1.4918741845023E+14	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412427698_1542505906546937_2338677284709965105_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JkEN9V0BJ18AX-KNVtB&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD2DpQ9VrabRB30m8557Ib53ZgvV7Q0aaFASUm2jT0XkQ&oe=659262CD	person_profile	0	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412089315_1613364362734354_7754172035814843310_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RWpDbQYKxDcAX9qtGin&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC3xKgT0r7ui_n2_avDC83mM7sfGI-v6i5oWqfg5PMjww&oe=6591F826			0	3	Start reading the powerful YA debut from New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho! Now available in paperback.		Epic Reads		1164999	https://facebook.com/EpicReads	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68135	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054160		67		379353977874063	1	3.1894989768061E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100902642792418		0	Money Means			120201781467490574		yourmoneymagic.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.yourmoneymagic.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702293388	1.0090264279242E+14	Money Means	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409413119_1355417708448335_7645060331433590542_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VRXS-cEIjOoAX9Kdhhx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCw_obY-vsQNnAnqhVbXO8CzoPynFdMvV9Peek2AMlntA&oe=65930D4A	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Money Means		1327	https://facebook.com/100085742033151	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66952	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054160		67		681421220855999	5	3.2085676418162E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111233318296643		0	Multiple Choices			120202829733320756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213366	1.1123331829664E+14	Multiple Choices	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783833_869622144811496_7149635715460326849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YP19n1yGdBEAX-6btmm&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhEmY4-_sU3EPutqN4nQpnbqRDZEbHvfJKSdkJUcHN5Q&oe=6592C96A	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Multiple Choices		34	https://facebook.com/100083202375576	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66969	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054160		67		381580931010596	5	3.6610815266792E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829728740756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213337	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412281800_737327067855194_5585804166645535762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5wQMPXMTN-AAX-XDy7B&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAIGQPTpNp3P_kE0TJ-2COtM9fFvIGnRtxDZuzBP5SDgg&oe=65921B7F	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66966	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054160		67		744046500950244	5	2.60177383491E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100407068726982		0	Simbaly - Trends			120202829724440756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213315	1.0040706872698E+14	Simbaly - Trends	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410047994_295584776790988_7346036601741761373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PbpeYfdTgJwAX8I1FYI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDZ5T45veFNyBxKepDXQzkhjaYIHE5fL0U3aUNCHKg2rw&oe=65919DAC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Simbaly - Trends		1969	https://facebook.com/100071393365191	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67069	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054160		67		1045393940034920	1	1.0921324322191E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	169646749726094		0	National Fastpitch Coaches Association - NFCA			6570466682615		nfca.org/coaches-clinics	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://nfca.org/coaches-clinic-chicago-ii		1703112455	1.6964674972609E+14	National Fastpitch Coaches Association - NFCA	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410036957_850050613528619_844014925839886002_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c4jHd1xJdwIAX8W_Wol&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCUcjB7acLxlX1HeTt49hFXU95VAlJt4wbGbia1vZ-5xg&oe=659227A1	person_profile	0	NFCA	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413047225_371931285380486_3372747832459963872_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_0Fd8FMKkpkAX80e2fV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEsUn-z8gS5qN15UNnZdOOVLN0TMk4peqw1K1tfn3JaQ&oe=65929465			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		National Fastpitch Coaches Association - NFCA		19797	https://facebook.com/NFCAorg	0		SHOP_NOW						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67070	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054160		67		7116544998391340	1	3.7974569138141E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	169646749726094		0	National Fastpitch Coaches Association - NFCA			6570466311015		nfca.org/coaches-clinics	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://nfca.org/coaches-clinic-minneapolis		1703112424	1.6964674972609E+14	National Fastpitch Coaches Association - NFCA	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410730513_705489875011911_4341082321461160602_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3YaWYUDi0N8AX9bI4zX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA0loIcT69QKCpORf4fBtbzmNngcvRJMxC51BWyyrGnOA&oe=659254C9	person_profile	0	NFCA	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410856963_813406467206467_7026712296881759273_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ir2gmSDo3WUAX_DcawO&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCImzHIO9e24P5sCDoH7NZYenpHsWP6EilH4NEkx8IIuw&oe=65931598			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		National Fastpitch Coaches Association - NFCA		19797	https://facebook.com/NFCAorg	0		SHOP_NOW						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67131	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054160		67		1098366574870771		3.622513731536E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202808077160160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703052556	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411928616_370928005440675_7726588110741235269_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qPV8XIkEJa4AX_e7vRm&_nc_oc=AQn8hdSRk7ZCqs2Wky6bGoehHWs9EP0qswVBlMMH4_WWeUuhl1_wybfu23nK_Z1s7QUyfPva6IYsgFkQC5vBjZnd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfArBm6zdS2ST75-v9BV637pbwibllv_4W3pjN2hFoYrWA&oe=659233BF	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67347	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054160		67		748138220496604	1	1.382723712682E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	102957022779995		0	Floridian Spring Water			120202856793550442		drinkfloridian.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.drinkfloridian.com/		1702857199	1.0295702278E+14	Floridian Spring Water	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410032121_1043164400345580_3685247044616712186_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y7doBnep4G8AX-HxfPp&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAoPKB5fTLumeVoZ4PBjHgVdoNfbJJVHeLognjOlWsHvQ&oe=65917BD5	person_profile	0	Floridian Spring Water	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409989123_1827947920968541_3505876487139180588_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KKK_476qtUkAX9yn1hD&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAVI4Ik0_LfvBLSLPq9nwwhKzf1hOb8YjuAq7nXCjy9fg&oe=6591C473			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Floridian Spring Water		25	https://facebook.com/drinkfloridian	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67357	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054160		67		1447798626078953		6.6206750249947E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	147511991787764		0	NovaNestle			6528961899674		novanestlecw.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Chip & Joanna's 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Xmas Give-away!		https://novanestlecw.com/		1702849196	1.4751199178776E+14	NovaNestle	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412235419_1130150031729284_6106394150882622884_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IA0KQs-pDLMAX8PjRTe&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDlf1_c7a_im01x5-08T5jXzkHPLKA26Lc26gD6aAMVcA&oe=659296B1	person_profile	0	NovaNestle	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412160889_876789584089586_2294244149189373979_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uY6-OFSHXBwAX8hLXF3&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDgtnShosVwASUpij-8-1BJDzjRlkUBMhgcNWsE1_oOOg&oe=659203AD			0	3	(Backed by a Lifetime Warranty). Guaranteed, the last cookware set you will own.		NovaNestle		5	https://facebook.com/61554141392830	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67402	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054160		67		373366791827314	1	4.1879457214317E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	179871725211969		0	Joanna Alternative Recipes			120202774943800711		facebook.com	Like Page		NONE	image	Joanna Alternative Recipes		https://www.facebook.com/179871725211969		1702755429	1.7987172521197E+14	Joanna Alternative Recipes	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411427332_6947391985348409_1728480973468276961_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s340migJLJsAX8uMvT1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCAGYfjUjKhakHOqO6DT4IaeYofGdz-CoLAeHTMo0ZMeA&oe=6592A701	person_profile	0					0	3	Hit the THUMBS UP if you are creating your future!		Joanna Alternative Recipes		606	https://facebook.com/61554365733480	0		LIKE_PAGE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67432	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054160		67		869245718320060	1	3.7577182159454E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765768840465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702274	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411315766_324192817203686_1645109173268950926_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RYe7W0NLZ8sAX_G8kMg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEvOJm2DLqKxWX2zvkqt7Yh-7Qnqus7hb_VAy4yUx5dg&oe=65927B8A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411224949_927597905389540_2282978264656240398_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Xk8FQQ0qZC8AX-rpsjQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCkdRVZ7sHRDMZzGJ3efY8YskOOjnaGFXjcQewDWfrFmw&oe=6591BF3A			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67513	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054160		67		1407357870209843	1	3.0169094952452E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011748190506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636930	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409979574_203393579497269_5665190228670920022_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2WIVlHXCoNQAX-dqLGl&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBAuhyxdVHWrw5cg9TK2-BSBHfnVhWTNaPAxjKzH1rUXQ&oe=65923A95	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409920846_6965629766816952_6359015248030594278_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kfqZ_csnO_AAX_9mu82&_nc_oc=AQnPSkCRoBEE8Xk41RjTtNKtZPKsUklsDif_plTFFHsl-oXP7C7aOAqnAzEdjCuqYcs&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEfkSShxk-uCN7QCR7DahxTXnBjq9J7U7DsaNrXh1N7g&oe=65929F03			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67574	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054160		67		348342727800510				1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110110918845596		0	Your Money Magic Journey			120203553792760316		yourmoneymagic.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.yourmoneymagic.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702567690	1.101109188456E+14	Your Money Magic Journey	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409815132_1318638172189227_5643181086820598410_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D6VtsEEmFyYAX9dKSoP&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCaIl9c8xaS02ET63JEZy1qKaJZP1EZ25dog8JAT8iRhg&oe=6591692B	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Your Money Magic Journey		42	https://facebook.com/100095569659037	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68076	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054160		67		697274639161297	1	7.2962273870616E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1693169450742739		0	Beata Skrzypczak Opowiemci			6533582704695					NONE	image					1702384877	1.6931694507427E+15	Beata Skrzypczak Opowiemci	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409862119_801717245055782_576710611942551003_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jlEfXBs5jloAX_Fk_oQ&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfApkMDT5i3DAD1ZE6mKf699t67tEUb1mzrM1EIUD9P11A&oe=6592E08D	person_profile	0	Beata Skrzypczak	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410303993_899453521804369_6925918770872645899_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i63yghwwHOEAX8yHlpP&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBN_gNNpWlugknytprw1e3_tlrL-X_ygd876aq0gdGsqg&oe=6591CA62			0	3	Piosenka, która zawsze przychodzi ci na myśl na hasło „Święta Bożego Narodzenia” to…<br /> <br /> Święta to czas, kiedy świat zatrzymuje się na chwilę, by świętować miłość i wspólne tradycje. Właśnie w takim duchu napisana została książka Joanny Kończak „Świętujemy cały rok! 36 świąt z różnych stron świata”. To nie tylko opowieść o świętach, ale też zaproszenie do wspólnego odkrywania kulturowej różnorodności naszej planety.<br /> <br /> Każde święto, opisane w tej książce staje się otwartymi drzwiami na świat, przez które wpada zapach egzotycznych przypraw, dźwięki nieznanej muzyki, a przede wszystkim - różnorodność tradycji i zwyczajów. Od Chińskiego Nowego Roku, przez karnawał w Wenecji i boliwijskim Oruro, po egzotyczne obchody takie jak Japońskie Hanami.<br /> <br /> Dla rodzica nie ma chyba większej radości niż obserwowanie, jak własne dziecko z zaciekawieniem i uśmiechem odkrywa świat. „Świętujemy cały rok!” to przepiękny album, który umożliwia opiekunom dzielenie się tą radością z dziećmi, wprowadzając je w zrozumienie i szacunek do różnorodności kultur. To przewodnik po świecie, który rozbudza ciekawość i uczy otwartości. <br /> <br /> Joanna Kończak z troską o szczegóły przedstawia każde święto. Jej opowieść to nie tylko sucha relacja z obchodów, ale przede wszystkim pełna ciepła narracja, która podkreśla znaczenie wspólnego świętowania, pamięci o przodkach, radości i wspólnotowego doświadczania ważnych momentów w różnych kulturach. Podoba mi się jak ilustracje i tekst tworzą harmonijną całość. Barwy i wzory na ilustracjach tętnią życiem, sprawiając, że czytelnik czuje się, jakby sam uczestniczył w tych radosnych celebracjach. To książka, która przez piękno słowa i obrazu uczy szacunku dla innych kultur i radości płynącej z poznawania ich unikalnych tradycji. Coś wspaniałego!<br /> <br /> [Za książkę dziękuję &#064;wydawnictwo_nasza_ksiegarnia #współpracareklamowa – barter]<br /> <br /> #naszaksiegarnia #współpracareklamowa #bookstagrampolska #bookstagrampl #idąświęta #święta #książki #ksiazkidladzieci #literaturadziecięca #kochamczytać #bookoholic #wartprzeczytać #christmastree #christmasdecoration #hellodecember #christmasiscoming #stilllife_perfection #softones_perfection #festiveseason #światełka #tisthes		Beata Skrzypczak Opowiemci		3604	https://facebook.com/opowiemcibeataskrzypczak	0								1702368000		View Edit Delete
68094	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054160		67		1158810512171093	1	1.1306063545876E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143407230670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374869	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410014779_379927054519206_5292694150893772208_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YcGRypB7ptgAX-v5Lvq&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWcgsaRzeoQVdKaBZbxFJvGETG9EN8fUpx2M2ElQOnvg&oe=6592BCFB	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409931148_1445089123108756_1309227242296795065_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MFrnruAdYYAAX_qDdhq&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBe8ww7y8Gm4a2pDDczCQUJXOi0dVXJ9BLlvaYO5WkoWg&oe=659203D4			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68158	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054160		67		372370581862553	2	7.3397771482276E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204975072320427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287744	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409734057_1974499916253176_3514527949909105610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Cly1NFvXKYcAX9Jtzkg&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDnu73PynaTrakTKNwN-pLmWas2gNvzPRW5Ctzj1d117A&oe=6591BE94	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409831434_843545814444229_683775499534746720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mqvYOYPoWy0AX817E3s&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDMt2XeukRedqei7lkTCIooOQE7L-l2hvswqH7vaUtTag&oe=659204DC			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68199	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054160		67		888421085988754	1	3.7021176224646E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259783230476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180898	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409745296_1523588151829960_3904783223987298745_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-KYb7cR7YtEAX_cAeC-&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAt2wEHnSVK2rOAGFbcyNLkwgOZXhYh7PcVzcHBq3u62w&oe=65929891	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409796414_726166339569245_608810813658723443_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QGo18yVOx0oAX_AH5UQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDen7oMZjax0YVLth4eG4mrPCqJimsVJ9ZzO-lki8zXsw&oe=659241C6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68206	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		1411052329762708	1	1.3072874533195E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259677570476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180882	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406935421_1067583227709266_5368835163769660075_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tTU6GCnpI2QAX9gHHX1&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAcp5tW-AIwofHbGhDZF3qQZYszJFY1fctKR8fryi_Bdw&oe=65922F70	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407795879_222777260769365_6012512281919816326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C1CaAAEHMy4AX_GlQ1V&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDZd7-SY-S8qEkSjq3kpSSmP6jhdWsYbQ8DC0F0_uvidg&oe=659221AC			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68233	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		666326662367075	5	4.0040837231424E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155242360476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094422	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406780438_666282688952994_6526422001613627092_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2R_yDVYnkPMAX_BVuey&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDy4WuFO6zLogw8ai6Eq10lsH7DHDWTmcnuEa63qSULyA&oe=659157EC	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408415153_360195576695671_5423771448864174580_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KOTf9vJcj8wAX8DNHQI&_nc_oc=AQkH7qih1BcBysmqDH5fpUPkBqdUPgRfdsRutQyQWrf8eCtRX2TOoGvXIi-pEzKd0CQ&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAemxhegCrTIHiAukSgbwWqdXpub8tcOfpLcd0A1y17hA&oe=6591A231			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68231	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		595933649326023	1	3.256986703199E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155473150476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094749	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409647310_399188082455896_3549744909070485745_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YA84OCnQNycAX-B-LuD&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBkxdTS53b519y0KPNJiHu0CQhpQcaiGP-wL7jVUfCtUA&oe=65924C61	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409443552_1051531569387173_5099635104481777050_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yS6Kp8R0jooAX9eyroK&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBZSmgqme91HQjvglwImvnQvdbQKc9x6brycluLRlwOXw&oe=65915868			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68232	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		655557260104151	1	3.5430317718973E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155250140476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094446	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406752439_1004280260668208_463139558526135138_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BDakVuUBJrYAX9FQK_m&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBGMdv6u3GBbrMm0GNQ-kQsYoo538fc_wUCfbFbzN-lrg&oe=65927F5C	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406770021_1354256091876004_4006224274041790876_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CYZWSujOw0gAX-r3OTv&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAB2Na3-SFEuogawmSfPVHtbpH4FLHLn4sEGMUKMWf4sQ&oe=65917946			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68230	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		378599428064419	3	6.7167257495275E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155279510476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094518	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408131286_776423634499763_3532155383725802907_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_Z990FZuh6EAX-GUbOl&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAhpCxJJ3zHTA0akTPqrZLMaY-os1ok6UPfKy51DXeT5g&oe=65924BBB	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408117319_330019379836666_7845106249894391786_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=imtsPMCpHaEAX_SnkfI&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCVLHW22boTTNg-jiU84XhrazAw2Iuh4-3G2vcq09vgEw&oe=6591D952			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68237	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		737272637786473	1	3.8630982706286E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155254540476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094504	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409729634_325667553751145_5421402331440301163_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BLKhDzbxd4sAX-jI9zr&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDvqq-Dws4I71scrop_E4deHKUzuoIHSZsc7BCcWXRBNA&oe=65916C87	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409533553_1027679691825946_8541372440370692698_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=imIn6L3dupsAX_l20qw&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBZEAbnvZ31AidwotXGMuetTT7KzF_6n8FPHpM9BqwKlw&oe=65928CD3			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68242	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		1140047673629281	1	3.3337173611552E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155246610476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094427	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409457615_879094623954367_5264846599095695042_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JzQBwhfcLkAAX9r12bj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB3NqwedOMXWM2S5WaLVoTJxIRAdDeGKhQROfzlUms72Q&oe=65929AA0	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408906019_769927771824313_4812600438082515197_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ESR3WP6GZv4AX_yDsY0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC3OCk7CSaihjgDaf2qoFWws0e18OlYaNi-pMnHMzChPg&oe=65915DE3			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68245	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		1480818522700070	2	1.3190759987615E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155256720476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094478	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408159934_671776155135428_1138901958269067566_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5xqVFjsqoVwAX8okgCc&_nc_oc=AQmVpmPT6mc8EJYINJGmOAaQdw74_D0gN3FbrqhYRW_Qwobl8LK01_R2kJtWpCJ8H9o&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDMb8UIhR_TyFuIM_kaNcxZvsPddAfU9fC8UJfujKfKFQ&oe=6592138D	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408079601_1093949331765669_6948273229860178585_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=euPjJItGUrwAX-NA9WE&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDntQdoM96bKWCqQe0tYW0CBya-B23XtTV9_9le5BrZBg&oe=659317C5			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68250	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		804527974693197	1	3.2753355007093E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	180251658500845		0	Bad Novel			120201576031150539		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to read the full text		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/2c317ec0-76d0-4274-8237-3555126e8dfa.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1702048118	1.8025165850084E+14	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408043961_886658869734923_6792583346712475770_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8E4JxedJQl4AX-hByb4&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBiVfQjT6uzRkLWYZKKJgHh-sy9Tok4f-3GaNQX9tZ08A&oe=65924C39	person_profile	0	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409558691_828126075729691_6678526538866381994_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tntPVvNihkQAX9Wgjot&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBymlSt8HMuhu3pcspqSM27D9mmodG7eUXSF2BfquA1Aw&oe=659239C4			0	3	As the sun dipped below the horizon on a July evening, the sky retained its luminous glow, refusing to succumb to darkness.<br /> By the base of Mount Elvern, before an unnamed tombstone.<br /> Clad in black casual attire, Yvonne Anworth stood before the tombstone. Her delicate features were etched with a chill that resembled the precision of a carefully sculpted statue. &quot;Mom, ten years have passed since that day. I&#039;ve stuck to your advice and kept myself in check all these years. Tomorrow, I&#039;m going back to the Anworths.&quot;<br /> Enveloped in silence, she could only hear the wind whispering through the trees.<br /> &quot;Boom!&quot;<br /> A sudden, jarring sound drew Yvonne&#039;s attention, prompting her to subtly turn her head. Her mesmerizing eyes narrowed as she gazed towards the source of the noise, not too far from her.<br /> A black car with a deflated tire sat lopsided on the roadside.<br /> A man dressed in black sportswear emerged from the car. His gait was unsteady, suggesting an injury.<br /> A group of about a dozen people dressed in black attire trailed behind him.<br /> Brandon Hart glanced over his shoulder, his face stern and cold. He clutched his aching stomach, and his lips drained of color. He exuded an aura of pain and suffering.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t even think about running! We paid a fortune for you, and you&#039;re not going anywhere.&quot; The menacing figure in black said as he closed in on the shivering figure before him. The leader&#039;s face was devoid of emotion, his eyes cold and calculating, radiating an aura of pure malice.<br /> &quot;Just you guys?&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes narrowed, his voice like a frosty dagger.<br /> The pain from his stomach shot up to his head. He could feel the blood seeping out, making him doubt if he could hold on much longer.<br /> &quot;Alright, let&#039;s get this over with,&quot; the leader of the black-clad people said and attacked Brandon.<br /> &quot;Huh?&quot;<br /> Suddenly, a stone came whizzing out of nowhere and struck the black-clad person in the arm. His hand trembled, and he crumpled to the ground.<br /> The black-clad person&#039;s expression morphed into a mask of fury, a low rumble emanating from their chest. &quot;Who&#039;s there?&quot;<br /> Yvonne spoke in a calm, emotionless tone, &quot;You&#039;ve interrupted my mom&#039;s peace. Take your fight elsewhere!&quot;<br /> A crowd of people gazed intently at Yvonne, their faces grave.<br /> Even Brandon, known for his menacing glare, couldn&#039;t mask his astonishment.<br /> Despite their formidable reputations as international assassins, capable of vanquishing multiple foes, the group succumbed to the might of a mere stone hurled by a teenage girl.<br /> That girl was off the charts!<br /> &quot;Back off, or you&#039;re toast!&quot; The leader&#039;s eyes turned icy as he ordered, &quot;Kill her!&quot;<br /> The rest of the crowd surged forward in an instant.<br /> Yvonne&#039;s gaze grew icy, her eyes like shards of ice.<br /> &quot;Watch out!&quot; Brandon had already sprung into action before the black-clad people rushed towards Yvonne.<br /> But Brandon&#039;s feet halted abruptly, his dark eyes widening in disbelief.<br /> The assassins were no match for Yvonne. They all fell before her without even having a chance to attack.<br /> And she didn&#039;t budge an inch. Her face was undisturbed, and her eyes steady.<br /> If it weren&#039;t for her hands that had not yet been withdrawn, Brandon would have thought he was hallucinating.<br /> &quot;Get lost!&quot; Yvonne tilted her chin up slightly, her voice icy.<br /> The men in black stared at her like she was some kind of ghost, their faces etched with confusion and a hint of fear. &quot;Who the hell are you? And what&#039;s your deal?&quot;<br /> The cause of their fall remained a mystery to them.<br /> All they recalled was the girl raising her hand and releasing a powdery substance, followed by their sudden descent.<br /> And they didn&#039;t even touch a single strand of the girl&#039;s hair.<br /> As Yvonne remained silent, the black-clad men collapsed to the ground, unconscious.<br /> Yvonne cast a fleeting glance at their fallen forms before raising her gaze to Brandon, who stood nearby.<br /> Brandon&#039;s heart skipped a beat as her clear, moonlit eyes met his.<br /> Regaining his composure, he approached her and spoke softly, &quot;Thank you.&quot;<br /> Yvonne gave him a cold stare and curtly declared, &quot;I&#039;m not saving you!&quot;<br /> Her only desire was to avoid being bothered and to have a conversation with her mother.<br /> As Yvonne uttered those words, she turned around and strode away. Her hand reached out to gently caress the tombstone surface. &quot;I gotta go, Mom. May you rest in peace.&quot;<br /> As she was about to walk away, Brandon stopped her and asked, &quot;Hey, what&#039;s your name? I&#039;d like to return the favor someday.&quot;<br /> &quot;I never intended to save you,&quot; Yvonne waved her hand and kept walking.<br /> &quot;Wait ... ouch!&quot; Brandon didn&#039;t even get to finish his sentence and collapsed on the ground.<br /> Yvonne turned back. Her brow furrowed in confusion before resuming her walk.<br /> Out of nowhere, a gust of wind swirled around her, making Yvonne halt in her steps. She glanced up at the unmarked gravestone and asked, &quot;Do you want me to save him?&quot; But the only answer was the wind&#039;s whisper. For a moment, Yvonne stayed silent, her voice laced with a hint of helplessness, &quot;Alright, I&#039;ll save him.&quot;<br /> Yvonne crouched beside Brandon and gently raised his shirt. She immediately noticed that he had a severe wound on his stomach.<br /> But it wasn&#039;t a big problem.<br /> She retrieved a small bottle from her bag and sprinkled some medicinal powder on it. Then, she took out another bottle and fed a pill to Brandon.<br /> Brandon would be astonished to see the rare and valuable healing pill lying before him. It is a highly sought-after item in the black market, with each pill fetching an astounding price of 750,000 dollars. However, due to its scarcity, it is almost impossible to find on the market.<br /> After Brandon took the pill, Yvonne immediately turned and left.<br /> Queenstown, the Anworths mansion.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s banned from this house as long as I&#039;m alive!&quot; a booming voice echoed through the mansion.<br /> In the middle of the living room, Yvonne raised her eyes slightly and gazed serenely at the enraged Madam Anworth. Her peach blossom eyes, usually bright and expressive, were now modestly lowered, concealing a depth of composure.<br /> Unnoticed by anyone, a sly grin appeared on her lips.<br /> Having just returned home with her father, Thomas Anworth, Yvonne was immediately summoned to the old mansion by Madam Anworth, who had already heard the news of their arrival.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s immediate disapproval of Yvonne&#039;s return was evident as soon as she stepped into the room.<br /> &quot;Ugh, Mom! Yvonne is my daughter. She&#039;s your grandchild.&quot;<br /> Thomas stood with his hands clenched at his sides. His jaw was set, and his shoulders tense.<br /> After a decade of searching, he was overjoyed to finally reunite with his daughter. But he was caught off guard when his mother refused to allow Yvonne to return home. In front of the entire family, she even disrespected Yvonne.<br /> &quot;She doesn&#039;t deserve a shred of recognition from me! I&#039;ll never give her the time of day!&quot; Madam Anworth&#039;s hand struck the table with a resounding thud, her glare as sharp as a blade aimed at Yvonne&#039;s heart.<br /> Yvonne lifted her head, briefly encountering Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze before looking away once more. She remained unfazed by Madam Anworth&#039;s scrutiny.<br /> Thomas suddenly raised his head and declared with determination, &quot;Now that I&#039;ve found Yvonne, I&#039;ll never let her go again. Our family is broken beyond repair, so stay out of my personal life!&quot;<br /> &quot;How dare you!&quot; Madam Anworth shot up from her chair, her eyes blazing. &quot;If you even think about bringing her back, I&#039;ll kick you out of your current position and take back every share you own!&quot;<br /> Thomas sneered and said, &quot;Position? Shares? Mom, I&#039;m just a lowly manager in the company now, making a basic salary of 600 dollars a month. I&#039;m not the one who wants to quit, it&#039;s you! And as for the shares, didn&#039;t you already take them all back?&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth gritted her teeth as she said, &quot;Are you deliberately trying to oppose me?&quot;<br /> She was stunned to see her typically weak and incompetent son defy her wishes time and again for the sake of Yvonne.<br /> She was certain that Yvonne and her late mother were up to no good, trying to stir up trouble between her and her son.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to say something, Hannah Anworth, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up, &quot;Grandma, do you agree to let Yvonne come back?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Grandma&#039;s expression softened a bit when she saw Hannah. But she still coldly snorted, &quot;Let Yvonne come back? Forget about it!&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;But Yvonne is Mr. Hart&#039;s fiancée,&quot; Hannah blinked her eyes, her lips curled up into a mischievous grin.<br /> Chapter 2 Ending the Engagement<br /> 、The room was suddenly filled with an eerie silence.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about? Brandon&#039;s fiancée isn&#039;t ...,&quot; Grandma paused and abruptly stood up. &quot;Oh, wait, I remember now! Yvonne is the one engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, you don&#039;t have to marry Brandon anymore.&quot;<br /> It was widely acknowledged that Brandon Hart, the seventh son of the Harts, was an indolent person who lacked seriousness and frittered away his time.<br /> Master Hart has a deep affection for Brandon, particularly since Brandon heroically saved him two years ago, resulting in Brandon&#039;s disability. Since that incident, Master Hart has showered Brandon with even more love and attention.<br /> And Brandon&#039;s lavish spending habits have escalated, as he recklessly disposes of the money generously given to him by his parents and Master Hart.<br /> But for some unexplained reason, a representative from the Anworths recently approached the Harts and informed them that their young lady was engaged to Brandon and that they expected the Harts to honor the engagement.<br /> Isn&#039;t Hannah the young lady of the Anworths?<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s anxiety stemmed from her concerns about Hannah&#039;s future. Despite the Anworths&#039; lower social standing compared to the Harts, Madam Anworth had nurtured Hannah since she was a child. She believed that Hannah deserved to marry someone more prominent who could elevate the Anworths&#039; position.<br /> Despite Brandon&#039;s lavish lifestyle courtesy of his grandfather, he lacked true influence. The wealth he possessed originated from his parents and Master Hart&#039;s generosity.<br /> Remember, money could run out. Once he spent it all and there was nothing left, he would be left with nothing but to rely on the generosity of others for basic necessities.<br /> Despite Madam Anworth&#039;s objections, the Harts had been committed to their engagement and couldn&#039;t simply call it off. So, Madam Anworth sought strategies to terminate the impending union gracefully.<br /> With Yvonne&#039;s return, the engagement could proceed as planned. Yvonne&#039;s background as a simple country girl made her an appropriate match for Brandon, who had physical limitations. Besides, the Anworths could benefit from a union with the Hart family, achieving two advantages simultaneously.<br /> With this in mind, Madam Anworth wasted no time and said, &quot;Fine, let Yvonne come back. But she&#039;s got a month to learn some manners before she gets engaged to Brandon. We don&#039;t want any embarrassing moments at the ceremony.&quot;<br /> Thomas and Joanna Lloyd were dumbfounded, their eyes wide with disbelief as they gazed at the old lady.<br /> They were still struggling to process Hannah&#039;s earlier statement.<br /> Soon, Thomas raised his head abruptly, &quot;What engagement ceremony? The one engaged to Brandon isn&#039;t ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Yvonne is the young lady of the Anworths. It&#039;s her who is engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, it&#039;s only natural to fulfill the engagement.&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s expression darkened upon hearing the news. She turned to Yvonne with a sympathetic gaze.<br /> Her mother-in-law was clearly up to something.<br /> Her willingness to let Yvonne back into their lives hints at her covert motivations.<br /> Everyone knew that Brandon had a disability.<br /> She once opposed Hannah marrying Brandon, but now she supported Yvonne marrying him.<br /> &quot;I disagree!&quot; Thomas&#039;s voice boomed with fury, his features contorted in a rage. &quot;It&#039;s obvious that Hannah is the one who got engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> &quot;Dad, I&#039;m not saying I don&#039;t want to marry Brandon, but Yvonne is the eldest daughter from the Anworths. If I get married to Brandon and the Harts find out about it, they&#039;ll be furious with us for keeping it a secret.&quot; Hannah&#039;s tone was vague, and she looked down slightly, a sly look crossing her face.<br /> &quot;Right!&quot; Madam Anworth immediately nodded, &quot;The Harts are a powerful family, and we don&#039;t want to mess with them.&quot;<br /> &quot;You all!&quot; Thomas&#039;s face went all red. He was furious.<br /> But Madam Anworth ignored him and turned to Yvonne. &quot;If you wish to return to the Anworths, you must get engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her eyes to meet Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze. Her bright and captivating eyes sparkled faintly.<br /> After a moment, with a dainty smile, she took a breath and coolly replied, &quot;Alright. I&#039;m in for the engagement!&quot;<br /> She must come back to the Anworths!<br /> Her lips curled into a subtle, enigmatic smile as she contemplated her engagement. Her return to the Anworths coincided with an opportune moment to gracefully dissolve her engagement to Brandon.<br /> After leaving the old mansion of the Anworths, Yvonne followed Thomas and Joanna back to their own home.<br /> Eight years ago, Thomas&#039;s grandmother forced him to leave the old mansion, and his family has since relocated to Newton Residential Area, a secluded neighborhood far from the city&#039;s bustle.<br /> The neighborhood had been quite antiquated, and the walls of the buildings were deteriorating, possibly due to the passage of time.<br /> Thomas&#039;s family resided in an apartment with three bedrooms.<br /> Upon greeting Thomas, Yvonne headed towards the bedroom.<br /> She just returned home, and her belongings haven&#039;t been unpacked yet.<br /> The moment she stepped into the bedroom, an insistent knock echoed through the room.<br /> She got up and headed towards the door. As she swung it open, she found Thomas and Joanna standing awkwardly, unsure of what to say.<br /> &quot;Do you need something, Mr. Anworth?&quot; Yvonne stepped aside to let Thomas come in.<br /> &quot;Yeah, I do, actually.&quot; Thomas pursed his lips, unsure how to start.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s the matter? Just tell me.&quot; Yvonne gestured for Thomas to sit down while she herself stood.<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the wedding on your behalf.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s eyebrows shot up, her eyes wide with surprise.<br /> Joanna approached her, gently grasped her hand, and took a seat on the bed. Then, she said softly, &quot;Listen. Your father believes that marriage is a lifelong commitment, and Brandon has a disability. If you marry him, you&#039;ll be responsible for his care for the rest of your life. He wants you to find someone with a good heart, someone who will truly love and protect you forever.&quot;<br /> Joanna paused for a moment and continued, &quot;But this marriage was arranged by your mother after all. So, we still need to hear your thoughts on it.&quot;<br /> Although she had never been in contact with Yvonne, she felt sorry for her.<br /> Brandon was not the right match for her.<br /> So what if the Harts were wealthy and powerful?<br /> If Yvonne makes that decision, the consequences will be devastating and irreversible. It would be a mistake with a lasting negative impact on her life.<br /> Yvonne looked at Joanna, a hint of a smile appearing on her cold cheeks. &quot;Well, I was planning on cancelling him.&quot;<br /> Joanna was Thomas&#039;s second wife and also her stepmother.<br /> After the brief interaction she had with her, Yvonne didn&#039;t feel repulsed.<br /> She could also tell that Thomas and Joanna were genuinely considering her.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s good!&quot; Thomas stood up excitedly. &quot;I&#039;m calling the Harts right now to cancel that wedding!&quot;<br /> Mount Elvern.<br /> In the depths of the mountain forest, three figures stood solemnly before a nameless grave.<br /> The man on the left, dressed in trendy clothes and sporting an earring, turned to the slender man beside him. &quot;Mr. Hart, it&#039;s been two days, and that girl still hasn&#039;t come. I don&#039;t think she&#039;ll come. Let&#039;s go.&quot;<br /> &quot;Just wait a little longer.&quot; The man in the middle narrowed his eyes and looked at the nameless grave before him. A layer of light shimmered under his dark eyes.<br /> He was dressed in casual black clothes, and his messy hair covered half of his eyelids. His exquisite, handsome face carried a hint of coldness and arrogance. He was the seventh son of the Harts, the useless son who was saved by Yvonne.<br /> Brandon Hart!<br /> The person who spoke first was Yorky Smith, the third son of the Smiths in Norbury.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t wait any longer. If you keep waiting, you&#039;ll miss the engagement with Miss Anworth from the Anworths.&quot; Yorky touched his earlobe and chuckled, &quot;Miss Anworth is a talented woman from Queenstown. Besides, you&#039;ve been engaged to her since childhood. Your grandfather has repeatedly emphasized that the engagement ceremony must not go wrong.&quot;<br /> A faint curve appeared at the ice-cold corner of Brandon&#039;s lips. &quot;Has the engagement with the Anworths been canceled?&quot;<br /> &quot;Even if you were cripple and the biggest loser on Earth, would the Anworths dare to break off their engagement with the Harts, the most powerful family in Norbury? And let&#039;s be honest, you&#039;re not exactly a loser anyway!&quot;<br /> It was hard to imagine the Anworths calling off the marriage if they knew Brandon was neither disabled nor useless!<br /> &quot;Oh.&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes dimmed.<br /> They did not cancel the engagement!<br /> It was not fun anymore!<br /> Sensing futility in his words, Yorky sealed his lips on the matter.<br /> He decided not to mention this topic anymore. &quot;Since finding your savior seems impossible, let&#039;s move on. We can still save Helena once we find my senior.&quot;<br /> Brandon cast him a sidelong glance, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. &quot;Your senior? Are you sure she exists?&quot;<br /> Yorky was left speechless and couldn&#039;t come up with a response.<br /> After a while, he exclaimed in frustration, &quot;Of course she exists! My senior is totally drop-dead gorgeous and has a heart of gold. And don&#039;t even get me started on her skills as a doctor. She&#039;s like a walking miracle! She can practically raise the dead and mend broken bones ...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the person standing on Brandon&#039;s right side. &quot;Mr. Smith, you don&#039;t even know her name, what she looks like. And yet, you&#039;re making her out to be some kind of mythical creature. Is this &#039;senior&#039; of yours even real? Instead of wasting time looking for her, it would be better to wait for the Black Alliance to contact the mysterious divine doctor.&quot;<br /> Raise the dead and mend broken bones?<br /> Even the esteemed professors at the Medical Research Institute wouldn&#039;t even dare claim such skills.<br /> Yorky exclaimed excitedly, &quot;You&#039;re talking nonsense! You think I&#039;m making things up, huh? My senior is real! But that mysterious divine doctor is like a phantom, appearing and disappearing at will. Only treat patients on a whim. We&#039;ve searched for ages with no success. Who even knows if that doctor accepts patients anymore?&quot;<br /> &quot;I suspect he&#039;s completely incompetent! His medical skills are not even as good as my senior!&quot;<br /> This person was ignorant!<br /> How could an ordinary person like him understand his senior?<br /> Although his senior never mentioned his name and knowing she had changed after a decade, he was certain he would recognize his senior the moment he laid eyes on her.<br /> &quot;Fine, fine, I&#039;ll take your word for it.&quot; Franco Kelmer had it up to here arguing with Yorky. Mainly because he was kinda creepily obsessed with his senior.<br /> Brandon gave them both a quick look, then looked away and bowed to the nameless tombstone as he said, &quot;Alright, let&#039;s go!&quot;<br /> &quot;Mr. Hart, where are we going?&quot; Franco asked.<br /> Brandon&#039;s lips twitched into a faint smile. &quot;Queenstown. I&#039;ll convince my fiancée to break off our engagement!&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Are You Trying to Lecture Me?<br /> On the other side.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to contact the Harts and call off the engagement, an unexpected visitor interrupted him with a ring of the doorbell.<br /> Thomas and Joanna rose to see who was at the door.<br /> Yvonne rose and joined the others outside. Guests had arrived, and her duty was to extend a warm welcome, as courtesy demanded.<br /> Upon reaching the door, she discovered it was Hannah standing before it.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were both taken aback, and even Yvonne couldn&#039;t help but raise her eyebrows.<br /> Hannah was already there, knocking on the door just moments after she had left the old mansion.<br /> &quot;Hi, Mom and Dad! I came to visit and also wanted to see Yvonne. I even brought her some clothes,&quot; Hannah said, a sweet smile revealed as she stood in her light-colored dress with her hair tied back on both sides.<br /> She radiated an air of quiet grace and elegance.<br /> Joanna glanced at the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand, and her expression changed.<br /> Madam Anworth bought these clothes for Hannah, but many of them were only worn once and then forgotten.<br /> This Hannah ....<br /> &quot;That&#039;s thoughtful of you,&quot; Joanna remarked, taking the bag from Hannah&#039;s hand and placing it on the cupboard.<br /> &quot;Why are you here all of a sudden?&quot; Thomas asked, his face darkening with suspicion as he noticed the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand.<br /> Hannah&#039;s eyes welled up. She looked at Thomas with a mixture of hurt and understanding as she said, &quot;Dad, I know you just reunited with Yvonne and want to focus on her. You probably don&#039;t want to see me right now, but ... Grandma insisted I come and teach her some of the rules of our family.&quot;<br /> Thomas&#039;s eyebrows furrowed tightly, his gaze at Hannah carried some impatience.<br /> Here we go again!<br /> For years, whenever she visited them, tears would stream down her face as though she had endured some terrible injustice.<br /> Could it have been that after receiving the favor of Madam Anworth, she looked down on her foster parents?<br /> Who would have wanted to see it like that then?<br /> Thomas&#039;s anger flared inexplicably. &quot;What kind of rules are you teaching?&quot; he thundered. &quot;Yvonne knows perfectly well how to behave. She doesn&#039;t need your instruction! She&#039;s not marrying the emperor and becoming a concubine, so why all the fuss over rules?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hahaha!&quot; Yvonne found Thomas&#039;s words unexpectedly funny and couldn&#039;t help but burst into laughter.<br /> It was clear Mr. Anworth had a humorous side.<br /> Hannah blushed beet red, looking down and nervously biting her lip. &quot;Dad,&quot; she mumbled, &quot;That&#039;s not what I meant at all. I just ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Fine. Go tell your grandmother that I&#039;ll cancel the engagement with the Harts. Since she looks down on Yvonne, she shouldn&#039;t care about her manners.&quot; Thomas cut her off, his voice laced with irritation.<br /> &quot;What did you just say? You want to cancel the engagement!&quot; Hannah couldn&#039;t pretend anymore. She gripped her skirt tightly, and the hatred in her eyes was about to erupt.<br /> What a hypocrite!<br /> Ridiculous!<br /> The treatment was indeed different for his own children.<br /> Initially, the Harts thought she was the one who was engaged to Brandon. And when they forced her to marry him, she secretly expressed her reluctance to marry Brandon. But what did Thomas say about it?<br /> He said he wouldn&#039;t be in charge of this household, and whether to do the engagement or not would be decided by Madam Anworth.<br /> But what about now?<br /> Just after Yvonne returned, Thomas was impatient to end this engagement. Why wasn&#039;t he saying that he&#039;s not in charge of this household anymore?<br /> &quot;Exactly! Yvonne is just nineteen, and I just managed to bring her back. It&#039;s impossible for her to get married,&quot; Thomas said with a serious expression, &quot;Go and tell your grandmother to stop thinking about Yvonne.&quot;<br /> He was well aware of what was going on in his mother&#039;s mind.<br /> While he used to be agreeable on all matters, there&#039;s no room for discussion when it came to Yvonne.<br /> He would confront anyone who dared to have bad intentions towards Yvonne without hesitation.<br /> &quot;But ...&quot; Hannah nervously bit her lip, expressing some reluctance, &quot;Yvonne has agreed to marry Mr. Hart. If she backs out, the Harts will hold us responsible. Offending the Harts would mean trouble for us.&quot;<br /> Hannah looked at Yvonne and said softly, &quot;Yvonne, you don&#039;t want the Anworths to face problems, right? This is what Grandpa worked tirelessly for all his life. If something goes wrong because of you ...&quot;<br /> She intentionally stopped speaking midway through her sentence.<br /> In response, Yvonne&#039;s captivating eyes lifted slightly, and her red lips formed a subtle smile. &quot;Indeed, I have no desire to get married. Why don&#039;t you consider marrying him?&quot;<br /> Hannah&#039;s body tensed for a moment, and her face briefly struggled to maintain composure.<br /> Who would willingly marry the disabled Brandon?<br /> She was a talented woman in Queenstown, achieving considerable success in various fields. Now, she was the top student in Fort Hill of Queenstown. With a promising future ahead, it was disheartening to think it could be jeopardized by association with that disabled person.<br /> What did Yvonne imply?<br /> Was she intentionally trying to upset her?<br /> &quot;Yvonne, your joke is far from amusing,&quot; remarked Hannah with a forced smile, appearing quite unappealing.<br /> Yvonne blinked and looked at her with a tilted head. &quot;I&#039;m not joking!&quot;<br /> Hannah was furious.<br /> She almost couldn&#039;t resist slapping Yvonne!<br /> Exploited every opening to benefit yourself, even when offered the benefit freely?<br /> Hannah&#039;s tone abruptly escalated as she emphasized, &quot;You&#039;re the eldest daughter of the Anworths!&quot; The malice in her eyes grew even more profound.<br /> &quot;Oh, really?&quot; Yvonne responded with a calm expression. &quot;So you, a spoiled child, are trying to lecture me on handling things?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Hannah&#039;s hands clenched tightly at her sides. Shortly after, she took a deep breath and chuckled lightly, saying, &quot;Yvonne, you&#039;ve misunderstood. How could I dare to lecture you? It&#039;s Grandma who mentioned that the engagement with the Harts is a significant matter. Besides, after the engagement, the Harts will invest a substantial amount in our company. So, we absolutely cannot break off the engagement.&quot;<br /> Without waiting for Yvonne to respond, Hannah stood up and said, &quot;Dad, I&#039;ll be heading to the company soon, so I won&#039;t stay long. When Grandma came, she wanted me to tell you that she disagreed with Yvonne canceling the engagement with Mr. Hart. If you insist on doing so, she&#039;ll take back this house.&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth certainly never said such things. Hannah took it upon herself to say these things.<br /> But she had the ability to influence Madam Anworth&#039;s attitude before Thomas approached her.<br /> Thomas&#039;s facial expression changed, and as he was about to respond, Hannah had already left.<br /> Chapter 4 Looked It Up<br /> Following Hannah&#039;s departure, Thomas expressed his frustration by forcefully placing the cup on the table, exclaiming, &quot;This is absolutely outrageous!&quot;<br /> Joanna poured him a glass of water and consoled him, saying, &quot;Come on, don&#039;t be upset. This child&#039;s heart has long been elsewhere. Getting angry won&#039;t change anything.&quot;<br /> Hannah was a child they had adopted eight years ago.<br /> During that time, Thomas&#039;s sole focus was on searching for Yvonne. After an extensive but unsuccessful search, he coincidentally came across Hannah.<br /> Her facial features share a certain similarity with Yvonne. Feeling a longing for Yvonne and pity for Hannah, Thomas decided to adopt her.<br /> Hannah was obedient and sensible. She had a sweet mouth, and knew how to make people happy.<br /> She had Madam Anworth wrapped around her finger.<br /> After two years of adoption, Madam Anworth took personal responsibility for raising Hannah. In a short span, she transformed into a highly admired and accomplished woman in Queenstown, causing many people to envy her.<br /> But ever since Hannah started following Madam Anworth, she looked down on them. Although it didn&#039;t show on the surface, the words she uttered always hit people in the heart.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were not naive. Over time, they grasped Hannah&#039;s intentions. Consequently, their interactions with Hannah naturally dwindled.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s all my fault. I shouldn&#039;t have adopted her!&quot; Thomas lamented, beating his chest and regretting his decision.<br /> &quot;You had good intentions back then,&quot; Joanna glanced at Yvonne and said, &quot;Now the problem is how to cancel the engagement! According to Mom&#039;s stance, she&#039;s set on marrying Yvonne off, and if we don&#039;t agree, she might not accept it gracefully.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;ve made up my mind to end this engagement. Even if Mom takes back the house, I refuse to believe that, as an adult, I can&#039;t provide for a wife and child.&quot;<br /> Joanna sighed.<br /> It seemed likely that in this Queenstown, Madam Anworth wouldn&#039;t offer them a place to stay.<br /> With her head bowed, Yvonne focused on the information displayed on her mobile phone.<br /> The page showcased details about Brandon.<br /> As a prominent figure in the Harts, Brandon&#039;s profile was indeed quite impressive.<br /> It had everything except for photos.<br /> Even the phone number was included on his profile.<br /> &quot;Mr. Anworth, there&#039;s no need to feel troubled. I can initiate the divorce myself,&quot; Yvonne said, raising her head with a graceful smile on her soft face. &quot;Don&#039;t worry about having a place to stay. I&#039;ll buy a house for you.&quot;<br /> Considering Mr. Anworth and his wife&#039;s good treatment towards her, acquiring this house could be seen as an act of filial piety.<br /> &quot;Yvonne ...&quot;<br /> Thomas wanted to say something, but Yvonne stood up and dialed a number on her phone.<br /> &quot;Hello? Is it Mr. Hart, right? I&#039;m Miss Anworth.&quot; Yvonne got straight to the point once the call was answered.<br /> Brandon&#039;s fingers paused on the other side of the phone, and his eyebrows lifted slightly as he asked, &quot;What&#039;s the matter?&quot;<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the engagement.&quot; Yvonne&#039;s voice was clear and sharp.<br /> Brandon was taken aback for a moment. After a slight pause, his thin lips curved up as he responded. &quot;Okay!&quot;<br /> Yvonne stared at her phone, which had already been hung up, and was stunned for a moment.<br /> So, he was on board with this?<br /> A high-end club in Queenstown.<br /> Brandon lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed. He held his phone with slender fingers, staring at the call logs that had been cut off, and a faint smile played on his cool lips.<br /> &quot;Is it really Miss Anworth from the Anworths?&quot; Yorky held a glass of wine and expressed a hint of disbelief.<br /> &quot;She said so,&quot; Brandon said with a low and enchanting voice, with a slightly cheerful tone.<br /> &quot;Tsk!&quot; Yorky expressed a mild exclamation and remarked, &quot;Well, well! Miss Anworth does have quite a distinctive personality. I&#039;m starting to view her in a different light.&quot;<br /> Although Brandon had a bad reputation, his family was financially stable.<br /> Though many girls desired to be his wife, the head of the Harts had already picked Miss Anworth as his future granddaughter-in-law.<br /> He thought the Anworths wouldn&#039;t break off the engagement.<br /> So, he investigated and found that the Anworths&#039; business had declined in recent years, facing severe financial difficulties. The engagement with the Harts not only secured a marital alliance but also brought in a substantial investment, a stipulation set by the Harts patriarch.<br /> So, under any circumstances, Madam Anworth would never agree to cancel the engagement.<br /> It was surprising that Miss Anworth personally took the initiative to cancel the engagement.<br /> She truly embodied the reputation of being a highly talented woman in Queenstown, displaying a level of integrity that many other girls could not match.<br /> Brandon was in a good mood. His elongated eyes were almost closed into a thin line as he swiftly played his phone with his fingers.<br /> Yorky leaned in for a glance, expressing astonishment as he said, &quot;Mr. Hart, why did you save the recording of the conversation with Miss Anworth?&quot;<br /> Brandon casually lifted his gaze, continuing to play with his phone. &quot;It&#039;s such a good thing. Why wouldn&#039;t I let my grandfather know and bring some joy to him?&quot;<br /> &quot;Will your grandfather get a heart attack when he finds out?&quot; Yorky remarked. He couldn&#039;t imagine the scene after the old man knew about this.<br /> &quot;He won&#039;t suffer from a heart attack. But maybe we would cry, make a fuss, or attempt suicide.&quot; These were the usual tactics used by her grandfather.<br /> In order to make him marry Miss Anworth, every possible method was used, causing him considerable distress.<br /> Now that Miss Anworth has chosen to cancel the engagement voluntarily, his grandfather should be able to settle down a bit.<br /> Taking a sip of his drink, Yorky turned to Brandon with a puzzled expression and inquired, &quot;By the way, why don&#039;t you want to marry Miss Anworth? Hannah Anworth is not only attractive and academically outstanding but also reputed to have achieved success in various fields. Given her academic performance, she&#039;s almost guaranteed to secure a spot at a prestigious university. A wife of such caliber is truly a rare find.&quot;<br /> In the chilly atmosphere, Brandon set aside his phone and raised his wine glass, giving it a slight shake. &quot;She&#039;s so outstanding, and I&#039;m disabled. I shouldn&#039;t stand in her way.&quot;<br /> Yorky&#039;s shifted his attention to Brandon&#039;s faultless, elongated legs and silently looked away.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> As soon as Yvonne stepped into the bedroom, the phone started ringing. After checking the caller ID, she tensed up and walked to the window before answering the call.<br /> &quot;I found the information,&quot; a low male voice came through the phone. &quot;On the day your mother passed away, representatives from four influential families in Norbury showed up at your home.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s expression turned serious. &quot;Four influential families?&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s right!&quot; the person on the other end continued, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, the Yeagers, and ... the Harts.&quot;<br /> Yvonne was surprised. &quot;The Harts? Brandon&#039;s family?&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; the person on the other end paused, &quot;In Norbury, there are four prominent families. The Harts, the Smiths, the Anworths, and the Wagners. The Harts hold the foremost position among these four, being a truly elite aristocratic family. Among the families that have members visiting your home, except for the Harts, the other three are considered to be of moderate size.&quot;<br /> The person remained silent for a moment before stating, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers. These three families visited your home in search of something. I couldn&#039;t find out the specific details, but the person sent by the Harts to your home was Brandon ...&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s frigid gaze lifted, and her attractive brows furrowed tightly. &quot;Brandon? What&#039;s his purpose?&quot;<br /> &quot;Seems like he&#039;s looking for someone.&quot;<br /> Yvonne refrained from commenting. She leaned against the bed&#039;s edge, and her fair, slender fingers tapped the windowsill slowly. After a considerable pause, she spoke at a measured pace, &quot;Continue the investigation. Find out what the Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers are looking for! You don&#039;t need to worry about the Harts. I&#039;ll handle it myself.&quot;<br /> &quot;Understood.&quot;<br /> Chapter 5 You Have No Manners at All!<br /> After hanging up the phone, Yvonne opened the window, gazing at the vivid blue sky outside with a composed expression.<br /> &quot;Mom! Who exactly did you offend?&quot;<br /> When Yvonne left the Anworths at the age of nine, the lasting memories etched in her mind portrayed her mother enduring mistreatment from Madam Anworth, and her mother always enduring it silently.<br /> During that period, she couldn&#039;t comprehend why her intelligent and efficient mother, despite being capable, endured bullying without putting up a fight.<br /> Once they left the Anworths, they found themselves being pursued by multiple groups. It was only when her mother demonstrated her enigmatic martial prowess and the art of acupoint sealing with silver needles that she realized her mother wasn&#039;t incapable of fighting back. Rather, she was actively avoiding the pursuit of others.<br /> Until one day, her mother received a phone call. At that moment, Yvonne noticed an unusual expression on her mother&#039;s face. But being young and having already experienced numerous escapes, she assumed that someone else was after them again.<br /> But that night, her mother took her own life!<br /> She met her demise at the hands of the poison she had personally developed!<br /> Prior to her passing, her mother had instructed her to seek out Master Reid at Haven Abbey, become his apprentice, undergo martial arts training, and remain on the mountain for a decade, tempering her skills for ten years.<br /> Her mother specifically ordered that, upon her death, she be cremated without any memorial erected.<br /> A decade later, she returned to the Anworths to find her father and fulfill her engagement with Brandon.<br /> She faithfully carried out all these instructions, with the sole exception of marrying Brandon.<br /> Over the previous ten years, she had lived under the constant weight of her mother&#039;s death every day. She had been determined to seek vengeance and wouldn&#039;t have allowed a marriage to obstruct her path.<br /> But then ....<br /> Brandon became entangled in the past events.<br /> With the marriage already canceled, any further investigation into the events of that year required a different approach.<br /> Suddenly, Yvonne&#039;s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a tumultuous knocking at the door.<br /> Upon opening the door, she witnessed Madam Anworth storming in accompanied by a group of people from the Anworths.<br /> The group consisted of Madam Anworth&#039;s eldest and youngest sons&#039; families, along with Hannah.<br /> The small living room was now crowded with about a dozen people, each displaying visible anger. This resentment intensified, especially upon spotting Yvonne come out, as if they were eager to vent their frustration by tearing her apart.<br /> &quot;Yvonne! You are a troublemaker! Who gave you permission to cancel the engagement with the Harts? What a bitch! Do you still have any respect for me?&quot;<br /> As soon as Madam Anworth saw Yvonne, her elderly and cloudy eyes seemed to express intense anger or frustration.<br /> It was beyond her expectations that Yvonne would independently decide to cancel the engagement.<br /> She wouldn&#039;t be aware of it if Master Hart hadn&#039;t called.<br /> Fortunately, Master Hart approved of that marriage and didn&#039;t raise any objections. He emphasized that despite Brandon&#039;s physical disability, half of his future wealth would be allocated to him. If Hannah married Brandon, she wouldn&#039;t face any hardships, and she could contribute to supporting the Anworths&#039; business in the future.<br /> Since Yvonne had recently returned, the Anworths had not disclosed her identity publicly. So, Master Hart was unaware that it was Yvonne who intended to marry Brandon, not Hannah.<br /> But Madam Anworth wasn&#039;t concerned about these details. In any case, Master Hart had requested the engagement with the granddaughter of the Anworths. So, as long as Yvonne married Brandon, the Anworth would still have received everything they were entitled to.<br /> But this troublemaker Yvonne unexpectedly canceled the engagement!<br /> Yvonne narrowed her eyes, emitting a hint of coldness. She stared at Madam Anworth without saying a word for a long time.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m the reason Yvonne canceled the engagement,&quot; Thomas protected Yvonne behind him and said seriously, &quot;If something&#039;s bugging you, just address them directly to me.&quot;<br /> &quot;Slap!&quot; Madam Anworth slapped him in anger. &quot;How dare you be so ungrateful! Don&#039;t you know what this marriage means to the Anworths?&quot;<br /> Initially, she was reluctant to have Hannah marry Brandon. But she didn&#039;t formally break off the engagement. Her intention was to find a solution that would secure the Harts&#039; investment while ensuring Hannah&#039;s well-being.<br /> But, with the involvement of Yvonne, jeopardizing the relationship with the Harts meant losing any financial benefit.<br /> &quot;What does it mean?&quot; Thomas sarcastically smiled and said, &quot;Isn&#039;t it just to maintain your reputation? You look down on Yvonne, so you&#039;re willing to sacrifice her?&quot;<br /> &quot;Thomas!&quot; Thomas&#039;s eldest brother, Troy Anworth, frowned and said, &quot;How can you speak about Mom that way? She&#039;s doing it for the good of the Anworths. Besides, the Harts has assured us that Yvonne will be treated well when she marries into their household.&quot;<br /> &quot;He&#039;s right, Thomas. Even though Brandon has a physical disability, his family is quite affluent. Look at Yvonne. She grew up in the countryside without receiving much education. She might not have even finished high school at the age of nineteen. She&#039;s unable to attend college. Her only option is to work ...&quot;<br /> Ted Anworth, the second eldest brother, said, &quot;Given her qualifications, she can only find jobs like a waitress. In terms of future partners, she can only choose someone ordinary. What&#039;s wrong with marrying Brandon? At least, she won&#039;t have to worry about her basic needs.&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s enough!&quot; Thomas exclaimed, &quot;Yvonne is my daughter, and I have the authority to decide whom she marries. No matter how good Brandon is, Yvonne won&#039;t be marrying him.&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Troy&#039;s face flushed with indignation. &quot;This is utterly illogical!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth directed her anger towards Thomas, asserting, &quot;You have no authority in this family. Since Yvonne is a granddaughter of the Anworths, she should play her part in supporting the family. We don&#039;t tolerate idleness in the Anworths!&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Yvonne scoffed, her eyes reflecting a touch of scorn.<br /> Madam Anworth abruptly turned her gaze towards her, her eyes sharp as if she had been unexpectedly poisoned. &quot;Why are you laughing?&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her head, her clear and captivating eyes fixed on Madam Anworth. &quot;I&#039;m laughing at your selective memory! It appears that I haven&#039;t received any financial support from you since birth, never been nurtured by you, so where does my contribution come into play?&quot;<br /> Even though she was young at the time, she distinctly recalled that her grandmother never even bought her a piece of candy.<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth was infuriated, her gaze towards Yvonne carrying a trace of bitterness.<br /> This little troublemaker was sharp-tongued!<br /> &quot;Yvonne!&quot; Troy expressed his anger, &quot;How dare you speak to your grandmother like that? She is your elder! Is this how your mother raised you?&quot;<br /> With a nonchalant look, Yvonne&#039;s red lips curled slightly, and hands in pockets. She responded, &quot;Sorry, my mom is dead. Why don&#039;t you go ask her in the underworld how she taught me?&quot;<br /> Troy&#039;s face flushed with anger. &quot;You have no manners at all!&quot;<br /> The rest of the Anworth was infuriated by Yvonne&#039;s indifferent demeanor.<br /> But everyone remained silent because Madam Anworth was present.<br /> Despite the unspoken words, the intense glares directed at Yvonne seemed almost predatory. But Yvonne remained unfazed, lifting her chin indifferently.<br /> Madam Anworth observed Yvonne for a prolonged moment. She took deep breaths to quell her anger and softened her tone as she remarked, &quot;Your mother arranged this marriage. She wouldn&#039;t harm you. Master Hart expressed his hope that you would still honor the engagement with Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne looked at her with a faint smile but did not respond.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s expression tightened as she spoke sternly, &quot;Yvonne! Let me remind you! The place you currently occupy is my provision. If you refuse to marry Brandon, I will reclaim this house. Besides, your father will be ousted from the company under my authority. As long as I am present, he will be unable to secure employment in Queenstown. Without financial means, he won&#039;t be able to sustain your family!&quot;<br /> Before Yvonne could say anything, Thomas stepped forward and earnestly declared, &quot;If you want to take the house, go ahead. I am capable of taking care of my wife and child with my own hands and feet. I refuse to let Yvonne be pushed into a difficult situation!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth was so angry that she wanted to slap him, but she held it back. She gritted her teeth and looked at Thomas. &quot;Fine! You have courage. I&#039;m curious to see how resilient you can be!&quot;<br /> In a cold tone, Madam Anworth added, &quot;You have one hour to move out. Do it immediately!&quot;		Romance Novel		18	https://facebook.com/61554129711665	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68299	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054160		67		762592045705124	6	3.7523690827598E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074058840476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015927	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408030928_307237358946920_467226127635026322_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XgazsGZKdTYAX-u1Ki2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDfklmlWXEZosN1TOHwBwXRVFiz9IZqEwbla6gpIB9i5A&oe=65921039	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407815641_1014478346321130_3515741787699495230_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kgSbUz6aIVQAX-FnF7Q&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAt4Dppq35PhHyBKgpFCH2URSlwfqmz_kogVcW1O292Jg&oe=6591928A			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68294	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054160		67		568387598810436	2	1.3190759987615E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074062700476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015974	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407751837_895919018719141_4047630715979597435_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uV57hhO9cowAX8zJj2t&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDGTHsjyDz7omTwF_BMetp_QoD5hVWC7_8S8UKafXE_0g&oe=65926168	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407957553_306462615714158_7579344227298027671_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FKg2W3ASANUAX8YnTUq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBKMXTVsYrhSA-n3yMe6wk0dkPPvjEjHOMYpBlgZY6kTg&oe=6593232A			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68406	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054160		67		362592149785756	3	7.6676914194409E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997277320476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940816	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407910569_725629772415368_3071558034293682609_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uu_CmD2UedAAX-fTJC7&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAYVLovHKdRA7dr3sTy2111gdRQ0FHN_66qJGvColycvQ&oe=65932D42	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407862925_1101393497897550_4896317800266295054_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=I3taGLBLGWUAX_jJ34Z&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCYtqruY6GJtKx_C1S_HNeKl3SLtoMbrKfnYBeMyDGN9g&oe=6593208A			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68424	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054160		67		6588041531324890	1	1.3577346015137E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	122629291142502		0	Teatr Wielki w Łodzi			120202582253020211		operalodz.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Spektakle - Teatr Wielki w Łodzi		https://www.operalodz.com/O_SOLE_ITALIANO_-_KONCERT_SYLWESTROWO-NOWOROCZNY,29,531		1701697359	1.226292911425E+14	Teatr Wielki w Łodzi	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408229858_198941839959626_7677781899193778798_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ny3PZLXE3VwAX-dq4tY&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB53isX0eiOJWu0La5Sq3O5VZEzY7bMf1I30lQbSSVSbw&oe=6592C9DC	person_profile	0	Teatr Wielki w Łodzi	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408281960_871359291307999_7680236030109120853_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z1KX8cohc2AAX8pkpYE&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAusreBTXLKvwLbDGG4NBYCYnlnaTA-DIDOF6Lw3EknyQ&oe=6593317B			0	3	Nowy 2024 rok powitamy w eleganckim, karnawałowym stylu! Przed nami O SOLE ITALIANO sylwestrowo-noworoczna włoska gala operowa. Co prawda bilety na sylwestra 31 grudnia zostały już wyprzedane, ale zapraszamy jeszcze 30 grudnia i 1 stycznia! 🎭<br /> <br /> 🎉 Wyczarujemy dla Was świat z operowej baśni, w której postacie z różnych dzieł muzycznych spotkają się podczas jednego wieczoru na scenie Teatru Wielkiego w Łodzi. Kierownictwo muzyczne objął dyrygent i kompozytor, dyrektor artystyczny Teatru Wielkiego w Łodzi, Maestro Rafał Janiak. <br /> <br /> 🇮🇹 Gala w reżyserii Krzysztofa Korwina-Piotrowskiego i choreografii Beaty Brożek-Grabarczyk przeniesie nas do karnawału w Wenecji i słonecznego Neapolu, także w elementach dekoracji oraz projekcjach na ekranie. <br /> <br /> 🎼 Bogaty repertuar będzie obejmował dzieła najwspanialszych włoskich kompozytorów: Belliniego, Donizettiego, Leoncavalla, Pucciniego, Rossiniego i Verdiego. Wieczór dopełnią uwertury do „włoskich” operetek Johanna Straussa &quot;Karnawał w Rzymie&quot; i &quot;Noc w Wenecji&quot;. W ostatniej części zabrzmią słynne pieśni neapolitańskie.<br /> <br /> Wystąpią:<br /> ⭐️ Aleksandra Borkiewicz-Cłapińska<br /> ⭐️ Patrycja Krzeszowska<br /> ⭐️ Agnieszka Makówka<br /> ⭐️ Joanna Woś<br /> ⭐️ Stepan Drobit<br /> ⭐️ Dawid Kwieciński<br /> ⭐️ Krzysztof Marciniak<br /> ⭐️ Paweł Skałuba<br /> ⭐️ Dyrygent: Rafał Janiak<br /> ⭐️ Prowadzenie koncertu: Patrycja Krzeszowska, Krzysztof Korwin-Piotrowski<br /> ⭐️ Chór i Orkiestra Teatru Wielkiego w Łodzi<br /> <br /> Z pewnością wyjdziecie z Teatru w miłym nastroju, żeby optymistycznie rozpocząć kolejny rok. 😍		Teatr Wielki w Łodzi		27114	https://facebook.com/TeatrWielkiLodz	0		SHOP_NOW						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68551	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		1561096374626540	1	1.0699624174926E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	871611042878073		0	Author Maggie Dallen			6504534253556		maggiedallenbooks.com	Shop now		NONE	video	5 Books for 30% Off!	"Loved this book! The characters come to life!" - Joanna	https://maggiedallenbooks.com/products/the-bluestocking-battalion-series-bundle		1701720763	8.7161104287807E+14	Author Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407983267_1551006848970078_8922329580634281269_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=muSGeEameP0AX-3Q59M&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBRlcf6ceERGE7HaV_rkV7SNWse2Y4x3g6n80aLOU192A&oe=659178D7	person_profile	0	Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407886858_1679249655901068_7918402580454419048_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2e1ItF8NJewAX89ye8-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBCl6BJ4GcTFjmsRs9c4a0Xh8E-O3ByOyggE4_UgnXKgQ&oe=6592C860			0	3	Yesterday, I was a bookish wallflower leading a predictable life. But then I stumble upon a pirate in a cave, and he mistakes me for a spy.<br /> <br /> He takes me captive. But eventually he figures out the truth. <br /> I&#039;m just a dutiful daughter whose life has been planned out, right down to who I&#039;ll marry. So he says he&#039;ll let me go.<br /> <br /> But this morning, when I seek out my father to confess what happened, he&#039;s not alone in his study. The pirate is there. <br /> <br /> But now he&#039;s dressed like a gentleman, and he greets me with a wicked smile. “Ah, just the young lady I was hoping to meet.”<br /> <br /> BOOK: Miss Minerva&#039;s Pirate Mishap<br /> <br /> What readers are saying, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <br /> &quot;I loved every book in this series! It was so fun to read about each sister finding adventure and love. If you love sweet regency romances...I highly recommend these books!&quot; <br /> <br /> Get the 5 E-Books in this bundle series and save 30% today! The PERFECT way to support the author directly.<br /> <br /> After your purchase. Receive an email with the link to the ebook. <br /> <br /> Download the books with one click and send them to your kindle, tablet, or phone. And READ!<br /> <br /> Thank you for supporting me directly! 🥰		Author Maggie Dallen		2637	https://facebook.com/MaggieDallenAuthor	0		SHOP_NOW						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68556	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		370439345510465	1	1.5196222188216E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	871611042878073		0	Author Maggie Dallen			6504533840956		maggiedallenbooks.com	Shop now		NONE	video	5 Books for 30% Off!	"Loved this book! The characters come to life!" - Joanna	https://maggiedallenbooks.com/products/the-bluestocking-battalion-series-bundle		1701720822	8.7161104287807E+14	Author Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407721735_1422301935018484_3696510149662295267_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2y1n4DzzhrYAX8jbqiy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzpXqXUmjKc-G7h497y5z5AMM8ywhuAIqFxFq2DRjsog&oe=65931BBD	person_profile	0	Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407373730_6895071527242321_4121451144103683078_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qlhzcxxahQ4AX86ByqC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfALzRlsXjd8uXjJ8BJuVPYKVZO6eSCqpkPjCGuIqVGIHA&oe=65926B04			0	3	Last week, I was a proper young lady, dreaming of adventure as I explored the caves near town. But then I stumble upon a pirate, and he mistakes me for a spy.<br /> <br /> He takes me captive, and questions me... It&#039;s almost disappointing when he realizes I&#039;m no threat, just a dutiful daughter with my whole life planned out.<br /> <br /> He lets me go. And I assume he’ll forget all about me as I return to my predictable routine.<br /> <br /> But days later, I see him again. At a ball, and dressed like a gentleman. <br /> <br /> He ignores my suitor as he asks me to dance. And as he pulls me into his arms, he says, &quot;Little dove, did you really think I’d let you go so easily?&quot;<br /> <br /> BOOK: Miss Minerva&#039;s Pirate Mishap<br /> <br /> What readers are saying, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <br /> &quot;I loved every book in this series! It was so fun to read about each sister finding adventure and love. If you love sweet regency romances...I highly recommend these books!&quot; <br /> <br /> Get the 5 E-Books in this bundle series and save 30% today! The PERFECT way to support the author directly.<br /> <br /> After your purchase. Receive an email with the link to the ebook. <br /> <br /> Download the books with one click and send them to your kindle, tablet, or phone. And READ!<br /> <br /> Thank you for supporting me directly! 🥰		Author Maggie Dallen		2637	https://facebook.com/MaggieDallenAuthor	0		SHOP_NOW						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68673	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		337036395704776	1	2.5605098382695E+14		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200878906590773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701423776	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406665513_319962394307526_1806561231623561161_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YAmUN1q5GW4AX-9GWd3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFfKdM9C3AyGJRqMtq3JkKXFCeEODLoWhjImMRqLHd6g&oe=65918F92	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406654263_1946828692381412_3359890948985176602_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=59QNYBCnhhEAX_X8rnx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDT9OBBHrIL7O5PkRdAlZ5R7K4Wuin0zQTFGhWH8KB66Q&oe=6592FDF7			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68698	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		381470574401212	1	2.7738114463007E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114384308289241		0	CMG Herald US			23862269988230046		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701406995	1.1438430828924E+14	CMG Herald US	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406114020_1528522397949883_6916054953711222121_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AzPddDVO7Y0AX9kL9aV&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCj1dvwjJRyfO6vakTjaZkCL_hyYkzNI3oRN4Jmg1dusw&oe=6591D599	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG Herald US		109	https://facebook.com/cmg.heraldweekly.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68761	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		282789964318217	3	1.0508745226186E+15		1701763200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	109080568825640		0	Family Store A1			120201429985640521		mfamilygift.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D6	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilygift.store/joanna-things-d6		1701347457	1.0908056882564E+14	Family Store A1	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406592544_665000459080877_7451001322317262672_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QLqUf8Jp1KkAX9jYyyE&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDPfsQvDxGhq-GEwAdTNYfxxHLZiVpBglLE1rBau9psDg&oe=6591B4F3	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilygift.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3qz-6nQPBw27nIx6YpYgNt1LjZlwDBnzRduysvGo1I0jG9oJyRF8CGrqFjgrpiVRBlldHs9A3AdBkhKOUlXXxnvtVSWwg0BNis__cWuVIR-dwt0qyog621lJfUNhusrm1NosT8IxvysHNV0xpm2PSjtuuo2jFZ8XwqaQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilygift.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Store A1		34	https://facebook.com/100091830608558	0		SHOP_NOW						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68786	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		1030613804653357		1.4606147511788E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734150226		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256550	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406343908_1134392147944016_4234719754953010691_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WBecE4OWC98AX_hlpoW&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBUNZgnPeVBuCLn864cIpTN-B5VJosQ56SMSOkbR-i4qQ&oe=6592189B	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406308587_886782999505055_9028752171764655065_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HlGs9dsjDBcAX8MSrDh&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA7-nQa2jGhrZmIlbiVQuvQwIGXkwhqs6QK5yQrbXHPUA&oe=65920447			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68789	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		1282479105683253	2	7.7045505484155E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681737280226		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256555	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406067885_648069793912434_5713489279590612239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tlJOt1UAMeIAX_7c0uy&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD5ovL5MxoYsOh8ilAkWURJO-nAsYPmtcT93MskpSYvbg&oe=65914AB4	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406095695_869906881462902_6208796879961297606_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mYerSWHuPDMAX_eiPcT&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMVF0qWZGCfGwEoO2J4k_30BIWmplP-leEMLvUsVmyLA&oe=6591DFF9			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68813	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		281312688218285	1	1.0212066756602E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203115910130294		m.dreame.com	Download		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		https://m.dreame.com/novel/1800871680?auto_jump=true&utm_source=facebook_ads&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&af_prt=risingtechnolog&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701257158	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404799380_1036459537573329_6715727238424857314_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kkWY282qFPMAX_W_ocN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMHvwJ322obRyScvShwiBupyAqbrPYg_CRvP1egXrXpA&oe=6591A2B7	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404714462_871976721060264_3557813557040835273_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zAsaW9QKUkwAX_6_fRz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKF43ipiQXsNqZKOMm3nC2bQvj-JRPVlJUBu0iS-3SJA&oe=6592D431			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68858	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		1827092104391810		8.188272099976E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120202102927090728		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250806	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406108159_6782702041817975_396943637497948136_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HbTJfcmhFDYAX_4Eghe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDR8p3IyRfKLuaJtzbCVdmyXwT7NfkviKhOvBHt7vQ3Cw&oe=6592A8FF	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68903	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054160		67		924759732317746	2	1.0838421263939E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120201317484400781		WWW.KILZ.COM/MAGNOLIA	Learn more		NONE	carousel	KILZ		https://www.kilz.com/blog/mini-reni-a-timeless-renovation/		1700590858	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404263940_3662256170673266_8312665421320569457_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mP4K93WydgoAX_mBozP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA1__u0dVqP_qr0gX5h9NKd22D0R7qIaFuIvWv-2PyOig&oe=6592DD66	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402996603_1692486431241914_9215300876484642486_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VVD7xU7Zpw0AX8GV4OF&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBTuZy7dG1vG_DK8lV3W1riQgLUlZtleSMBmd81S9sU-g&oe=65929050			0	3	By embracing the space, Joanna made this living room modern and unique, while keeping the entire renovation under budget.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68901	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		1046593879823445	2	8.9522265533488E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120201317470850781		WWW.KILZ.COM/MAGNOLIA	Learn more		NONE	image	Premium by Design	Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® Paint	https://www.kilz.com/magnolia/paint/premium-interior		1700590801	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404575267_3729984277288417_4800805113849457619_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wefsn15uO70AX9b5fmv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBD5CtZpDguPmlrCosG-v4hYq3nmJJGOccpmCrSDzvIMA&oe=65924040	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404888469_863760288729172_8912184072358941467_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oALtK23eyuEAX8bCxPo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBJEO9UukyiubUw5jqmWSBuzpZwO6YAUKI_djnr-XofZw&oe=65915B13			0	3	Timeless, classic design in a 100% acrylic formula that dries to the touch in 1 hour, available in 150 colors.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68912	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054160		67		883321739826732		6.4421679792357E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1714320658797429		0	Chris Connelly Photography - Top Albany Boudoir Photographer			6487055167210		chrisconnellyphotography.com/scheduler	Learn more		NONE	video	NY’s Top Boudoir Studio ❤️	Schedule Your Boudoir Session Today! | Chris Connelly Boudoir Photography | Albany’s #1 Boudoir Photographer	https://chrisconnellyphotography.com/scheduler/		1701197300	1.7143206587974E+15	Chris Connelly Photography - Top Albany Boudoir Photographer	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404808444_674065154840409_4177166131027991675_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_a7gXFTEC4oAX9q_X7f&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDTaCRs8yI_XiGYdq6iQE1OptGvqsbgJlnu8FqOBSu64w&oe=65918B26	person_profile	0	Intimate Potraiture & Boudoir	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404704682_1825186464599188_4581412233472097412_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sEMrhNd0O9AAX-jW2oo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBfuTvrEnefH6jPrOZ5dirhNIZPxWsMgVXtKvDRNh9QPQ&oe=65927EA9			0	3	The most common thing I hear from my clients is always, “I wish I had done this sooner!” <br /> <br /> So why don’t you take the first step and schedule a complimentary consultation with our expert team? 📞 During the call, we’ll answer ALL of your questions - no matter how big or small! Plus, we’ll walk you through the whole process and give you details on pricing. <br /> <br /> If you’re thinking, “Me? Boudoir? No way! I’m not _____ enough,” 🤔 just listen to what my previous clients say about their confidence-boosting sessions:<br /> <br /> 💌 “I left on a complete high. I&#039;ve never seen myself the way Chris was able to capture me. He showed me a side of myself others have told me they have seen, but that I&#039;ve never seen myself. I was self-conscious about my body before, but left feeling gorgeous and empowered”<br /> <br /> 💌 “Chris is absolutely amazing!! He has tons of expertise and knows exactly what is going to look good! I was so nervous at first but both him and Joanna made me feel so comfortable within minutes that I totally forgot I was nervous in the first place! This made me feel so confident and good about myself! To anyone who isn’t sure if they want to do this or not, just do it!! You will not be disappointed!!” <br /> <br /> 💌 “I was hesitant to have my pictures done as I&#039;m a bit more curvy than most, but I&#039;m so happy I did! From the moment I walked into the studio, I was made to feel comfortable. From hair and makeup, to choosing my outfits and poses, I was supported every step of the way. It was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience and showcased the way I&#039;ve always felt about myself!” <br /> <br /> Are you ready to take the plunge? Click the button below to schedule a consult and get all the details on a boudoir session with Chris Connelly Photography.		Chris Connelly Photography - Top Albany Boudoir Photographer		2684	https://facebook.com/chrisconnellyphotography	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68490	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		1353418862200998	1	1.0956999114361E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201881980330476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856039	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406394938_874066721120564_863838568235263767_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iVardmcEGiUAX8AI7CO&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBOdR6-doO5XuljR8FE3z8Qk30n-Ohj_g-qCw7_-7XfCQ&oe=6592A68B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406885335_1051020549553572_5669140905442541060_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o_NFSl4TeFMAX8yir78&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBB-4jGhUykYvbrJSUwgRQzlIw0d-D4RnLw4onlXnrgHA&oe=6592EBFD			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66875	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054161		67		874366924185219	2	9.2016541974207E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	690518987764002		0	Joanna B design			120205132338350411		shop.joannabehar.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Joanna B design		https://shop.joannabehar.com/		1703271216	6.90518987764E+14	Joanna B design	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412840189_891793135766872_3313779374866838536_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nAyNl0WZ1cgAX_yAAMI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAmrhuOXjNV9DzemQ_HMo0Gwp_6zaAgbGEu5QG5n6iUhw&oe=659295EE	person_profile	0	Joanna Behar - Designer/Illustrator, pins & accessories 🇫🇷 Paris	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412315324_345910801709804_7832287847558518314_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3cwlJJhm8tsAX88IW65&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB01SWfnexdJ0huHErxyc4MzPFyf3rBd2hyl3PvKTVeHQ&oe=659292FC			0	3	Visit our woman-owned shop for fun limited edition pieces that will add a pop of color to your wardrobe! Designed with love in Paris ✨		Joanna B design		242	https://facebook.com/joannabdesign	0		SHOP_NOW						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68452	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		1044617856754875	1	5.3034636231893E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	373307873320439		0	Xaritini Gkogka			120203405390460750		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/hari.tinys.book_corner		1701889794	3.7330787332044E+14	Xaritini Gkogka		person_profile	0	Haritini Gkogka	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408117697_897911658071380_6278766541507306039_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LLf0BBKe-QYAX9g0344&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDYU82k4Q-1q1CnS4VjB4eZskg0I_0k8cTuXjS3qwQzxw&oe=6591ED1F			0	3	♥𝓒𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓶𝓪𝓼 𝓿𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼♥<br /> <br /> 𝘋𝘢𝘺 4 𝘰𝘧 #bookfriendsbookmas 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 😍 𝘵𝘩𝘦 #candycane 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 ❤️🤍<br /> <br /> 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘣𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨!<br /> <br /> 𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦? 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱!<br /> <br /> 𝘘𝘖𝘛𝘋: 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 2023?<br /> <br /> 🏷 <br /> #bookrecommendations #bookstack #bookpile #booklover #booklife #books #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookworm #christmasbooks #booksofinstagram #booksonbooks #booklove #bookaholic #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #ilovebooks #bookaddict #ilovereading #bookaesthetic #bookcommunity #bookphoto #bookphotography #christmas #christmasmood #christmasvibes #christmasdecor		Xaritini Gkogka		0	https://facebook.com/100070897654716	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68881	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054161		67		190379990798075	1	3.1349361490328E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201749000510115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701228053	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406541549_903941851291125_4624788315191438971_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eKbQLhZjNkkAX-wBtPf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCEBfI3G23NdCkZ9_Jb_cbgs3lXbo_VPYvE0r0clyJBjQ&oe=659269B8	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406052011_309375148677745_4697806112490703976_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W9Z5djoyymQAX9tB9gc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDOA4dN7TaCEMZ04w204pbbROV8po4vkDW18-mC_32ufg&oe=65932C65			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68270	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054161		67		729780698617863	3	7.455354941253E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672518840427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030418	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409103130_907832150676972_3448166245430956940_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=51OE6SefmxMAX8Wo0I7&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBpoj4Ph3XA1mumTnhk4t3sUxEax6WQF8IFuidNH0ErWw&oe=6591E35F	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408984133_402668272094650_5244199579078562950_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q8_PM-35g_EAX_WPg3D&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHdcumZX1ke0i3ApBrkFaBXXNDjJQtwRlB0OQvz81MZw&oe=6591B6DD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68335	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		709211100926316	3	1.040888780364E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202419233010520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702018926	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408815174_1071584400943691_7516230218235592782_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2VCQ7zjIBPAAX_AZkmf&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhInBgvYsyMZZzTpwNSQND_LQTa3xoCpAdiWi8lTf2XA&oe=659178D4	person_profile	0					0	3	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67530	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		3597325893873566	1	9.0562926763517E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011726230506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636892	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410555250_909839887428494_6166311610774969835_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=04kN_LdOYEwAX8cOrJF&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrdT6ljvR4J1vbWBCAkkzb5hNYBf8D9Wk_LQQovj2WoQ&oe=6591BE29	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411421344_925671488891222_4361927667501417689_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Kg6pQ2uHvTcAX8CPy-9&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8Cj9dIiFSmto_8hAjGe9ul2g3vp4uztJRpm1eV8bklg&oe=6591A954			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66939	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054161		67		1117238495966964		1.9150066404804E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829710990756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213286	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412245351_1525851681535175_6482378805252949989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Qmngrs6JrgAX8Loq7z&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA52g0YvShvU04gGq6dBAvfD3ZRVNvd7rwMMLJluf0i4g&oe=659217DC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
66488	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054161		67		863655101878367	1	8.7311072746273E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120201880917740183		fb.me	Learn more		NONE	carousel	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		http://fb.me/		1701091833	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404622931_1883972981998455_2287391317466186695_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ay9zHJA7kgAAX_K7m80&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDv27jZ3GU4-7zxhQw9Wz0ZUm1U1ceDUL6D1DKhTL5n5Q&oe=6591ACEC	person_profile	0					0	3	Hey Fort Bend County, here&#039;s a list of new build homes here in Fort Bend ISD.<br /> <br /> I&#039;ve hand-picked a special list of new homes for sale right here in Fort Bend ISD that are priced under $500k.<br /> <br /> You can view the homes at the link below.<br /> <br /> - Joanna <br /> <br /> P.S. If you have any questions about these homes (or other homes for sale here in the Fort Bend County area), feel free to call or text me... my personal cell is (281) 845-4155.		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67295	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/20/25, 3:14 PM	1703760162	1747772084		67		1748961885592291	1	1.0963527082219E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1598210863727191		0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art			6519995584912		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapilarczyk		1702935200	1.5982108637272E+15	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412389322_1043653016848570_8562043108930365140_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HmVeZYkT-i4AX-7jC9q&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBtnfKU_2fYzGIdS1qXF2e2b9l2gP61xJie6ZyupViuSw&oe=65928096	person_profile	0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412415300_766420005466412_5910629583083003572_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gSWbAsmvz-8AX8-s57P&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAys3SscAzSAmdoz2zgjTpnXNag42EYpf4KIHEpvi4NjA&oe=6591B0B6			0	3	&#039;Boy in Orange Shirt&#039;, a small painting (30 x 30cm), is included in the &#039;New This Week&#039; collection by &#064;saatchiart Chief Curator Rebecca Wilson, who has curated 100 new artworks—from painting to sculpture—to captivate the senses. Immerse yourself in artistic delights.<br /> <br /> View my Saatchi Art profile via the link in my BIO.<br /> See the collection: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.saatchiart.com%2Fart-collection%2FNew-This-Week-12-18-2023%2F153961%2F778233%2Fview&amp;h=AT1r7afRVRjqW3Mp2EQ-PFcbvvFMz3sfQIWPOpSVLAfnEClcOl9AtaDcaJbRWk5C4J1iP1LYA5lU3lgAGE4Wwqg1rce_N3ClcYkUFsH0_CKqwX2WGZJtfiYSIBrMqg4l5PBXa5PpTqxngkOd3CG4BEogxJZZY5JffyxLcg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/New-This-Week-12-18-2023/153961/778233/view</a><br /> <br /> #smallpaintings #newthisweek #saatchiart #BoyInOrangeShirt #oilandacryliconcanvas #portraitpainter #contemporaryfigurativeart #saatchiartartist		Joanna Pilarczyk Art		914	https://facebook.com/JoannaPilarczykArt	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67610	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		1041782563609835	1	3.6253506244143E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104720722411938		0	Home Made			120201927012640576		homeknowledge.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Your DIY Destination	https://www.homeknowledge.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702555246	1.0472072241194E+14	Home Made	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410122030_910823900376285_3944079704420268279_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7c1ShgX1rwwAX_B2hRs&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJQu0njr9GYzIB96EyX3k49ew7HQ1bsdDL3isFbcV8cQ&oe=6591A073	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Home Made		5685	https://facebook.com/100086518744240	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69304	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054161		67		1034193087829317	1	7.3010015902504E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632239320115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796935	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403072671_750063893608491_5071615344283409007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nxpIGgtBynoAX_Xl7-n&_nc_oc=AQkjaMgX-SnLpSySw49nO7-bfps-dIRddjNrQsqF06_vCBZgTENA_Azf98XdjwiMNEw&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCK302pTejyO1Emng2ZbOlTtU2d-EeREahe5IxHAU1zkA&oe=6591F528	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403064180_242614755503087_7369087251295079478_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S4kgvGi4FwUAX95ftDa&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAce2t_xXtWoJDp8jFK9d0KfrUZdoJ7nEF4D-d8VxvrqA&oe=659259ED			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68512	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		1817718912031667	2	8.5974544916968E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113444458245067		0	Djemba Djemba entertainment			120203425079700134		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	In the colorful panels and witty punchlines of today's comics, female illustrators capture the essence of women's experiences with a vibrancy that resonates deeply. These artists bring to life the joys, struggles, and the often unspoken realities of womanhood with a deftness that's as empowering as....	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1701808920	1.1344445824507E+14	Djemba Djemba entertainment	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408001862_660875902928001_7288351034536140195_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pyrLAS5g10EAX9c5Uqv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAV0zAbWOp--rVfLOcrVrWibMBLWY6aiZ2vul2OhLYqQA&oe=6592CDD8	person_profile	0	Djemba Djemba entertainment	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407779619_899696838490883_4175517667718841134_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vkzTAbN2xHIAX-nuQWt&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDPoHwUOvBotZytsOGPtNv6dl_CtMpB5jKd8VZBYDeFOQ&oe=65925DF9			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Djemba Djemba entertainment		33	https://facebook.com/100087878262291	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68517	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		1296327487739851	2	3.4180546501824E+14		1701849600	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103853802465022		0	andreas_bianchera			120201987186370745		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/andreas_bianchera		1701782081	1.0385380246502E+14	andreas_bianchera	https://scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/364317171_2607357226081462_8781464236825460098_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=GRwoYEmQXlkAX8Poq3g&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBY5EibarS6bMvIHM_ld_GZJ2TesvgZVpc7hOOXmrW2TA&oe=6592A80A	ig_ads_identity	1	Andrea Bianchera	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408101696_1107040906973924_376098984915591802_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o9Ksak62rP0AX8HEZw5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAufgXDPPQsvnDAOm6Q3n03o30TsAYg0jKMOFGIzmOObA&oe=65925D95			0	3	…tutto il Bene del Mondo… #joanna #shnauzernano #shnauzerbianco #shnauzernanobianco #doglover #mydog #love		andreas_bianchera		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/andreas_bianchera	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
68783	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054161		67		879490503468195	2	1.0621226348372E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734070226		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256549	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405723184_244581505100081_1755424207230272702_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WXpbd3nSHnUAX-Ysy0J&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB6CgYlSGsxNVZd5unXjhWn7Wm02UsNxUvP1YZxbH6psg&oe=6593295C	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406433553_900414411048183_3707869285371380712_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QgeGuKSHygMAX9mq9qb&_nc_oc=AQnA6_6rcf26uiVHb3T3ho36RFGu3REQ4SGcl59R2CkfeIA-WjSSKzZhaYseAaMC0z8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBoTv__1XJCAuVin6ZHuUC8mEKjp1CSuq6d9WG554psOA&oe=65918299			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67748	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		1485467652021098	1	7.100328977352E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590550920809		joannavargas.com/booking	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494664	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409400199_909036443477151_3771747719922375352_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yitlh4FXZ6UAX_CCjBM&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-95lnqZ_0KlDwSeS7CFSD_Vw0yGe6iS-AYVU1LygqAg&oe=6592AB60	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409774007_1460648587845328_9019521857094685537_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DnnMk92atFMAX8u4pRS&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBKn3JwwEgYXHW5Ypw2hhhxF8K9SIyvodpywXoXeOnrNg&oe=6592FB22			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66415	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054161		67		829800232058079	1	9.9801641818123E+14		1694415600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23854849260950562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	🔴14 DNI ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI	Dla kobiet mądrych, czułych kochających. Które tkwią w szponach NIERÓWNYCH RELACJI. Odkryj, odczaruj, uwolnij  aż 30 NIEUŚWIADOMIONYCH wzorców, emocji, zachowań, przez które wikłasz się w nierówne relacje. "Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości" w zaledwie 14 dni Przeznacz siebie do wielk...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1684701738	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/348609482_609774657756587_7631710877458967321_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bN-1u9aggusAX-wW3cn&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA-OkISYfdGDUl15aB9tiHOFqtloSLPjSZM00yZ7UrwaA&oe=65915291	person_profile	0					0	3	🔴Czego NIGDY NIE ODZYSKASZ w relacji, która jest nierówna?<br /> Ale możesz uratować pozostałą tego część…<br /> NIE ODZYSKASZ …,na pewno<br /> <br /> CZASU:<br /> <br /> - kiedy ufałaś i wierzyłaś, że on się zmieni, a nadal on robi co robił,<br /> - czasu &quot;cudownych&quot; chwil z nim, za ostateczną cenę poczucia bólu, samotności, tęsknoty, dezorientacji, zawieszenia w oczekiwaniu na....<br /> - czasu, który ciągle dajesz Z SIEBIE WSZYSTKO, czekając, aż on się zmieni,<br /> - czasu, w którym coś cię zatrzymuje przed podjęciem decyzji,<br /> - czasu, w którym tkwisz w zawieszeniu....<br /> <br /> Bo <br /> <br /> PRAWDA JEST TAKA, ŻE ZMIENI SIĘ ON,<br /> TWOJE ŻYCIE, <br /> KIEDY TY SIĘ ZMIENISZ.<br /> <br /> KIEDY SWÓJ CZAS USTANOWISZ PRIORYTETEM DLA SIEBIE.<br /> <br /> I TEN CZAS WYKORZYSTASZ DLA SIEBIE.<br /> <br /> DLA ZBUDOWANIA SWOJEJ KOBIECEJ MOCY.<br /> <br /> DLA ZMIANY ZASAD W TEJ NIERÓWNEJ GRZE.<br /> <br /> 🔴🔴🔴<br /> A wtedy on zobaczy w Tobie kobietę, dla której się chce zdobywać szczyty, iść na koniec świata, zmienić się samemu.<br /> 🔴<br /> TERAZ JEST TWÓJ CZAS.<br /> <br /> CO MOŻESZ ZMIENIĆ NAJPIERW?<br /> <br /> Zdecydować, że wybierasz siebie.<br /> I stawiasz siebie na 1-szym miejscu. <br /> <br /> Nawet, jak teraz nie wiesz, co to znaczy, i czym to jest.<br /> <br /> Możesz zmienić to co <br /> powoduje, że w tym wszystkim czujesz więcej smutku, bólu, niepewności, zamętu… <br /> <br /> Na to co jest MIŁOŚCIĄ<br /> <br /> Teraz jest ten CZAS:<br /> <br /> TU WEJDŹ <br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT0iu7l5OC6Y4CTUFNQDu5qZmSoMvluQh6h7Ed5kWHlFcBdyOlU2i34C9wqd1zDFlIFgMZoo7_o1KCQ9NcjcnMmfbBsacsaQzIe42Q-y6ZmFdP9igt7G-UDS4HiYT_H8N0Da_Dfed1-ekf2QoYU-nw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694156400		View Edit Delete
66816	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054161		67		713896060806566	1	1.3994051776214E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	136560499545717		0	ForFun-105			120203150271810019		a.read4funs.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.read4funs.com/ad/a29hbGFub3ZlbC82NDQ3OC8yMDIzMTIyMzE3NDM1Mi9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703324806	1.3656049954572E+14	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412990481_1579471506215310_3162901492024152985_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cxsS4ln83tEAX9gFMFo&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfwi8X65RRGchs_G0adGHm0owEcuHky3Q7NJ7TSR53Cw&oe=6592597C	person_profile	0	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413008343_738895157724930_8997312896319334146_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DfbXS2FD6rUAX89LTbW&_nc_oc=AQm-impWidP2NqSeU4Pk3cx8Yg9_KX6RhLUzqjXq3rOXCg-X7t0moLcSf3xYEyrAPoQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDAZUCvDHkquIpnCf82ZXgxHAb-rCL_GUTjR3rpB8N5Kw&oe=65917D22			0	3	“As of today, you Joanna Tyree are Cancer free! The scans were clear, your labs have been improving daily. Jo, you&#039;re in remission.” Rachel&#039;s hand froze, and I froze.<br /> What did he just say? Is he shitting me right now?<br /> “You better not be lying to me right now Brian. I can&#039;t take a joke right now.” I said timidly.<br /> I know he would never joke about that, but I had to ask. <br /> “We&#039;ll go over what to look out for and statistics and what not but as of today, you&#039;re in remission. You did it, you beat it.”<br /> “I beat it…” I whispered in near shock.<br /> ————————<br /> Joanna<br /> “Today was my mammogram…” I whispered and her face softened. She didn&#039;t probe, she didn&#039;t nudge me to continue. She waited for me to gather my strength to continue and I was so thankful. “It&#039;s stage 3…”<br /> “Oh Jo!” she wrapped me in her arms and I sobbed. “That&#039;s not all….” She pulled back but kept her arms around me. She raised a brow at me waiting for my answer.<br /> “I went to Brian today. He&#039;s the one who gave me the results. I figured since Mike&#039;s office was right down the hall that I would just go ahead and tell him. He was on his lunch break, so he didn&#039;t have any patients…”<br /> I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. “I caught him mid thrust in another woman...” I don&#039;t think she meant it but her grip on my shoulder got dangerously tight.<br /> “I&#039;m sorry, what? Where is he? I know how to hide a body without being caught. Who is the tramp? Do I need to kill her too?”<br /> I held my hand up with wide eyes. “You know you are pretty scary when you&#039;re angry. But that&#039;s not even the worst part…”<br /> “What do you mean that&#039;s not the worst part? Your husband is having an affair with another woman. What is worse than that?”<br /> I let out a breath and rested my elbows on my knees and bowed my head. My golden waves covering my face. “It was Lisa….”<br /> Her spirit glass dropped to the floor and shattered. When I met her gaze she looked frozen in shock. Her brown eyes that usually reminded me of molten chocolate were nearly black with rage. She didn&#039;t say anything. She didn&#039;t even look like she was breathing.<br /> ”Rach…?” I probed and she shook her head.<br /> “I&#039;m going to kill her. Lisa? Our friend Lisa was sleeping with your husband on his desk at his work? Lisa that&#039;s also Married to his best friend that also works in the same office? That Lisa?” I couldn&#039;t formulate words, so I settled for nodding my head. Rachel was silent and usually when she was this mad and silent, it was bad.<br /> “Rachel, what am I going to do? I&#039;ve been with Mike for 17 years. Since the day I found out I was pregnant with Gage... I don&#039;t know any other life. I have never lived alone. You know how much family means to me... I was a foster kid. My own parents didn&#039;t even want me. I don&#039;t want Gage to grow up in a broken home too.”<br /> “Joanna. First of all, just because you have a kid with someone doesn&#039;t mean you need to stay with them. Second of all, Gage is already grown up. He&#039;s a young man. Thirdly, you are never going to be alone. You are my family. And lastly, how long has this been going on?”<br /> I shrugged. “Truthfully I don&#039;t know. I ran out of there as fast as I could. He tried to get me out of the car, but I threw my ring at him and drove off. I just couldn&#039;t stick around. After the news I got this morning and then that. I was pretty stretched thin on what I could handle.”<br /> She nodded and took a few deep breaths before taking me into her arms again. “Here&#039;s what we&#039;re going to do. We&#039;re going to finish off this bottle of spirit, we’re going to watch a bunch of chick flicks, we’re going to eat to our stomach&#039;s desire and get a good night&#039;s rest. And tomorrow, we&#039;re going to go to your house. I&#039;m going with you, that&#039;s not up for negotiation. You&#039;re going to talk to Mike, and we&#039;re going to pack you a bag and you&#039;re going to stay with me. After you&#039;ve given it some clear thought without pressure from anyone and you&#039;re ready to make a decision then okay. But you can&#039;t make any decisions while you&#039;re living with him because he will cloud your judgement. Now chop chop. Pick out a movie, I&#039;ll get the snacks. You can change into a pair of my Pjs too.”<br /> With Rachel growing up an Army brat, you could hear the authoritarian in her coming out. She marched off to the kitchen while I changed my clothes and picked out a movie. Hours later she was passed out on the sofa with a line of drool coming out of her mouth. However, I couldn&#039;t sleep. I just couldn&#039;t shut my mind off.<br /> I debated on waking Rachel up to let her know we were adding one more to the party, but she was snoozing hard. You definitely didn&#039;t want to wake Rachel when she hasn&#039;t gotten enough rest. She turns into an instant bimbo and I don&#039;t have the capacity to deal with that right now.<br /> I made sure to cut on the porch light and unlock the door and go into the kitchen to heat him up something to eat, knowing he&#039;s going to be hungry. Yes, I may have been trying to bribe my child into not hating me with food, but it&#039;s a risk I&#039;m willing to take.<br /> I heard some shuffling in the foyer and a few curses and then silence. Going to check it out, I peeked around the corner to see Gage kneeling down to pick up my purse that he had knocked over, but all of the contents had spilled. Including all of the brochures from Brian&#039;s office and the paperwork with my test results on it. His face was pale and he wasn&#039;t moving.<br /> “Mom…?” his eyes raised to mine. His bright blue eyes that matched his fathers and they were starting to blur with unshed tears. “Mom, what is this?”<br /> I sighed, something I&#039;ve been doing a lot of today and knelt next to him. “Gage, son, look at me” he did and I could see the tremble in his body.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want to tell you about that yet... I wanted to wait until after SAT’s and until you picked a good school.”<br /> He shook his head. “No!” I gave him a look and he mumbled sorry. “You know what, I&#039;m not sorry! You&#039;re sick! You need me! I can go to a school closer to home! I can still achieve my goals and dreams while being here for you.”<br /> This is what I was afraid of.<br /> “Baby, I don&#039;t want you to put your life on hold for me. I will be okay. I&#039;m a fighter. I&#039;m strong. I can handle anything. I want you to live your life for you, I want you to make choices because you want to do them. Not because you feel obligated.”<br /> “I&#039;m not obligated to do anything. You&#039;re my mother. You gave me life. If you think I would for a second abandon you in your time of need then you&#039;re sadly mistaken. You raised me better than that.” I took him in my arms and he bussed the top of my head. Now that he was nearly an adult, he was almost a foot taller than me.<br /> “I just want you to have every change you can possibly have in life. A better life than what I had growing up.”<br /> His hug got tighter. “You&#039;ve given me an amazing life mom. Let me help you. No wonder dad drank himself into a stupor.”<br /> I couldn&#039;t help it. I tensed at the mention of Mike and Gage unfortunately noticed.<br /> “Mom?” he asked, raising a brow.<br /> I attempted to brush it off because this was an adult matter. It&#039;s not something a teenager. He wasn&#039;t having it.<br /> “I know you told, Rachel about it or else you wouldn&#039;t have come here. So you have two choices. Either tell me what I want to know, or I will wake up aunt Rachel and we both know that won&#039;t end well.”<br /> “Just tell the boy!” Rachel said, peeking her head above the sofa. I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged and shrunk down further waiting for the explosion of what I&#039;m about to tell my son.<br /> “Please don&#039;t hate me…” I whispered to him not expecting him to hear me but knowing that he did. “Your dad and I….I will be staying here for a few days.”<br /> His face scrunched up in confusion. “Why… you and dad..you&#039;re my idol couple. You&#039;re so in love. I...What happened?”<br /> “I thought we were in love too…” I sobbed a bit knowing full well that that was the truth. I thought we did love each other. It was great, frequent, we hardly ever fought, we spent time together. I don&#039;t understand what happened.<br /> “Your dad is having an affair and I found out about it today.” I couldn&#039;t meet his eyes. I was filled with shame. Shame that I failed my marriage, that I failed my family, and that I wasn&#039;t enough to keep my family together. I felt like there was no way out of this dark place. I can&#039;t face him knowing that I failed him.<br /> “Who?” was all he said. I looked up and his face was turning red and the tips of his ears even redder. A trait he inherited from his father.<br /> “It&#039;s not important…”<br /> “God, mom! Tell me who!” I trembled at the anger he released.<br /> “Gage, just calm down…”<br /> He shook his head. “No. Not this time. I&#039;m not going to calm down. Tell me who dad decided to throw his family away for. Tell me who dad thought was so important that he would chose to break up his own family for.”<br /> Wait, he wasn&#039;t mad at me?<br /> “You&#039;re not mad at me?” I asked stupidly.<br /> He took three giant steps towards me and engulfed me in a hug. I could feel his own tears hitting my forehead. “Why would I ever be mad at you over this? You&#039;re not the one who stuck a body part in another person that wasn&#039;t your spouse. You&#039;ve never been anything short of amazing Mom. But please. Tell me who”.<br /> “It was Lisa…” I muttered knowing he deserved to know, but hating that I was thrusting all of this on my child.<br /> “You&#039;ve got to be kidding me!” was all he said before he stormed out of the door, got in his truck and sped off.<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> “Go after him before he does something he&#039;ll regret. He may be mad now, but he&#039;s reacting to emotional overdrive” Rachel&#039;s voice was sad but firm. I knew I would need to go after him. After that were dropped on him in the past hour, it&#039;s a wonder he&#039;s still standing. It&#039;s a miracle that I&#039;m still standing, but I&#039;ve also had spirit to help drown my sorrows in.<br /> There&#039;s only one place he would have gone. He would have gone home to confront Mike. Rachel trailed behind me as we all climbed in my car.<br /> “You don&#039;t think he’ll do anything stupid do you?” she was silent, but I knew the answer myself. We drove the short 15 minutes it took to get to my house, well my old house, and sure enough his truck was parked in the driveway still running.<br /> I could hear the yelling from outside. Shouting from both Gage and Mike. When I got through the door it was clear that I needed to calm one if not both of them down. Pictures were smashed, there was glass everywhere. I rounded the corner to the living room to see Mike pinned to the wall by Gage. Both of them were nearing 6 foot tall and well built but seeing our 17 year old holding such an advantage over him was shocking.<br /> Mike&#039;s eyes met mine and they bugged out.<br /> “Why?” Gage shouted.<br /> “Why would you do this? I thought you cared about us? Was it worth it you prick!” his voice cracked with emotion the more that he spoke. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder causing him to jerk before turning to meet my gaze.<br /> “Let him go sweetie…” he shook his head in refusal. “Gage, let him go…” My voice was soft and he slowly released his grip on his dad and Mike sagged against the wall while Gage fell into my arms.<br /> “It&#039;s okay sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. Rachel is in the car. Grab a bag of clothes and go to the car.” he nodded and walked away.<br /> “Jo…” I held up my hand to him.<br /> “Save it…I&#039;m grabbing a bag myself and staying with Rachel for a few days.” he stepped towards me causing me to step back. The hurt in his eyes was evident, but it was his own fault.<br /> “Can we please just talk about this? I made a mistake, yes, but we can fix this!”<br /> I scoffed. “A mistake? An accident? What did you accidentally fall and land in her hip?” he hung his head. “And the worst part about all of this is, it wasn&#039;t even a complete stranger. Lisa. My best friend. How long has this been going on?”<br /> “Well?” I probed when he didn&#039;t answer.<br /> “This was the first time in years that I&#039;ve been with her…” he wasn&#039;t looking at me, he refused to look me in the eye.<br /> “Wait….you said in years. What did you mean?”<br /> When he raised his head he had tears in his bloodshot eyes. “We called it off when Brian proposed to her. I&#039;m telling you all of this so we can air it all out. So we can move past it. We had been seeing each other since highschool.”<br /> I felt a pressure in my head and my heart sinking to my stomach. I looked to the stairwell and saw Gage sitting on the stairs listening intently.<br /> “Why then? Why continue to be with me? Why even see me at all if you were with her too? That means you had been having a whole other life for 10 years. I-I can&#039;t… I don&#039;t understand. Why did you marry me, lead me on, continue to sleep with me, frequently by the way, if you were with her?”<br /> He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. I was way past angry at this point. I picked up a vase of flowers that he had gotten me two weeks ago. Now that I think about it, those flowers were probably an apology for everything. Gripping the vase hard enough I was sure it would shatter. I chucked it. It hit the wall next to him shattering to pieces.<br /> He didn&#039;t flinch, he didn&#039;t move, he didn&#039;t even bat an eyelash. He was taking my temper tantrum and letting me get it all out.<br /> “ANSWER ME.”<br /> “Because I love you. I still do.”<br /> I cut him off. “Nonsense. If you loved me you wouldn&#039;t have strayed. You wouldn&#039;t have kept it up for 10 years. So try again.”<br /> “I do love you. But it&#039;s possible to love more than one person. I thought I was in love with her too, but I was wrong. I didn&#039;t know she was seeing Brian until 6 months before the proposal. It felt so wrong. I felt used. She was seeing both of us, using both of us for money, she was getting a high off the rush of getting caught. She was vindictive, so I cut it off. I broke up with her.”<br /> A half choked cob and laugh left my lips. “Then how did I catch you balls deep in her this afternoon?”<br /> He let out a deep breath. “I truly don&#039;t know. She had been there to see Brian but he was in with a patient. She had waited in my office for him and one thing led to another. I don&#039;t want to be that prick and say she came onto me but she did.”<br /> I walked up to him and slapped him so hard that his head whipped to the side. “You should have said no. You should have called security. You had so many opportunities. I don&#039;t know if we can fix this Michael. 10 years of infidelity out of a 17 year marriage. Do you know how many people Lisa was sleeping with in college? You could have given me a STD! Even when I was pregnant! All of those appointments you missed because you were busy were you out with her? All those conferences out of town, was it her? I don&#039;t understand it. You just shattered every bit of trust and faith I had in us. What was so wrong with me that you couldn&#039;t be faithful to me? You know how hard my life was before I met you. You know how important family is to me! Growing up in the foster care system, I didn&#039;t have a family! You were my family. Lisa was my family. I hope it was worth it. I hope she was worth it.”<br /> He put his hands on my shoulders trying to calm down my ranting. Gage stood up from the stairs and started towards us. “Take your hands off of her. Or I will...” I had never heard that authority in his voice. Mike stood back and held his hands up.<br /> “We can fix this...I&#039;ve been faithful for 10 years. Not once have I strayed in that time. Well, except today. But it&#039;s not you. It&#039;s never been your fault. I could break up with you or leave you because I loved you. I couldn&#039;t bear to lose you. I didn&#039;t want to live without you. I was going to call it off when you got pregnant but she convinced me to stay. She tried many times to get me to divorce you, but I just couldn&#039;t. I won&#039;t. And don&#039;t say we were your family like it was past tense. We are family. I can fix this. I can&#039;t live without you…”<br /> “Well, it looks like you&#039;re going to have to figure out how to. I don&#039;t know if I can ever forgive you for this. I am going to leave now. I&#039;m staying with Rachel. Goodbye, Mike.” I whispered and walked away.<br /> Gage had two bags in his hand. “I packed your bag too…” he had a far away look in his eyes.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want you to hear any of that...I&#039;m sorry, son.”<br /> “Gage!” Mike called out. He stopped walking but didn&#039;t turn around. “Please...just take care of your mother… I love you. Both of you.”<br /> “Save it, dad. If you loved us, you wouldn&#039;t have destroyed our family.”<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> The weekend had come and gone and I had a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed this morning. The amount of spirit I had drank this weekend was catching up with me and I was highly considering calling out of work. The sun had barely risen in the sky, the remaining bits of darkness still lingering on the horizon.<br /> My phone was continuing to blow up with message and message, voicemail after voicemail, and countless emails all from Mike trying to get me to come home, to work this out. Lisa had sent me a few messages both asking to talk and to apologize.<br /> Brian had sent 2 messages. One checking on me, and one apologizing. I don&#039;t know what he had to apologize for. Nothing was his fault. He and I were in the same boat. Both the people we thought we loved betrayed us. If anything I should be the one apologizing to him. If only I had caught on sooner.<br /> I had thought everything was perfect. I had thought that our love was strong and powerful. I thought nothing could come in between us. I thought that we were invincible. I now know that all of that was a charade. I knew that none of that was real. He used me, he lied to me, he betrayed me. He destroyed every little piece of me that I thought that I had.<br /> I knew once all of this was said and done that I would never trust again. I would never fall in love again. It wasn&#039;t worth it. Besides, no one would want a washed up, jaded, 33 year old woman with a 17 year old child, a cheating ex-husband, and a list of trust issues a mile long. Not to mention cancer. <br /> The cancer alone would be enough to scare the strongest of suitors away. What am I even thinking about. It&#039;s been 3 days since I caught my husband, deep inside of that woman and I&#039;m over here thinking about future relationships.<br /> I shouldn&#039;t be thinking of these things. Especially things that will never happen. I knew that my walls were being built up as high and as strong as they possibly could be and I would make sure that no one would ever be able to tear them down.<br /> Dressed in my mint green scrubs, white lab coat, and a stethoscope around my neck, I looked in the mirror. I looked tired, my face was puffy like I had been crying for days, which I had. My green eyes were dulled out to almost grey. My golden hair was flat and lifeless.<br /> I looked haggard but Rachel peeked her head in and whispered “You are the most beautiful woman I know. You&#039;re going to get through this.” her hot pink scrubs with paw prints on them only flattered her every curve.<br /> I narrowed my eyes at her lying hip. “Don&#039;t even give me that look. You are veterinarian. If only I swung that way.” She whistled and swatted at my hip and I couldn&#039;t help but chuckle. She always knew how to cheer me up.<br /> “So let&#039;s go out for drinks tonight. We never really got to celebrate you getting this job, and we need some spirit therapy. After all spirit always listens.”<br /> “Gage has football practice, and Mondays are slow anyways. Please.” She poked out her bottom lip and widened her eyes.<br /> “Fine. Just a couple of drinks. I start Chemo this week and can&#039;t drink a lot. Brian said that if I am going to drink, I will need to limit it to one glass of spirit a day.” she lowered her eyes and nodded.<br /> “I almost forgot about that. It just doesn&#039;t seem real. You know I&#039;m behind you every step of the way, right?” I nodded and hugged her. It was true she was an amazing friend. I trusted her wholly.<br /> I peeked in on Gage and saw him sleeping. I went over to him and rubbed his head like I used to do when he was a toddler. Oh, how I wish they could stay small forever. This world is too unkind sometimes. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that I would be there for him for everything. I wouldn&#039;t let him go through life alone like I had. I wanted him to know that he always had me, no matter what.<br /> “Don&#039;t be late for school. I&#039;m going to work.” the guest bedroom he was sleeping in was almost too small for him and it made me chuckle a bit seeing this growing boy nearly falling out of the bed. He groaned and gave me a thumbs up.<br /> “I love you, Son.”<br /> At work I had to sit down with the head veterinarian and explain to him my chemo schedule, which meant telling yet another person about it. In reality I just wanted to keep it to myself. I didn&#039;t need anyone taking pity on me or treating me differently.<br /> He patted me on the back and told me if I needed anything I just needed to ask. But at the moment I was currently trying to wrangle in a group of hyperactive puppies coming in for their checkups.<br /> “Oh, aren&#039;t you just the cutest little thing.” I squeaked, picking up one of the fluff balls. They were little husky puppies and boy were they working on those vocal chords.<br /> “Alright, so all of these little beauties are perfectly healthy. I recommend deworming them today and we can go ahead and give them their first rounds of shots. Also, would you like to have them microchipped for when they go to their new homes?” I looked at Mrs. Thompson, she was a spritely woman, so full of enthusiasm.<br /> “Of course, yes. Only 3 of the 4 are spoken for. This little guy is the only one who hasn&#039;t found his forever home yet.&quot; The pup in question was the red and white fluffer I was holding a bit ago.<br /> “Oh?” I asked. I knew it was wrong to interject into patients&#039; plans, but this little guy was just the cuddliest boy ever. She gave me a knowing smile.<br /> “You know, I think he likes you. I&#039;ve always called that one Finn.”<br /> It was so tempting, something I just didn&#039;t want to turn down. In a moment of weakness I thought about how every man has left me. My father, my husband, friends, and I thought, dogs are loyal, right? This little guy surely won&#039;t leave me.<br /> “I suppose he does need a home. And you are right, he does seem to like me…” she smirked and we finalized the rest of the details. I had somehow acquired a puppy. What just happened?<br /> Several patients, and layers of dog and cat hairs later and I was exhausted. The day was ending and Rachel had popped in my office several times to remind me of my promise for tonight.<br /> “Have you spoken to Lisa?” Rachel asked me when she walked into the room.<br /> “No, and I don&#039;t plan on it. She needs to forget that I exist. I have nothing nice to say to her and it would be better if I didn&#039;t say anything at all.” she nodded.<br /> “I know. I only ask because she&#039;s reaching out to me now trying to get to you. Want me to throat punch her? You know I will.” I snorted because she was being honest. I knew she would in a heartbeat. She was the brawler of the group and I was always the level headed.<br /> “Let me finish these charts and you can punch throats to your heart&#039;s content.”<br /> “So, you&#039;re going through with the divorce, yes?” she asked curiously. I nodded.<br /> “I think so. I just can&#039;t forgive it. 10 years. He had been sleeping with her for 10 years. He said he had been faithful since her and Brian got married but apparently she seduced him and he fell for it. I don&#039;t believe it. I don&#039;t believe one word of it. Even if it had been just one time... I couldn&#039;t forgive it. Unfaithfulness is where I draw the line.”		ForFun-105		18	https://facebook.com/61552095643555	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68303	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		866597975017368	1	6.8981261836161E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074191350476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016333	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408974493_1359392224704551_5772416986139380024_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q-jzhtSghBwAX8QuksA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAdcEWB0Ss6b2_g3r9pPgobh9dsvKSdz7A0JbzivGqbxQ&oe=65930DA3	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409099773_3678405192406658_1054844165338979178_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0VNtPHdIY54AX-2ucUr&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXh8yJ76SGQLM_lvwqOATg2TMggYJzdvgzJK6mx9-8Xg&oe=6592D6FA			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67508	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		832837708529473	2	3.4787033128756E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011751470506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636933	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410427712_1965443913838529_2180806422983087906_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Hrj_OrCPv0IAX_0kIUs&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAX47MGUG3lceHeygZj_wU-9nteoxeFhCRr_9XXZ8J-eg&oe=6591C812	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410386976_6864385843643984_7274993062344003049_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o8IBInZw0FYAX85LE4N&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvZlqw8ewE-dP0YHwGJLP414WbpMfQ-fLBk4Exx35E_w&oe=65930B01			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68116	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054161		67		1352121075696757	4	1.0169349527236E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216190820123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310369	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410234595_331400939669185_7533684778979422177_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JPxShSTOywQAX9pscK3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMWAm2jwOlrme14gACQHaTaaGTuQU1_olw5nZz5EL2qQ&oe=659274F1	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410298116_1529386294490725_7294568128917258812_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3Fv6dnfJcUEAX_OCxrE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAaS8u8mCdALEufAEsuVdl89b-oEEg8T5ey6LIZLyGJ3g&oe=6591D363			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69166	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054161		67		699858528787416		8.7190420110368E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145417600740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking Silence: Joanna Gaines Shares Her Voice with the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806344	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403627119_1024180995483194_6443324319636056802_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ey8rk3zoDVMAX94NMRS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCSvd5jwu6F0ZsJF-UZOfh8oUkaMzCExRh86XeytKD6gQ&oe=65925939	person_profile	0					0	3	Long Kept Secret: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband as Behind-the-Scenes Show Drama Unveils.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68422	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		6820363241378956	1	1.4468964895184E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201224383450540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701937005	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408779456_194382350332323_4920618434604187623_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ocKqgvFIo5MAX_3Innr&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB1SuEoVLea18nvTS_PAwULmXstmlmL3c6mro3Vabt12A&oe=6592BA3B	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408159404_1390295611863010_6678387059299801752_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YoHdgqNZ89wAX_q8IBy&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDNf8Z1aB_7fgnYVeafL6Ecv0C_pyGcewxYnUrDt2CuXg&oe=65920733			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68499	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		227669703683348	1	1.0729748603785E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458428250691		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856012	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406745954_1115940799566070_4194866825062770356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZteTWR1AoiUAX-JBW1E&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBIxV9FFBGc1C-Ht1CC1dxFQg9Run-1BHYhsWBfgDx6hw&oe=65931264	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406756908_883264160021176_7274414304973514849_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8CBisGqSyWgAX9u_7xu&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoamtS-zzWJFcJ3YDTfvZm6116ZxfGFHaWwkFpVEON2g&oe=65918506			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69926	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		854297393020630	1	3.6048537649277E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579097630115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633083	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404622970_1557337971764474_3805436147046442661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BiygEirRbbIAX9eC4Hs&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAL4_i7mRvFJ0RQRa-B_Mtec_cRK07-kQtSPywDuJLGFg&oe=6592BCE8	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404571087_1258732214794940_5276245955047904124_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1WXILINySGQAX_XluOq&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAmVLSI-3OxZ3JMhtKk9A9Exw8IRr4PcKH9Lp5CHJkX9w&oe=6592E841			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68239	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054161		67		1013067016650565	6	3.7523690827598E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155243840476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094429	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408469750_361568350092022_1651678729944920333_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZzF2iO6qZX8AX9-CoH3&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCubPvi4X_9BbQXUJqWh5019mULFA7UCfjFcTWaRmRYqg&oe=659302F5	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408468428_371158461974935_5180552434352697366_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F_53d2MJSpwAX97e2mk&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD8aBAd2etUuGNlFV7BM4ZdZesu_rp7JdhgSsBJIkpvWA&oe=6591F039			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
69901	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		635535145194382	3	1.1133559163179E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683722360439		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636024	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402657368_311630955112226_7975363395734563423_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZP99XGgsk5UAX8_PGVC&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBJBS4xDSF4732zlZR3HBJQQ9SHCF4Ww-jIwRaBxnim7Q&oe=65926261	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402655967_378861934569185_2234436323041159862_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qr5zB_nA0yQAX8quTAT&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAsxWOt5MnNhovV3CdX-lpLsLFIZFEVwq_SB7Sh5MuqUg&oe=6592FCF6			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68787	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054161		67		717252913652516	3	1.0324412146996E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734720226		play.google.com	Use app		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"	Great Story Starts Here	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256539	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405730182_1033875867866552_6320551773114495305_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=skoIrklxeyQAX8h1zON&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBuEDOC3unZeSwdsZADhwhOuLIkFHSf4XYtuQ9o8BY_zA&oe=6591B281	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405713431_3514812775449807_4181122888515729935_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QQjbbhhS5k0AX9w-Bv_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBlJGMwCIe6al17nX9E-GRL_dVJrDYkA4TOeyQeQLAoQA&oe=65920D14			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		USE_MOBILE_APP						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67752	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		1387381978855121		3.085052154829E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548139209		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494484	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410615700_3056289951167693_8812732326468640192_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nU3SyTQL1nwAX9b11rS&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDtZsppH4hnlZK2oTdWLI-F3p3CfP1Z7b6HWM8LzCaoBg&oe=659287EC	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410697336_371922465318562_2731336178227562435_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K3ixBZg_K6EAX8H_Ozr&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-rHfbwXxF-ZxAvapkjs9HuhuFbutnQICr34Iu3b8ACQ&oe=65926189			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66467	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054161		67		797626069043566	1	3.7883758800229E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120203644630710183			No button		NONE	video	Enchanted Garden Center				1702916425	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412306636_1574788183295622_6385438997999798605_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GRfm0VGggZEAX-RdnMH&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDi6buBq3bQ2hxrzIq1NkHfVhqqIwl5nv17Z6BHazFWvw&oe=65931ABE	person_profile	0					0	3	With its rustic Texas flair and old country charm, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/enchantedforestrichmond">Enchanted Forest</a> has everything you need for your garden in the spring!<br /> <br /> This family-owned garden center is one of two. Their other garden center is called Enchanted Forest and is located in Richmond.<br /> <br /> I visited Enchanted Gardens over the weekend and was shocked at all they had to offer! Not only do they have the widest selection of plants, but their staff is the most knowledgeable I&#039;ve seen. I walked out having learned so much!<br /> <br /> I&#039;m serious guys, if you are planning on gardening in the spring, you have to check them out!<br /> <br /> - Joanna		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66657	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054161		67		4397564310469526	1	3.7194100857469E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	753866531467703		0	Joanna Crespo			120203967457230551		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel	Joanna Crespo		http://instagram.com/joannacresporeiki		1702861072	7.538665314677E+14	Joanna Crespo	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412105063_688675019727609_1842798274616944143_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ba9RC_UDUxwAX-TU5-5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC7BDwCv3YNRLerlbZ2kUxK7BbLD355A9yug3E-c4YjPw&oe=659237C1	person_profile	0	Joanna Crespo	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412089746_1036874994185709_9041395890493548863_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hJ_gUiwaYP8AX8NtxZW&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC-X3Ds4xz6z64c1D6llwo0PKkNVJiP3-seIGSAuJYbJA&oe=6591BDC5			0	3	“Forest Bathing” 🌳🍂		Joanna Crespo		395	https://facebook.com/JoannaCrespoReiki	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66613	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054161		67		1007775600317086	1	3.331210647177E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204713213710210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/854?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703582641	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414124809_1077375640151571_978533142301674688_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=essWwDyOBLYAX8O5nDY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDLWaPjxEHR_BvUAM_pc2bcM_kMM5BS8J72MrQdms0mSw&oe=65933A1C	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414141620_1295702631094054_9102988923875741149_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gRzbEYrRWvEAX-zUUeG&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUAgnbOZOeFKFS6pxRXzOwyzR-aWQyK8P5M3Ws-mUddQ&oe=65917D13			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66664	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054161		67		387707496948764	1	7.9686360245482E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820654170777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561506	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414600320_374197298610839_4998337433647935607_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2d_UAR0GcDkAX_l8D49&_nc_oc=AQkcFMu1m9kqFX_DP3e5ZUscNHOOMfVdzWfUG6JULg1fB7tF8gPW8kI4eU02KJwg7cAyloozvV2_zkqxEaIaZB26&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDk0ahaXCfrL1Oud4iNajGO6iMT0H5GXefkjKaFo-1uSQ&oe=6592E977	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414331445_338181779149341_1076910876841739068_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qFWyftlZGioAX_8xnB5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDfAfxCBqfKW8KYWTKPOhDmWlmMjyJ7XztkFCWMsg8YeA&oe=659311BA			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
69817	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		1566116333792466	5	1.3699666969605E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201778998720250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677962	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404501919_1399764947592984_5324204061772205548_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c9ePsZcglVUAX_FZ9xy&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPNA-DIJ0cU7WuJzHDZatA-C4DJYY_zCj7uoiwN8g9iw&oe=65933ED7	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69400	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054161		67		562194879415226	1	7.1408416729687E+14		1700899200	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220434870404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582694	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619151_220208624436222_8712625650248831365_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YnCEskVd2zsAX8lSr_p&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDzADJijW0ie9QyrmngnMkjTcZcesO4Ofkm32X1qZ7JOw&oe=6591772A	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619243_1790302624737320_1170150874133555495_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sfPsdtse0dgAX_2VMjb&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfASBiUwayr71fa9prpBgGfdKwcKu50lltJ8LBg3bj0Hiw&oe=65928226			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69424	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054161		67		257379744006373	1	3.1090695843152E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107090068642820		0	Book Lovers Hub			120200815341080645		dynamic.chereads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Search <The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake>❤️‍🔥🔥		https://dynamic.chereads.com/noah-ssg/wn/202303091/27109457006677105+1+4+facebook?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}		1700818606	1.0709006864282E+14	Book Lovers Hub	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404644216_895972025203967_5118173732673179728_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YzQVAdjZMi4AX_h1EoT&_nc_oc=AQkn_flc6--nAtXYRS1ZVRFQt_5vuY99OTTeuauHzsdh96PwRc5mp2lWAxXANvuPbMiw2xteFbseOexPaEYBSCjj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBKyOxopV5zCpfTgY_27_S1-uBs9NEgNYESoaoJB9JpDA&oe=65929399	person_profile	0	Book lovers hub	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404705614_1475742252997223_9140703689467918518_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=auqHISzsyy4AX-I3agN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA4INOdPg7L_gm09p2YBJ7YzpnLD3f4TTxMTk0CfaMRIw&oe=6591C850			0	3	Manhattan,New York city.<br /> 8:06pm.<br /> In the vip ward of a hospital, a tall silhouette of a man was seated on a cushion. His long legs that were cladded in an expensive Italian shoe, sprawled out, while looking at his neat three piece customized tailored suit he wore, gave off the fact that he was wealthy.<br /> The expensive Rolex watch he wore fitted around his wrist perfectly and gave him an endearing look, on how dripping expensive everything he was wearing was. <br /> Everything about him could only scream one thing. <br /> Money! <br /> Power! <br /> Dominance!<br /> The cold look on his face as he tried hard to not lose his temper, made him surprised because he knew that he didn&#039;t have such self control right now, not for the situation at hand that had landed him here late at night in Weill Cornell medical center.<br /> It gave off the notice to the gossiping lips of the female nurses, who couldn&#039;t help but keep his name out of their lips, as every now and then, he could hear them outside the ward, as he had his mind prepared about the news that would probably be scrolling around the news headlines about him by now.<br /> Well, it wasn&#039;t everyday that someone of such high social caliber, would grace the hospital, especially at this time of the night that it was rare to see such a man, with the exception that he wasn&#039;t here because he was injured, nor needed to see the doctor.<br /> But rather, he was here because of the young lady that was sleeping on the hospital bed, a few meters away from where he sat. It was appalling that he sat and watched her sleep, the way a lover would do to the loved ones, while hoping that they get better.<br /> But no! The woman in front of him was not his lover, nor a family member that would warrant that he gives her such attention. One that anyone who knew him better, would confess that he wasn&#039;t a man who had such a loving heart, but just like they always say, there&#039;s a first time for everything.<br /> As he wanted for her to wake up, he could slowly feel his patience running off and all he wanted to do was to jerk her up, and have her repeat what exactly was the significant conversation that had brought them both here.<br /> &quot;Sir?&quot; Leo, his personal assistant called for his attention, and for the first time he looked away from the red hair who was sleeping soundly, towards him, his face showing how annoyed he was, for him to interrupt his thoughts.<br /> But he had to remind himself that Leo was one of his trusted men, and the only one who could put up with a jerk like him, so he snapped at him, arrogantly.<br /> &quot;What? Don&#039;t tell me that mother is not feeling okay, I have a lot on my table right now,Leo.&quot; He said, his cold green eyes searching Leo&#039;s own for the affirmation that he had settled everything, that brought them out here before coming over here.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s not the point,sir. Unfortunately your grandfather has been notified about the situation.&quot; <br /> It was like a bee stung him, when he heard Leo tell him that his grandfather knows about the woman lying on the bed, and he wasted no time standing up, pushed him to the wall before grabbing him by his throat.<br /> &quot;Who told him about her? I had everything covered, how did it get to that old snake?&quot;He roared, but the door had to open at that moment and the doctor in charge of the young woman chose this ungodly hour to walk in.<br /> It made him move away from Leo but not without his eyes, threatening to kill him if he didn&#039;t get away from his sight, before he snapped at the doctor, he was done waiting.<br /> &quot;I must say doctor, I am a man of little patience, but now it seems to me that you think this is a joke, but if i were you i would do everything in my willpower to wake that woman up right now.&quot; The young man pointed at the sleeping lady, it was very evident in the tone he used towards her that he loathed everything that made him be here tonight, but it&#039;s not as if he had a choice.<br /> &quot;Actually Mr.Russo, i am afraid i can&#039;t release the result of the test without the young lady being involved here too.&quot; Dr. Rosalie said, as she looked at the intimidating eyes of Giovanni Russo, the youngest billionaire to top the business world, before then looking at her poor girl, who had no idea what trouble she was in because the young man seemed not to have any intention of being here more than just a night.<br /> But it seemed luck was on his side, because as intimidating as he looked, she couldn&#039;t let that fear overrun her instincts to do what&#039;s right, because as soon as he was about to say something else, the young lady was up and rubbing at her eyes, before she finally looked at their way.<br /> Marissa Diàz.<br /> That&#039;s her name.<br /> Her eyes widened when it fell on Giovanni, and the doctor could finally see what this was all about. But she could do nothing, since Giovanni could wipe her whole existence from the earth and that of her family, thereby she behaved.<br /> &quot;Well, look who finally decide to wake up?&quot; Giovanni said, unamused before he strolled over to where Marissa sat on the bed, his hands itched to strangle her to the wall, and get the truth out of her at a faster pace.<br /> But he reminded himself of the possibility of what she&#039;s saying being the truth, and besides a doctor was here after all, so he waited but rather smiled at seeing that she was scared of him.<br /> That&#039;s right, darling. You should be scared.<br /> He grinned, before looking at the doctor beckoning the woman to do her thing, to which she walked over to where Marissa sat, with her breath hitching up while she prayed in her heart if there was a god out there to hear her prayers.<br /> &quot;The results are out, Miss Diàz and i guess congratulations are in order.&quot; Doctor Rosaline said, and looked at Marissa who touched her stomach and on cue, she smiled at her.<br /> &quot;Congratulations Miss Diàz. You are pregnant.&quot;<br /> Chapter Two: Marissa, The Loner And Introvert Is Going To A Party.<br /> &quot;Finally, it&#039;s a wrap.&quot;<br /> Marissa said with a yawn, as she loosened the apron around her waist, while getting her clothes from her locker room, in a haste to get home to the comfort her bed provided. She needed that desperately since today was a long day, and she couldn&#039;t wait to close her eyes even if it&#039;s just for two hours.<br /> The young lady worked as a waitress at a famous diner in the city, it was a competitive work in the sense that the popularity the diner had attracted a whole lot of customers, and ofcourse interested workers who wouldn&#039;t mind taking up the job at working at &#039;Malcolm&#039; diner had made the employees over there, to step up in their work of they wanted a place right there.<br /> Marissa Diàz is an orphan, well that was what she told everyone, because considering how terrible her relationship with her mother had gotten over the years, since the death of her father. She ran away from home, to escape an abusive mother who remarried just to curb the loneliness that spranged up at the death of her father.<br /> Marissa didn&#039;t have the best life like any other girl out there can boost off, having to fend for herself at the age of sixteen, the daily struggles and battling with depression and loneliness were the only constant things happening in her life.<br /> Whereas the young lady has lost the zeal that there would ever come a time where things would get brighter in her life, just like every other girl out there, Marissa always wished for the Barbie girl lifestyle, but as always it&#039;s always a wish that never comes true.<br /> At a point, when she experienced her first heartbreak, when her first boyfriend, Ryan was banging another girl on her bed, in her room. She fell into depression and the zeal to live was gone until she met her,Sasha.<br /> &quot;Boo!&quot; <br /> &quot;Sasha what the hell is wrong with you?&quot; Marissa said, touching her chest to calm her racing heart, as she looked at her side to see her best friend laughing at her scared face.<br /> She does this everything, and she always falls victim to her playful tactics. Marissa got annoyed with her laughter, as the other girls who were present in the changing room were already leaving for the day. She took her bag and flung it at her, but she caught it &quot; You do this every time.&#039;&#039;Marissa said with a frustrated grunt.<br /> &quot;And your face gets me everytime, Marie.&quot; Sasha said, coming closer as she took her clothes from her hand, while Sasha wrapped her arm around her neck as they both stood in front of the mirror.&quot;You look horrible.&quot;Sasha confessed.<br /> &quot;This job is draining the life out of me, but i need the job i can&#039;t seem to bear the thoughts of going astray one day and Mr.pere….&quot;<br /> Marissa&#039;s anxiety about her work took over, and she couldn&#039;t help it ,but as always Sasha was in cue to stop her.<br /> &quot;Hey, sweetheart. It&#039;s okay, nothing is going to happen okay. You are just being paranoid about this work, you need a break.&quot; Sasha suggested, but she looked at her immediately to tell her how impossible what she was asking for wouldn&#039;t happen.<br /> &quot;Girl, am just kidding, okay.&quot; Sasha laughed, before she relaxed her mind.&quot;But i just want to tell you that no matter what happens, I will be here for you Marissa, you have got absolutely nothing to worry about, okay?&quot;<br /> Marissa tried to control her tears, but she wasn&#039;t strong like Sasha. Every girl needs a best friend like Sasha. God! She didn&#039;t know what she would have done without her.<br /> Sasha didn&#039;t really have a pathetic life like her, her family were among the middle rich although she hasn&#039;t really gotten to know what exactly her parents do, or the reasons why Sasha works this job with her, the only good reason she got out of her was that she needed a distraction from family problems.<br /> Marissa said nothing but hugged her,&quot; what would i do without you?&quot; She asked rhetorically, while Sasha rubbed her back lovely.<br /> But their moment were ruined when the door was swung open, and a<br /> an angry looking Mr.Peters asked from the doorway.&quot; Ten minutes more and you get to sleep in here, Marilyn.&quot; <br /> &quot;It&#039;s Marissa, Mr.Peters, and thanks for the update though.&quot;Marissa said with a frown on her face, she watched as he left before getting rid of her uniform. He always gets her name wrong and did she forget to say that Mr.peter hates her?<br /> &quot;So, do you have any plans for the weekend?&quot; Sasha asked, a little giddier than she is, and Marissa didn&#039;t need anyone to tell her what this was about.<br /> Sasha was a social butterfly, unlike her who would rather spend her free time reading romantic novels, watch binged horror movies and sleep for the rest of the day.<br /> Unlike Sasha, Marissa could say that she hated being around people, she preferred her free time and Sassha was not going to coerce her into leaving her comfort zone, no ..no. it&#039;s definitely not happening.<br /> &quot;Oh! Please don&#039;t tell me this is what i am thinking about is?&quot; Marissa said, while she took her purse and they were out of the diner.<br /> &quot;Seriously Marissa, you didn&#039;t even let me tell you what it is before showing that you are not interested.&quot;Sasha complained, giving her puppy eyes so she could give in.<br /> Marissa looked away from her, but she hopped over to where her gaze was.&quot; Fine, what is it about?&quot;<br /> &quot;My brother&#039;s birthday is on saturday, i got invited, but i don&#039;t want to go alone. You know my family and i had been having issues…&quot; Sasha paused, trying to find the right words to express what exactly she wanted to say.<br /> &quot;And you are taking me along for support.&quot;Marissa completed her words.<br /> &quot;Yeah, Sweetheart. I heard my elder brother would be present and we aren&#039;t the best cliqued brother and sister. So please, Marissa. Come with me, I promise it will be fun.&quot; Sasha begged.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t know Sasha, you know party and stuff aren&#039;t my thing…&quot;Marissa tried to complain.<br /> &quot;I know sweetheart, I know, but it&#039;s time you stop wishing to find the right person by just reading romantic novels, Marissa.&quot;<br /> Marissa rolled her eyes when she understood what this was about,&quot; I am not dating any of your brothers, Sasha. I am not good with people.&quot;<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t say that yet, you would love it, Marissa.&quot;Sasha clapped her hands, while making a dreamy face. It was evident that she had something planned in mind, but Marissa wasn&#039;t prepared for any of her match making plans.<br /> &quot;Yeah, as long as you keep the men away. I&#039;m good.&quot;<br /> &quot;So, does it mean you are coming?&quot; Sasha&#039;s loud voice was heard, as her overexcitement made the passerby to look at the both of them, earning a cautious look from Marissa.<br /> &quot;Do i look like i have a choice?&quot;The young lady said, and Sasha yelped in excitement, making Marissa worried, because for someone who said that it was her brother&#039;s birthday, she&#039;s over excited.<br /> She didn&#039;t know if that&#039;s something to be bothered about, but she had to let her wandering mind rest. She gets worried easily but making going out with Sasha would not be a bad idea..<br /> So yeah, Marissa Diàz, the loner and introvert is going to a party!<br /> Chapter Three: Where Is Giovanni?<br /> New York city.<br /> ~~~<br /> &quot;He&#039;s running late again.&quot;Edward Russo complained for the third time, to his wife who stood besides him, while trying to keep a happy face while all is not well.<br /> Apparently, they were under pressure seeing that very soon they were going going to take the words of insults thrown to them because of their immature son, Giovanni Rosso, who had refused to be on time for the private services that was being hosted in their hometown by his grandfather, has been an active member for a long time since the death of his wife.<br /> Standing besides a worried Edward Russo, who turned to look at his father engaged in a conversation with an important guest, who was doing a good job keeping his mind away from noticing that Giovanni wasn&#039;t here yet.<br /> His ever so lovely wife, Amrita Russo. The first daughter in-law to grace the family and proved her worth to the family both in business, and everything.<br /> She was the apple of the man&#039;s eyes, besides her who was trying so much not to show how panicked he was, but right now when she tried to speak up on behalf of her son, she was tackled arrogantly by him.<br /> &quot;Come on, huni. He&#039;s probably on his way here, you know how Giovanni is, am sure Leo knows the best thing to do is to make sure he&#039;s here by all means.&quot; Amrita tried to calm Edward, when it&#039;s just for these few minutes that the reporters were busy doing a job to interview everyone present and Giovanni is not here yet.<br /> The last thing that they want right now is another scandal, that would tarnish the image of the Russo corporation. Their son, Giovanni, had made it his primal duty to be on the bad side of the media every single week.<br /> The Russo corporation was among the top five world leading oil mining companies to exist, its original founder Paul Russo was dead, his successor after his son being the man who was the reason they were gathered here today, Christian Russo.<br /> Edward being the first son of the old man, followed by his brother who was not here yet, although he&#039;s sure that his father would not miss having his whole family here, on a special occasion like this. The old man would like to invite everyone of his family, just like old times so they could dine like a loving family.<br /> &quot;It better be just like you said, Amrita. Your son has caused me nothing but blatant headaches in the past few months, I have had enough of his immature ass, it&#039;s time he sits and assumes his responsibility as the heir to the company.&quot; Edward spat, which made her scoff at his words.<br /> &quot;My son? Seriously Edward, you and i both know you also spoiled the boy to the wits, you can&#039;t just pin the blame on me when he starts behaving just like how daddy dearest had taught him.&quot; Amrita sneered, before looking away from him in anger.<br /> He always does this every time, when Giovanni behaves like the spoiled asshole he was, he would rather she takes the blame than him. But apparently, it was no one&#039;s fault that Giovanni was this way he is. The boy was difficult to handle, especially since he came back from the states from his studies.<br /> &quot;Amrita..baby, I&#039;m sorry.&quot; Edward tried to apologize, but then they were interrupted by the all familiar car that parked with a screeching sound that attracted everyone&#039;s attention over to them.<br /> The both of them didn&#039;t need any soothsayer to tell them who it was as the car door was opened by the bodyguard and Micheal, Edward&#039;s younger brother stepped out with that ever proud smile on his face.<br /> His wife, Joanna, was dressed to kill! Today was basically all about their grandfather, but she dressed like she was walking down the runway.<br /> Edward couldn&#039;t help to control his smile when he saw the annoyance that ran across his father&#039;s face seeing her. Thankfully, he wasn&#039;t the only one who didn&#039;t like the b.it.ch.<br /> The reporters were on cue to start taking pictures of them, until the next car to slide in revealed Diego, the second grandson of the Russo Family, Giovanni&#039;s cousin.<br /> &quot;Grandpa.&quot; The bubbly one he was, as he wasted no time to run into the embrace of his grandfather, who was all smiles. No matter how bad everyone&#039;s dislike his mother, Diego was different and apparently the smile keeper of the family. Grandpa loves him.<br /> &quot;Congratulation father, on your new hospital.&quot; Micheal said, moving forward to pay his respect to the old one.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s not my hospital, Micheal. It belongs to the public.&quot; Christian Russo, replied back as a slight annoyance ran across his face when Joanna&#039;s voice was the next to be heard.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, father. You didn&#039;t tell us you were back from the states?&quot;Joanna asked as her eyes scanned across the room in the hope of finding the favorite daughter in-law, Amrita.<br /> &quot;Maybe if you had kept in touch just like Amrita did, you would know my schedules, Judith.&quot;Christian Russo spoke harshly to her, but no one could interrupt him nor challenge him because they knew better not to do that.<br /> Joanna tried to speak up to correct the old man who didn&#039;t know her name, even after twenty years of marriage to his son. But she was held back by Micheal, who grabbed her hand as a sign to shut her up.<br /> He clearly was showing signs of Alzheimer, but no! This was no sickness or whatsoever.She knew that he was doing this in spite to remind her everyday, that she was nothing but a secretary that had seduced her boss, got pregnant and earned her space in the family register.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t see Edward and family, perhaps don&#039;t tell me they might have forgotten about your special day, father?&quot; Micheal teased, a wave of happiness running through him until it disappeared when he heard his brother&#039;s voice at his back.<br /> &quot;Finally, you all are here.&quot; Edward said with a smile, as he watched his brother grit his teeth seeing him and Amrita, until he noticed the absence of Giovanni.<br /> &quot;Since you all are here….&quot; Grandfather tried speaking, until he looked beyond Amrita&#039;s back to see that someone was missing.<br /> &quot;Someone is about to be insulted.&quot; Joanna&#039;s said lowly with a chuckle, but she&#039;s sure that Amrita heard her quite alright seeing how pale she was at hearing Grandpa paused during his words.<br /> He turned instantly to look at Edward and Amrita, disappointment clearly written on his face that his favourite grandson was not here, yet and there&#039;s a big sign that he wouldn&#039;t be.<br /> &quot;The event is about to start.&quot; Micheal reminded everyone, a satisfied grin plastered on his face.<br /> &quot;Father, I can explain.&quot;Edward moved forward, but the look he gave him made him shut up instantly as he bent his head down in shame.<br /> Grandfather looked away from him and Amrita, towards Micheal and his family.&quot; Let&#039;s go in.&quot; While Edward had to leave with anger emitting off him, with Amrita going after him before he does something he would regret.<br /> The question on everyone&#039;s lips, where is Giovanni?<br /> Chapter Four: Narcissist Prince Charming Named Giovanni.<br /> While his parents were taking the insults of their lives at the charity event center, Giovanni Russo was asleep in his room, in between the arms of the girl he had brought home last night.<br /> He sat up with a groan, and pushed the girl away from him when he saw how clingy she was to him. This was what he hated, the ridiculous aftercare after getting what they both wanted.<br /> He&#039;s not a fool, Giovanni knew what women see at just one glimpse at him. A money bank, so instead of falling victim a second time, after surviving the first heartbreak from the woman he loved. He had given up on the quest to find love.<br /> His ex,Angela did him good and that changed everything about him. So instead of being the one who ends up getting hurt by the opposite gender, he would rather the girls fight for his attention which no woman on earth would be lucky enough to get once again.<br /> Giovanni Russo, aged twenty four years. The first grandson and heir to the great Christian Russo. A notorious playboy, who would rather spend all his money drinking and changing his girls like clothes, than to take up his responsibility as his father did.<br /> He&#039;s arrogant, a total jerk who makes everyone around him see reasons why he&#039;s such a loner. But anyway, that&#039;s how he wanted his life to be, the only thing he loved was his parents and his money.<br /> Giovanni touched his temple, a groan leaving his lips at the headache that was forming early this morning, while he scanned his eyes around his room insearch of his assistant, Leo, but the motherfxxker was nowhere to be found.<br /> He tried to sit up, but then warm pairs of hands wrapped around his waist, before he felt the body hug him from behind made him remember that he still has someone here with him.<br /> &quot;Good morning, my love. How was your night?&quot; The girl asked, and Goivanni being the douchebag he was, moved away when the stench from her early morning breathe hit his nostrils.<br /> &quot;Your morning breathe didn&#039;t make me have a good night rest. Get out!&quot; He said coldly, looking around his room for his phone. He needed to call Leo.<br /> The horrified expression on the girl&#039;s face didn&#039;t bother him, she should have known her place to talk to him like this wasn&#039;t just a one night thing.<br /> When he turned around to see that she&#039;s still in the bed, holding the bed sheets up to her chest. He became angry.&quot; Hey, didn&#039;t you hear me, I said get out. We both had a great night, and this was supposed to be a one night thing. So what else are you still waiting for?&quot; He asked, a prideful smirk on his lips.<br /> &quot;I..&quot; The young woman tried to talk, but she was dumbfounded by the cold and aloof attitude coming from him. It was like she didn&#039;t expect that from him, but that&#039;s her hurting herself to say that, everyone knew Giovanni Russo.<br /> The biggest playboy in the city, so she was rather sad that she wasn&#039;t the lucky one to tell her friends that she had his attention.<br /> A bundle of cash was thrown on the bed, and she looked up to him.&quot; That would be enough for your transport, get new clothes and the remaining may keep you from whoring your ass out for the whole week.&quot; He said, a sarcastic laugh leaving his tone.<br /> &quot;Hey! That&#039;s rude of you to call me a whore, who do you think you are?!&quot; The girl yelled, her dignity has been insulted, and in as much as she was here because of him. She wouldn&#039;t allow him to question why she choose to live this way.<br /> How dare him question her life?<br /> Unlike him who had everything, the rich parents, a good life and whatnot. He shouldn&#039;t be an asshole to laugh at her face about her bad life.<br /> &quot;Aww, the b.it.ch had got some fire in her.&quot; He scoffed, before he added,&quot; Now, you would learn to seal your lips, and know when to talk and who to talk to or not. I have low patience for ungrateful girls like you, now get out!&quot; He shouted, this time around with every seriousness that had the girl scurried away for her life, but not without taking the money with her.<br /> He sighed tiredly, as he walked towards his drawer and took an aspirin drowning it down with his drink. Before the front door to his room was swung open and an impatient and worried Leo walked in.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s got your panties in a twists, Leo. If this is about work,I am not leaving. I&#039;m just back from the states, you can&#039;t listen to every single order from my parents.&quot; He said, turning to leave for the bathroom.<br /> &quot;Sir, you didn&#039;t remember what today is?&quot; Leo asked him, gulping a lump down his throat when he looked at the wall clock in his room to see how late they were.<br /> His grandfather is going to kill him!<br /> &quot;What do you mean…&quot; Giovanni&#039;s words was cut short, by the ringing of his phone behind the couch and he rushed up to see his father calling.<br /> What does he wants?<br /> He thought, but the worst mistake he did was by not asking Leo what was happening, by what he meant about what special thing was happening today, before he accepted the call.<br /> &quot;Dad…&quot;<br /> &quot;GIOVANNI AMIR RUSSO! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!!&quot;Edward shouted over the phone, that made him move the phone away from his ears until he caught on to something.<br /> The music playing behind the background, and his grandfather&#039;s voice shouting at his mother. His eyes widened in shock and he cut the call before turning to throw the phone at Leo, who was swift enough to catch it because he always does that.<br /> &quot;Why didn&#039;t you tell me that today was that old man&#039;s day, you fool!&quot; He cussed, before he ran into the bathroom.<br /> Leo said nothing while he took his time to shower, dress up and leave the house with him following behind him, as they drove down to the event arena.<br /> He was used to his ways, Giovanni was never serious with his life and everyone knew that, everyone including his grandfather, who would probably skin him alive today. He&#039;s sure of it.<br /> ------------------------------------------------------<br /> Install our App and search 🔥&lt;The Billionaire&#039;s Beautiful Mistake&gt;🔥 to read more exciting chapters		Book Lovers Hub		19963	https://facebook.com/100083240766650	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
70050	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		1280236496019414	1	8.8386800647739E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112194180243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554475	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404952574_1538171083701230_638524779676555247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bmZmyXp0t5QAX8POcnu&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDX0X43RX-0z-IyKWEnhTTNS97C6TmKMKAKWp2Jd3R05g&oe=6591D8F8	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402071291_707599661317851_4918391083409817286_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BSP3wuVU13QAX_PzMh8&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDey2TsCV1-_6Vp0EX7esCHUljmfkBjgPGb3Et1KSVWlw&oe=6591A2CA			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70036	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		309517761977490	2	8.9522265533488E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120201317470850781		WWW.KILZ.COM/MAGNOLIA	Learn more		NONE	image	Premium by Design	Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® Paint	https://www.kilz.com/magnolia/paint/premium-interior		1700590801	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404575267_3729984277288417_4800805113849457619_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wefsn15uO70AX-Biigj&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBYBp7u_e__oGIkKx_sp3g8MD_b4wQKKbtTcJXQESNJCA&oe=65924040	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404888469_863760288729172_8912184072358941467_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oALtK23eyuEAX85cX3w&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCweNK5a1CGFpGP_emRXa4ym7_NwtiXLHjpajceEnah2A&oe=65915B13			0	3	Timeless, classic design in a 100% acrylic formula that dries to the touch in 1 hour, available in 150 colors.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69070	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054161		67		217146308080642	1	8.8431391667362E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690727690115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701056134	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405909398_1434300930451376_470163566217467039_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7faTiqlAd2QAX8U_jQ_&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCH62pWqiIQw__uYYWbAmNEWDRg4GP0GxSlE3_BknpByA&oe=659202F7	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405928579_169361449592676_2886257822081951378_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xgg-mjvEdF8AX8Yf0ZD&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbkl82QirBspC9XvJVLJXYmDxbHRrIvsOYIQtMg0DSjQ&oe=65917974			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69563	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054161		67		2092544997750029	1	1.0297228082318E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611860150115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722849	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403042271_1425005808370113_134902931472693619_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6uyzzdwfw1UAX-aMTtZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCxalFL8MY4D2EeexZpyGAsqsfMjmHa3CSBVpgEZZzyPA&oe=6592E74A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403205688_239176048996647_8317907041722353631_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ygy1ZLW7EhoAX9Ol6yo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCGG7WUv9bcsRBJ7bwJX51I01bpIebDER6-rtIWyz3ncg&oe=65917227			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67254	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		1033295014450934	14	1.7640580406882E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951472390043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963076	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411079635_975606220419557_7407835480805041454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xcjGruMll9UAX94Pyb0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCu9ygtpd6arRW-HhlDx5hbBsxjqvDYi5wsIDeCw-k63Q&oe=65923888	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68085	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		1816767965422928	1	1.0297296516355E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143588630670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374897	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410126169_1053118579352605_5914162279390578257_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OPT9CDoaFQ0AX9fhSIj&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCoWKe8j1862hwHCk9fiWIhpwXma48BLqfYfUCRlnUkIg&oe=65932D88	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410152012_224014870729051_8644965894469150423_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ryb5I61v9JAAX_CyftD&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAx7hyyv0ftzJKQb0X4Q2Q6nsI7m7QujVvmWPANfj-X9g&oe=6592CBA2			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
66808	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054161		67		322006927455020	1	9.3616070451828E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	164290467486032		0	Health and Wellness Warriors			6541077626548		healthandwellnesswarriorsjg.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaine's Announce 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Give-away!		https://healthandwellnesswarriorsjg.com/		1703353534	1.6429046748603E+14	Health and Wellness Warriors	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413983129_682355583737471_7341637452113401682_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rtpwxP-HYn4AX_9JRYD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAxgONaQ-DfA5eDSO3rgoxYtO_pSCWeAwqtJe4ZBJjW6g&oe=6592D92D	person_profile	0	Health and Wellness Warriors	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413907282_740742707475848_1322950859787614147_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k0unt841910AX9FTaeS&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZG68uvlgLVPR853zNY5Svrrh_py-b4p5JK4ndyEMCKQ&oe=6591FCAF			0	3	Cookware set for life! Backed by a Lifetime Warranty. Say goodbye to buying new cookware sets again!		Health and Wellness Warriors		17	https://facebook.com/61551428507025	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68593	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054161		67		1339486893361271	4	1.4290925879512E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103687719211673		0	Science A2Z Español			120202285905610275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667620	1.0368771921167E+14	Science A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407749013_206486389099737_1092377589640782144_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SBk-Sg7byfgAX94nVJN&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-ldJS_Jz7nBgXzoyV9u119bWfK4j1lxOY88QrxIJedQ&oe=6591F59D	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Science A2Z Español		349	https://facebook.com/sciencea2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
67775	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		901700938150512		1.514792399362E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548088809		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494402	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410424218_349836327752004_9083688605718034912_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w0At1rmMbhUAX-fTseS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvG3lZnCBp0aY3VuThUekyI1SuwLrCSGt2SV6HdwEj6w&oe=6592DB87	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410347473_1473858956809195_1518779778541326542_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fTw5HyHNfN8AX-KKf4K&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCF3ed0zpKPxPDPWn_HfD-zPJ_oZtK8E_3OTB1Czgj9jA&oe=65928AE2			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67515	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		3351479441664900		8.9899647503778E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011735920506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636912	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410413631_859368129211573_7125357610097033371_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_fAlybwpSu8AX_zeJ_o&_nc_oc=AQnjgYZFf8Xb2f6q8f-bAPsc51WQKX4bX5UA50IMCwEodbSW8AHO1UA96anMNPQN8bY&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAx8cq7OfJv0go8rKF8e1r3oq3pdCDMyHfWVxdnVey9uA&oe=659333FD	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410387103_1774020766357618_3401972616504963270_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ReZbCDl2CcsAX_MWC8o&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA5QsW2mdAjyT0YuZL3ri72koWb9p6R2CGodDBx-KOotg&oe=65927A78			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67507	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		295724272899336	1	8.9946701136314E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011751650506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636934	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411080471_325619856988811_2277000323318070672_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=szVtKvm_ORIAX_azQb6&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAvha6QFnOk2wXnuChaHcVu8WRffzJx8qjOMGwd-X4Ndg&oe=659243FB	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409789403_764244762182253_7560308920179920122_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KsEibsJ_uzAAX82dVrT&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuV9C9I_gtvcKeKoogPPxQ0XfHtrVMuyimhJuMTc6Gag&oe=6591C3C8			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68309	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		1039381263850126	1	7.0229934852906E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074124230476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016075	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407985010_3549496512034107_4938981912730488868_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ra-GdGpFMtAAX_qihuX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfATmQpw1QQrpSsGCRWh6N0YZ06kSfdja6TRjswqSfIByQ&oe=65914662	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408009179_1074478800670164_769138823354248866_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qw09NyCZKZkAX_Jq1Bi&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCTppnfHU8j97TpU4ZNMhOBH5bMFRmrAzxkgyH7EQjq3g&oe=6592B368			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68297	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		645997544139780	1	3.1732124789131E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074123070476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016167	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408977471_1432674283985935_481486542824619332_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AgzjJxUXedAAX_K9TMR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCaL25dhOvV5W8VDioagnsc2cucKrnxwM6N_H_x89yE-Q&oe=65925DB1	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408987709_721346516385247_283151612702207308_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Cah4sXFbKjYAX9zXFdM&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB0ioqWJdIoTTdt6ou-Dcy6PGegdkn9ZuSLw6UQGAd_Ig&oe=659294A6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68485	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		1323128265063197	1	6.4941921060458E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458586920691		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856167	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408518737_2032419567118665_7950275299229618099_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Tsz5VO3Wkk8AX8Vt70a&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfByA2OAmI4CS60aRiLtTE9F9bi4TLzBKRb8VdziIyMeAg&oe=6593274D	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408490841_984192432684786_1571421637965579074_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4HmHU0RgCsMAX-WlPqx&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdRhNfe6SopYdNdpiM8oIS8zMUWg_FSdukpw9NwgPqDg&oe=6591CE4D			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
70004	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		878434647212106		1.3650113674381E+15		1700726400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120201310345950253		sportzbonanza.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://sportzbonanza.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628542	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403873646_1289701921740825_486672903235512058_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-yl1Ug7EsOoAX86meWQ&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDbU-bgiIft-u3Tyc4jbYy9CSrPJxLplGgwgXiAdzWD5w&oe=659276BB	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70005	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		381767800948250	1	3.2670722999228E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103479455075963		0	Nation of Freedom			120200844100810689		thedancingcucumber.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://thedancingcucumber.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628563	1.0347945507596E+14	Nation of Freedom	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404384487_1385649452304425_5353384515581546860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RR_qnEzuOvAAX-WKWYg&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDbDBd4DhWRSOaK42wWx6wT4KphJvWL30j56bawyGNIRw&oe=65920973	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇		Nation of Freedom		95	https://facebook.com/100063963617853	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70033	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		703938141683660	1	7.7126750501477E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120201317678100781		WWW.KILZ.COM/MAGNOLIA	Learn more		NONE	carousel	KILZ		https://www.kilz.com/magnolia/paint/stain		1700591352	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403774075_1354315688544066_3087792962140137669_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WhW0xn0PKZgAX-v-Ylg&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmQJ8wx3YGiU5ogW0jgacMe90VdccU-9y7rV_c-b3LBw&oe=6591793B	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402914608_172953779171988_3623377582530755042_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=apRP0taBbb4AX8sLmji&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAlentHQdmSqdiQ8Hoi0Etg-EbxQOa4eL5751dW6eRgEw&oe=6592F14A			0	3	Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® interior stain enhances the look and color of your wood surface in three simple steps, allowing its true beauty to shine through.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
70054	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		657170053226874	1	2.4355341614081E+16		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112168590243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554591	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404523248_1388299041765704_7383610832738424571_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uZn83SAbthAAX_ph4i5&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfByQYBDMPT1PYEIRa-RbmtWA0IGtLzr0tQGS2UYCOIc8g&oe=65923058	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404574501_1716226438846389_2403718926665192405_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dsmY2G2faT8AX_RSnV1&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDNhQ9nkAkvt1eWdZyhiZWhAWAPC_ic8YVYUBzqRP1EHA&oe=6592FF60			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70088	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054161		67		382089827560918		6.6684229876572E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090816690403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700544999	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403603907_704693991631741_3649744079873789511_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8TZmVToJv4QAX_iCkKe&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCjs2SyP_iQSLqzmNFGfPQGb7j7fwtdlOESj8vrg8DrsQ&oe=65925A0B	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403606256_1487479242094424_4637260038972996269_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ljvwerOwTKYAX8CluUn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMho57-IeOIP0tB5Xlg0QqXtlghxJsjGpL8AJDxRoXGw&oe=659254CA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67486	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1552687838887725	2	8.9287584543981E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011776110506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636968	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411475733_341727688604559_8830871844707035727_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1EUafBjlpkcAX8U4zob&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC1eTLOP9n8hpjbHtECcymC7iu787g6fl8iRak3le1vkg&oe=6591DAD2	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410121309_2820929521388154_1615499266252079908_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=I9CPNd_AWGoAX-v9QKh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA7wlJeyFJWioAiY_9aypjNt4ntaHFjhPOpYCKnFelaqA&oe=65928DBD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69008	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054161		67		375079994889159	1	7.4117029117242E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715941230115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140277	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405515642_362599846248943_3515449747963034593_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DirM1SChviUAX91QFlg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCoJXtQmyVJO_xbI4mAx5GuHqLlKhaE5t0lM9poqYCXqg&oe=65932137	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406222902_1026715798446962_4351939289071469387_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=522c1TNtfvUAX-sktf3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBokNfiv7-T-9JqZCAKxw8OmKADWAU_rHM9_NCWW4klug&oe=6591BBF9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69048	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054161		67		676914110904429	1	1.9071745069718E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120202351769010268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_5E967AE60E8963EA202F669F90F37E36_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1701106092	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404740300_1531862837579304_625037744101741068_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UBZq734k6YoAX_Tj9Rs&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB1wd2eNKWzFk89fq_kxkBDUhDOO14AXV5lELrGgx56Hw&oe=6592BB75	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a reserved junior at Colorado University, lives a life far removed from the spotlight, preferring the quiet lanes of academia to the uproarious fame of campus sports. But her world tilts on its axis when Knox Maguire, the star offensive tight end and a campus legend, strides into her bookstore sanctuary. In him, she sees everything she vowed to avoid—a mirror of her athlete father, a man she has cut out of her life.<br /> <br /> Yet, fate has other plans. Thrown together by chance, Joanna becomes Knox&#039;s unlikely English tutor, an assignment that sparks a forbidden attraction. Each session blurs the line between professionalism and a smoldering desire that even the hushed corridors of the library can&#039;t contain. Knox, known for his player persona, finds himself genuinely captivated by Joanna&#039;s quiet strength and sharp wit, challenging her guarded skepticism and awakening a passion she&#039;s never dared to explore.<br /> <br /> But as their academic roles tangle with unspoken emotions, Joanna is haunted by lingering doubts. Is her heart safe with Knox, or is she just another name in his playbook? Torn between the pull of desire and the fear of vulnerability, Joanna stands at a crossroads. In a world where campus fame collides with scholarly duty, can love truly conquer all, or is it destined to be another lesson learned?<br /> <br /> &#039;Playing Hard to Get&#039; is a tale of forbidden love and hidden depths, where the stakes are not just academic success, but the risk of falling hard and fast. Will Joanna and Knox&#039;s story defy the odds, or will it succumb to the pressures of a world where notoriety and quiet dreams seldom meet?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68070	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		1084372672991055		1.9868155050345E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104712185686282		0	Historical Hiccups			120207705335690456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389168	1.0471218568628E+14	Historical Hiccups	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410646380_198492146663995_5319992594898837369_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sf2FaI_7KIYAX_f0u_Q&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfALFwsea5y1_SuGiJgc24V4m2PETg6v8eV8Ng9cS8LNJA&oe=6591BD20	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		Historical Hiccups		640	https://facebook.com/100084229586929	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69183	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054161		67		647654707569273		1.0142185298623E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145425340740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Opens Up, Breaking Her Silence Before the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806348	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404595040_1467089970805426_1547666123349156649_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xVM6DLMwDzsAX9sqWMP&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC5mSjU61FDRJtXYFeGEUlTxdj_VrE-B6GxWjIYeC74bQ&oe=65915C9D	person_profile	0					0	3	Long-Hidden Truths: Joanna Reveals Husband&#039;s Story and Behind-the-Scenes Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69749	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054161		67		903424214533056	4	1.0995041845666E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101404241952511		0	Trivia.com - Lifestyle			120200721427720167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679731	1.0140424195251E+14	Trivia.com - Lifestyle	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403057964_1015805766315707_9148496957681327356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=47HDV5Zhy00AX8brTP1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDboioLC3fYLUtK5MOwwq_04v4l64OJyDzKFFIFaOge3A&oe=6591B7A7	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com - Lifestyle		388	https://facebook.com/100082447938895	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66909	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054161		67		329618346541064	1	7.3963005237158E+15		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575826870530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Install to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703215443	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410981566_334152812721849_6669689302967781106_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=et3TiJtdtkUAX8nUUd1&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDtc3a7y3zbMbasMCxKIpe-lQyDlRF_WS_a6PnYtl_-Q&oe=65927704	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410934544_394568039580192_4590138924657405163_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eg18klmJEaoAX_OyMjz&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBJELhjYCmmCvZP3iNgpW8evcWcf0aFppD9QoeWuyfDKQ&oe=6592B329			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP<br /> Search book id:1374 <br /> Or book title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩,read the full version!		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67075	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054161		67		313013555046780	1	2.330209540496E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	148344771703860		0	Joanna Blandon Design			120204201942200308		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel	Joanna Blandon Design		https://www.instagram.com/_u/joaadesign		1703108826	1.4834477170386E+14	Joanna Blandon Design	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412380552_361887563157899_6750949772748520272_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kr3XjNCWOIwAX8bldrT&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBk4TeZyLQLnEoZk-llqxziiAAqoeukIK6Gd1hIkWaa1w&oe=6592962C	person_profile	0	Joanna Blandon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412373614_885798819615869_7139882234194549370_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=at90KjPbUY4AX_e2UMG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC8DGAJwqhlvVaUzFUMW2BZK-kM9sd7SNpsk3GXqQMcZQ&oe=6592C1E7			0	3	I help writers achieve their project in the short term while we enjoy the process in each text and design.<br /> <br /> #writer #writers #writerslife #writersofig #writersofindia #writersnetwork #writerchallenge #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #WriterFriendsChallenge #editorialdesign #editorialdesigns #editorialdesigner #editorialdesigners #editorialdesignserved #editorialdesignstudio #editorialdesignhamburg #editorialdesignportugal #contenteditor #contenteditorswrite #contenteditorial		Joanna Blandon Design		0	https://facebook.com/61553576638916	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67206	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054161		67		1760605971112564		2.5809983036598E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67286	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		1099367017865162		1.7640580406882E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX-tleQa&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoF8zn4N5YcU0EVpq_VM3OmgaJTRo9jqLbMijbAyE_tw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67296	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		1794602141004434	1	9.0415852130416E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	148169158577610		0	Art League of Hilton Head			6554739604867		shop.artleaguehhi.org	Buy tickets		NONE	event	"Recycled Collage" with Joanna Chalson (January & February 2024)	https://shop.artleaguehhi.org/module/class/526951/recycled-collage-with-joanna-chalson-january--february-2024	https://shop.artleaguehhi.org/module/class/526951/recycled-collage-with-joanna-chalson-january--february-2024		1702935185	1.4816915857761E+14	Art League of Hilton Head	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410919090_377086954707033_4468254671835710439_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ww4EHs5HFhwAX--0H4R&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCCbGplnit3IiidWU8g-3ajHRcD8n581yKYmHb-1b4gMA&oe=6591F1C7	person_profile	0	Art League of Hilton Head	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410928111_1487767461783423_8187328728031109887_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=euryVFPnb5QAX8ZMiOU&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDUPeBCHyVg3aTo9oe21jBcBoq5-8d_6w-tD2BZMwF6Xg&oe=6592D06B			0	3	RECYCLED COLLAGE with Joanna Chalson<br /> <br /> WHEN: <br /> Tuesdays (12:30 to 3:30pm)<br /> January 16, 23, 30 &amp; February 6, 2024<br /> <br /> WHERE: <br /> Art League Academy<br /> (106 Cordillo Parkway, Hilton Head Island, SC)<br /> <br /> PRICE:<br /> $200; $180 for ALHH Members<br /> <br /> Recycle! Turn your junk mail into a beautiful collaged work of art. Our focus for this course will be on creative composition. The design elements; texture, line, form and color will be addressed. Let&#039;s create individual art from reassembling our &quot;found materials.&quot; Join us and let Joanna show you tips and tricks to do just that!<br /> <br /> SKILL LEVEL:<br /> This class is PERFECT for students of any level.<br /> <br /> REFUND POLICY:<br /> Ticket purchases to Art League of Hilton Head events are final. Refunds or Credits will not be given for missed classes/workshops.<br /> <br /> If a class or workshop is canceled by Art League of Hilton Head a full refund will be given.		Art League of Hilton Head		3669	https://facebook.com/ArtLeagueHiltonHead	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67303	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		932809715079186		3.7770544798512E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	541829670064587		0	The Goat Manchester			120204729476790066		thegoat.fanlink.to	Buy tickets		NONE	video	Granite Lion Presents: SunDub + Mighty Mystic + Green Lion Crew	Sun, Jan 7 | The Goat | Manchester, NH	https://thegoat.fanlink.to/010724		1702913800	5.4182967006459E+14	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411851475_1095692144921400_2513855467810894941_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8_kZ2ojD2PAAX9YjBHr&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWFpnPlnTfeCqbfcDOnPmjyBYBJMhG5HvsPQyEnOq6gA&oe=6591E5B9	person_profile	0	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412337792_683797797196334_4247667404787222207_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7xlNMx6i-cQAX_jtVoW&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-ZI9fF-Nrff2Z3d9I9ImQpeFjWC7ExO03EiLji5I3Gw&oe=6592494E			0	3	🎉 Get Ready to groove! Sundub &amp; Mighty Mystic are hitting The Goat in Manchester, NH 🐐✨ Jan 7, Sunday. Special beats by Green Lion Crew! 🔥 Don&#039;t miss this epic night!		The Goat Manchester		10500	https://facebook.com/goatbarmanchester	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67331	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		260551447036319	4	3.634585093535E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120202487608130307		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702879537	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412386584_1551547335620343_5690560488018002229_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9yLYIlCBOH4AX-xCjkT&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBc_qWexPVi-hGpei9lMtW4PchvbFGrIrF-ZLNmur-aLA&oe=6592F200	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67361	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		3162755264021429	1	3.6754452594827E+14		1703664000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	173031552743560		0	hollywoodactorsworkshop.com			6516623439800		hollywoodactorsworkshop.com	Learn more		NONE	carousel			http://www.hollywoodactorsworkshop.com/		1702831983	1.7303155274356E+14	hollywoodactorsworkshop.com	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411091586_911841737040084_4443930479075260616_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=84fwwIFc2oIAX--CYOB&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBEap_f-eYi0VTySAlFuaEBeBpyDywVTztJpWuf6qJFAw&oe=65914426	person_profile	0	Hollywood Actors Workshop	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411088393_1035021687756806_981110052595109089_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f3GQFcsuTd8AX8tXDZi&_nc_oc=AQk7p1vlUL3jr-eOuE9laocvb6nWYE2g37zqzCdVeGWFhk_Tc1CzZzfB1TcIFtUeph4&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDfhhNe5NXVoAqFJvSLN7uDWdjNFlYIoufLg6KpWiAYEg&oe=65916009			0	3	Hey all!<br /> <br /> I’m coming out of my writer/director shell (I spent the past two years working on the film Love &amp; Karma with Oscar Nominee Eric Roberts, Golden Globe nominee Joanna Pacula, and International Star Bai Ling) and now that the film is in the VFX portion of post-production, my schedule is opening up for one on one acting coaching sessions again… but I realize that I should probably reintroduce myself to the community.<br /> <br /> Hello! I’m Gio!<br /> <br /> - I won 2023 Silver Telly Award for my film, “Legacy”<br /> - Wrote/Directed the feature film “Love &amp; Karma”<br /> - Became a member of the Alliance of Women Directors &amp; the Producers Guild of America<br /> - I’m still the on-call acting coach for Pixar. <br /> <br /> As an actor, I worked on Titanic Rises (which played theatrically in South America, was dubbed in several languages for the international market and can currently be seen on Tubi), recurred on Young Sheldon, and just did my first multi-cam show with Bob Hearts Abishola. Oh and I was also nominated Best Supporting Actress alongside Academy Award nominees Amy Irving &amp; Alfre Woodard at one point in time… <br /> <br /> so I do know the neurotic mental chatter that actors go through in this crazy-lovely industry. <br /> <br /> I’m known for teaching kiddos because I break down the info in a way a six year old can understand, but I teach adults as well. In fact, one of my students first SAG job was a recurring role on “Never Have I Ever” as Geeta. <br /> <br /> Anyhoo, as my holiday present (and so you can get to know me) here is a link to my podcast and how I teach my students to break down their scripts with a special segment on breaking down sitcom/Disney work:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhollywoodactorsworkshop.com%2Fpages%2Fpodcast&amp;h=AT0_0PyPFQ3IjdEpJ-R_4Uwetw73WZaw0iPyc3hRKwL-992GfJgTZS6VyXigmaYK69ge_tLcmhU0xaKvl-DfsG--HiOFxyRY8JzNFPMBT838ilSobTGkTQIEOcIgNiEEDbI_EN_uP0dJC66hVvvxc9Cpo0g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://hollywoodactorsworkshop.com/pages/podcast</a><br /> <br /> It’s totally free. People have told me that I should be charging for it… <br /> <br /> But I believe the secret of making any scene magical is how specific you can make it to your own humanity, quirks, and personality while serving the story.<br /> <br /> I want to see your soul. *said non creepily* 🤓<br /> <br /> #acting #actingcoach #actorslife #casting #ericroberts #indiefilm #bailing #neverhaveiever #workingactor #filmmaker #womeninfilm #loveandkarma		hollywoodactorsworkshop.com		2929	https://facebook.com/SfActorsWorkshop	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67408	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054161		67		357174570276266	2	2.1352928201397E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	311136718916927		0	Leonis Summer Houses			120202098704170647		leonis.gr	Learn more		NONE	image			http://www.leonis.gr/		1702391615	3.1113671891693E+14	Leonis Summer Houses	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409602799_361837913056725_5132234775297137907_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gDqfy8Epcu8AX96F5pZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDP8MLrA3JQI3vDjJZuyIY7-NHyv_8yKucpOeliGhcIiA&oe=65928F36	person_profile	0	www.leonis.gr	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409568200_3290616874571306_7120232454040463514_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LGUhfA4rZyAAX8imXkn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYps0qpA_ep8ZhZ6okJgxsAxKoKvTBLtqB4_YFKv6hlA&oe=65927EE2			0	3	To think that this is just half of the sea view available at Leonis Summer Houses. The hotel looks over Ornos beach as well, just 500m away and offering more than a few options for lunch or dinner.<br /> <br /> It’s no secret that our guests can’t get enough of this view, which is why we have filled the hotel with the most comfortable bean bags, loungers, sofas, chairs, all spread throughout the property and in place to ensure that everyone will always have the perfect spot to lay back and enjoy this breathtaking picture.<br /> <br /> If you’d like to get a taste of the holiday experience that we have been perfecting since 2012, all you have to do is make your reservation at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leonis.gr%2F&amp;h=AT0lXmUr5VEP-gcVxgRcwc8OppDgt2BVGHG5u_PXWjhajdYbIihrQ44RLw2l-4ec_Scwe6uB67Nr1qyiOCRLZa8WJ_DZysnGkD1e_xpYdf_ZCbJWDbwIrgdFFmRnw6p3SOaBK0SL2bBHyPyuQ0wRe5zTbac" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.leonis.gr</a> or send your request at welcome&#064;leonis.gr<br /> <br /> Season Premiere 20 April 2024<br /> <br /> #mykonos #greece #hotel #travel #photooftheday		Leonis Summer Houses		9128	https://facebook.com/LeonisMykonos	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67466	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1084061982789699		1.5473967260209E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774769480385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633139	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410829973_865898688337771_6853952824927292049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jIKz57a562cAX9LmcVK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBkUj69MfPfjaHJ5cHF5AOczVRGnDWYSkGzN7LK4tOXrA&oe=65925A75	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410802780_893049512408465_9042337623591056054_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X7mmrq1-pJgAX-kefoJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtDYoXbCl6d-GSqzjd4HeX9wDnpowskAn2cdPksnMUpw&oe=6591CA24			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67463	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		660510705992415	2	1.5473967260209E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774758740385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633134	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409929814_7584643488231660_5578537447915409463_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5mAIudZMAVgAX-duB70&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAoPIJsuxDuZTCkYe58WsZYZdxR7ALbismvfz12zVZEBw&oe=65931778	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409923234_318144634449588_6932627675461488822_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dsXq-q32o14AX8C8IM9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbkjx2lTynvyJ8IqilXJE0aXnSZQPx3btLW-yEiao_VQ&oe=65925A43			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67490	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		333440086117142	2	3.335148227866E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011766470506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702637043	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409928776_348815351203936_3277702663630057197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k87sHgDcWgcAX_w3fgj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCk0NeogkWmRNOfZT4z8_gO2dX6tw1Wt0gq3S65K_LbCw&oe=6591E657	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409928264_1711401572681975_1473889346630375855_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IZVsQ8RJOvIAX_kvb1q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCt4zfIcsKBkATazVjN2w-5Pr1YtoOA5f6toX4hESVqMg&oe=6591CEE4			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67511	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1857517101331613		8.9130955916893E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011738260506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636900	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411255847_292176560451115_3267398177185995626_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yL3aPSkd76wAX_8Y6jr&_nc_oc=AQmKUjQp8aTCdxWTF3KdOm0coz1G_Ik4vT60BnX8xE8m5AJZicZ7-j3FLqCj8zyVyEE&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfANFgqIE3fBuqbks8TEo6wMiHoreBtRoT0hjQwDpuqRzA&oe=6592519C	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411374853_352169237543782_5237159096524607945_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iRvJxLAPKUMAX8fjL8N&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfArERrAEJtBrRmGQHjyOu0Lu6NeSkItCwyXfV6jIFGbAQ&oe=6592ADB4			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67532	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		1015742122836180	1	8.2837503242117E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011726170506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636898	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410892914_1068499510846857_5696662375802700782_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e1i15ICsSUAAX-VRaR5&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzj-Iu1X8y8wHwKLmNPh3drHzLEAYBBSePKVMbaFFlGQ&oe=6592B58A	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410849516_640042934761673_2786969839688085274_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WwjoMmTGNSAAX_oX-60&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAV_DcqHsTH541KG7LGI-_9YDnxXXN1FQQgzKrSjBFBdw&oe=65933395			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67537	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		892552442381754	1	1.7494852988849E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203925298560613		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/3bw5npofyz0yjotryds4lqbb?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702632389	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411187847_791896839362973_5495089361095405948_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V8QQdqp1WD8AX8fTHTn&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDYdpMXi35G-0V4cDqqecCNZJEaofpNMbfi3f3Pp8e88A&oe=65932773	person_profile	0					0	3	The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
69930	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		862334212204693	13	2.0194146629062E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158883140403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633016	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403599602_711715671064908_4800566722031270835_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fWfdBvQd0BMAX9IKQFo&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB5m90QVOtAuivP9HwdtiVqvJsqLufVk837YsxBh26Ysg&oe=659285AF	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403605079_190927574071979_8390947532575257594_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KfXwr0F2M4wAX-aEwnL&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCShSAOVqgUovte9Ml6cgyfdrRLnGYQgIy0zDVr2Hvnjw&oe=6591EB2A			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67555	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054161		67		141814739024540	1	2.9495788017808E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205063966820729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702610944	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411068006_3423239454489466_6883659064944956928_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6ZvEK3qW6QQAX8Gk_ZI&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuSv3wjSrg9BXeBwVEewuO4F2H_5eKML3wERUVSjWJ2Q&oe=65920D56	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411133405_794681452179277_1952608531292753656_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xO-uaXffKbMAX_EN1z0&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCirGs3dmqvpWPxPBpLt4b0ZD1s95H0zXxwRgJDfKguCw&oe=65922179			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67597	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		701769785256404	1	3.6488941612988E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204045505740514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611244	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411168860_872099817741043_198217042042276953_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hrLUwWvC2QAAX9aXScQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB6fovs-OetejvOlh7mnWTTi1n67KVid970giZ2hFpdmA&oe=65933B99	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410652052_324899013680236_2558637884233599666_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=H2tvYlVXQFkAX9xi9fW&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt6QcY0Q6Xdwklp5h2Jiy_EV5z9ej1Og_zHUNfd48O6g&oe=6592AB31			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67601	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		737174478432054	1	1.5936431511695E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204044840510514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702610518	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236444_1822234524892890_7963473913856183074_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KQ4OCenOfQ4AX8wWOKm&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB7vKBn7dRjttgUPQfp2OXu0t5vMzLGs3bgp-Al3Op_AA&oe=65914FB1	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411275676_1096027701579204_3963083674108869724_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uxzOWVy86yEAX_IrG5W&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoNojmNMlKBQNjH-7Fjqj__Ag-7NHH1mClAqDLeYxMIw&oe=65924F2D			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67625	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		1510963729741573				1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100602492862162		0	History Nation			120204009959260514		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702566158	1.0060249286216E+14	History Nation	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411198577_2318604108323143_1514163847572265212_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SGjdPZEicMgAX8pV3RT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVq8h6h84lwJmgyDcIjoldKFTvoYGXaPhIseL8pQ62Og&oe=6592FDB6	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		History Nation		3643	https://facebook.com/100087250000253	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67737	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		271085962632681	1	3.1218922164398E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	141486289197940		0	Carr & Carr Personal Injury Attorneys			6570886326880			Like Page		NONE	video					1702506081	1.4148628919794E+14	Carr & Carr Personal Injury Attorneys	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409933687_899411918231352_954261525699743853_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JZCOMPfCRDwAX9fbZVC&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA-sY-rmsPAqDi_iV9Gh4H0mZJJ78yQqEXQbIgVaHMgFA&oe=65923587	person_profile	0	Carr & Carr	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410002129_24697935509789898_8408965715601556420_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jTngYtNmJ9sAX_oPNqA&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAfuhPdVxNQYQhftAkC7WAa4-Dq0mwLd5K_ureBktjkdw&oe=65927543			0	3	Joanna was such a grateful and kind client! We thank her for her kind words and always being so great to work with.		Carr & Carr Personal Injury Attorneys		4232	https://facebook.com/carrandcarr	0		LIKE_PAGE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67744	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		909503490593381	3	6.6481315887783E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590550918809		joannavargas.com/booking	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494666	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411068708_371641165549644_916121854349159963_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OmSQPIyTUOkAX-q9wQa&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDvyAC49kbs1thuxWoA1x5l8AZTeJvS1u0RzgJosgiGXw&oe=659196B9	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409192064_893054325383828_2088379461454483734_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vyOF5a0rNMEAX_5Ocq8&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDNkGXknYXx1QRqqlv5fbhjaz1fszALYWnoM1fqrhd7w&oe=659175A1			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67771	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054161		67		3276234396010115		3.5355846726739E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548091809		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494400	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410456722_1073609407147615_986669915888690042_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=viH_yEUEmncAX8oltIE&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHwS4hrDaBzjeGzeJ3qJj1ZJDhUzWk8IvBtLjlkFOa2w&oe=6592F36B	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410424293_290133790652326_8086496034208670308_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ihIbSYVfWPwAX-jjOrU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCNTbJaHyGsupzSXLePw4BfN08OwpNSYkAoIuSgJNbXIQ&oe=6591F5E6			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67852	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		379311334445699	1	2.1306625506258E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509825060308		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462398	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409759606_1459837971248219_7151315760878362005_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XOWOpobSRhAAX-i1Xam&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA0OH3ES93AgA1xVlkjjNe6kHGI7XtKebNd4lYOoGGh8w&oe=65920871	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409187062_333581562760818_1391645735385357663_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5FFYcpnZakUAX9VXDL1&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUxgQuKHMWPj_C3kNCwtDseKnEMXEwRwHqyJ0YTgFONA&oe=65929F74			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69953	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		1088660522139990	4	1.7521497785632E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158879500403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633014	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403728533_314339591416970_7520088552949067610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N21pIN6pv_IAX-O9Z13&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD1RLFPKo9EpwmHWW-M4nH0-y9a7-OeRD2hdUmjRUMCxw&oe=65917E0C	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402980326_668845371835567_1328279192290904231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5aH2Gwe6s5MAX-rFGiI&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAE7EvNwb09blUDBSvr9_BP6L62b7USF-Ikh4pOXwD-qw&oe=65916C7B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67866	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		794549729363735	1	2.9817107654852E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509791220308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462352	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409567932_1066346618028114_295340944788776363_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_JMQa-1qe4QAX-ccZdH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqYZZopGzVaSdCC33P-zXJAcg0QjImkhQvTa6NzkU4qQ&oe=6592F8E1	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409854569_382232127607024_6086688879730052449_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0ND_lp67odUAX9djqxt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvcKcq7nvJcsN1sCfl9lVbQjQGFSOqKsvtISYxHuaIfA&oe=65915F93			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67870	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		695072419062569	1	8.9108006267618E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169501590427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462435	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410373590_325780203600322_8548129739162008406_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a-chcOYThy0AX8lF4ph&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB6aaL7p_gsluXuBUrGQ_LoNwLDPGU-dd8qGM3_JI7inA&oe=6592C5D8	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410402361_1165289081379347_6846087414232385231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rA1eWN00LooAX8jOih8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAngmLn4uxLB0pJjeeuOwzUAuDDpHR_AVEDYV6d4VjTDA&oe=659269C4			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67887	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054161		67		779101797294175	1	3.1190445846599E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169330440427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462133	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410395047_1338026904257324_4172863503371476473_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9S9u_bGklmkAX_ERQpi&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAlupGR8Hu9uyEfFL3GSbMXKfpOt2Zs1NzRGMPdAv5jhw&oe=65927B45	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410321279_895242638605700_4973041637611827493_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y4vxSZpxuPEAX8y6jOo&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCZ7pUwTB1Z4SAlZZkGUer_p7n2ohwP_UaVv4bB1TyeSQ&oe=6592530C			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67948	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		696613359273128	1	8.7158661778418E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434512530465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447831	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409563162_333482816104071_550386521903723900_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3aIDjk2ezy0AX8LHc46&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsVn6hCq5AlWOlUuVz9zAsK0shhF4sCj0aXDpfz9zISg&oe=6591AE8C	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409844696_726654079344197_2730569461603710508_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kQUnwsBTxuEAX9hPlDN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCH0-3R0t-2RQSQEEY0vjPCOkp_CuMDD7OY7ZvtIcXaRw&oe=6591FE2F			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67960	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		902353134564917	1	3.6658254240223E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434456200465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447461	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410453486_686500240237927_1551638494493860062_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WjWLfVtCtToAX98L6OR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCEsgQW5RIwqeGRwJiMFPsIKgKtIchQnMFNKbY04nSTQQ&oe=6591550A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410386403_1044352890149453_8828964937141925754_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M1xxgpDxl_wAX9lMp5E&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD77Y_v4etHW0Aln3WetuzuzDeKcZq9_TEltbDu9z6MXQ&oe=65916D9D			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67955	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		859413205882385	1	3.7699043471974E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434519840465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447849	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409851173_1092004291963987_221424865823195262_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u_kr1-pZGuoAX_ZdBaj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAvaKbN3lB9Xa4fQrdy8oim8S1FZGj2_NNZyczXB6yelg&oe=65922723	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409551340_1803909581020352_8062605218618017863_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tpFWSD-0O2EAX-rAvD5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA3HC7Imfob8Ue--7tmx4GwjZo7BLKI9DWHZLDGCPC8rw&oe=659172AD			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67973	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		1185835972803096	1	3.2690373010265E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434463090465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447716	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409599198_664130025902836_2546949159545133598_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8C28wOv9aboAX8xlGJT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCsYvbc4ktRAeriR67deFUYaPjTKc_cfcGsUD0md9yCPg&oe=6591546E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409792481_190736997449295_6233754908890991825_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NOY5HXdRKmcAX8XV6sw&_nc_oc=AQmRxmJtjpYSorNGoq8teASzmuqxYo9Ndx16_vymiuRESH7hRFOaV-pF_Z9agR2xtVI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBe8T85WfUgUx8Z9dkBoI4SN8uXkxD2mYVIdrbNIsRc2Q&oe=6591C117			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67977	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		1757629681367217	1	1.199068184845E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434521970465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447660	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410436617_2603357053162860_7608358903296226130_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RasL1LOy_48AX-EqGV6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDMa9HoGnbPQTwKWYQGjk_mqKNISU-6msOa0X8EO7_FbA&oe=65932DB5	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409579380_1343539046554235_8351093367864393564_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5_2dfnxlgGkAX8gOz-7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBSZDiRXRCiDL6D08rW-7d9piYxrPj6kCdBlIEbzB3R7A&oe=6591947C			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68059	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		754259023183477		7.060869210673E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207705703480456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389344	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409325388_6899827533429006_4677693101902409195_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zJ_5jB2GbYMAX8zIayj&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC6NrIkcgoaEOtOE-O0cay3I9MFcBgr2WODBbKvZwd8Bw&oe=6592FB15	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409871878_796025432291371_7622575314236826031_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SVcEm5OxDhAAX-pdQ8X&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqnY_TndIhCxGaVJ6fZf3vEshjfazrJwRqq-KXE7khWQ&oe=6591DE42			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68066	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		271573489223711		1.4010282708114E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207704766580456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702388963	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409669072_1540292973477664_7063916488699436266_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qRIYujrBTUwAX_VYJ06&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDou-8FKTs2ECdnQ4eA7ybud_31K8iuw9kZq8U6DRlgWA&oe=659242D2	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68072	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		663816935961764	1	1.2971830276494E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	135633352965006		0	DayHistory			120207704767100456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702388963	1.3563335296501E+14	DayHistory	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410760066_3588620631380380_7463877603954114135_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BT7xyFHvbsIAX-jOGMr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC9Y_NHSQOFyk9MWjsz8Km_Hp0EWcDSV6VNazwWNnfwQw&oe=6593211C	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		DayHistory		80	https://facebook.com/61551577186144	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68113	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054161		67		370821722086269	1	8.5330495319101E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113840200491489		0	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊			6541570469903		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/dearjoannaa		1702324920	1.1384020049149E+14	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		person_profile	0	joanna tam	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408970000_907940224088927_4779766478556316349_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pkNDUUuUOTwAX-15ti0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBRAX1ZhdIrhPgCV4peQbEkdPn1LNanG-1tdCJQW5xdGQ&oe=6592785B			0	3	more dates like this, please 🫖		𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		0	https://facebook.com/100080768289817	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68069	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		1807368093021438	2	1.9868155050345E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104712185686282		0	Historical Hiccups			120207705447290456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389243	1.0471218568628E+14	Historical Hiccups	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408522975_1277819292881384_2594323298924108517_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MuLudcRyz_wAX9jzq7x&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBOP2zJgWqBj6ui0wlIaJuS4dH-vPc0kmHrb66vCh3hVQ&oe=659239B2	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		Historical Hiccups		640	https://facebook.com/100084229586929	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68084	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		2629874740507411	1	1.0220405357682E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143608210670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374887	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409969258_1524974978044236_4874162312977027092_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y6w6ZLYT5PwAX9Wxxaj&_nc_oc=AQnOOXi0vRCqhHB9JV_Y7HlfDgrrkE9lr2TSLzPyXMGQETfB3bMDvlib14MvuaRPbvU&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDn7DyvMnRTvb4qj2wa24jTs7wNihblFWVxir8_E_exAQ&oe=659171D2	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408887934_168090596366512_1314253674861531645_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tZ4ys8WFUBcAX8x0Pvq&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBXrKgNPzP1nB3QFso5L-7fS9eNQYNP3aS4JAgPqWlA6A&oe=65925E0A			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68124	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054161		67		1310917342954265	3	5.910962964769E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216182270123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310322	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409901703_868595004907564_5133046257370520780_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t57eF01BZkAAX8s11rA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCukyBTdmULM12EA8YLbTZxsakSYPU8vUc9QulSLxDmLg&oe=6593378E	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410508283_379537051139343_2708033592393721955_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UKJsNCbXnu4AX-Ck-Uq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDOT5D0ajt72TRWN9wmHLd5uI29DSZ9o8S8WK5ur0Vzdw&oe=6591CF8C			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68361	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		3219202098381021	1	4.4571343034402E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	12013348247		0	Country Living Magazine			120202295240230684		countryliving.com	No button		NONE	image	These Joanna Gaines-Approved Finds Are on Our Amazon Wishlist		https://www.countryliving.com/shopping/g40177047/joanna-gaines-amazon-prime-day-2022/?utm_source=facebook_arb&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=arb_fb_clv_d_i_comm_k1_g40177047		1701963933	12013348247	Country Living Magazine	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408864220_767749615191319_3069477737327055773_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ax5_LVZ2ZNcAX_NW3Ss&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXo52tmf-24V7MjhQ12CjkG_PFqMgxysXOu-wdSV-3Kw&oe=65916AB7	person_profile	0					0	3	Farmhouse style on a budget right this way.		Country Living Magazine		5145670	https://facebook.com/CountryLiving	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68156	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054161		67		571266558501557	1	1.0418260903001E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498170220278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287785	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408166041_2036506830038101_4743652711004999883_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BhVpmMSrE8EAX-zGb2h&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsJ_-J2jU6fQhgZdWvW5rR8IcfGXnXm7I0TgA0T89pRg&oe=6591A9AB	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408149451_377732768093930_2283874663494221972_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=I67tWqCg6owAX9tfYQS&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXSKyVcL4IlyqfbJus96s0Op48NER__67c4Pn7ZCnGLA&oe=659295D4			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68172	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054161		67		924486135762240	2	3.5398860056005E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202763397940520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Trouble in Chip and Joanna Gaines paradise	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702282579	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409560517_287365630929889_6012791952257151047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kkhu3bKKobIAX8EUhv7&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvD1bOEeW569TMQJA2QzK3Tb2WJ_AUnCLyCjOtfMEnHQ&oe=6592F21A	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68180	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054161		67		198676736640822	1	2.1078608395597E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204871519930427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702210989	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408123395_384341080709272_1097510747898251926_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G0BTjurmmvYAX_FOSOJ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB_KI0FquIZN2w57v5XEccu5INXZUyl7E6N8DkbZ4wvAg&oe=659294C0	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408149355_2436377796569260_4808543807493039636_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bz9-Bzu2Jp0AX8tpiT_&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBOOwRh7n6_CgozZH4sxB6Jq38Q6NAtnQv5BuL3gBaFiw&oe=6591C3A4			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
69974	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		1358352648111423	1	8.7753966365766E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158904760403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633016	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403618374_900131798298269_1685653864037160793_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J14Ey2Y83i4AX8vpY5F&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCdPvEMRkzZbaesc6GupnD-h_IWwIU0aDHIge78WqWXBA&oe=65920377	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403634340_1005222160739845_4948499282257006530_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OsYT6VMzbTEAX_PcgcO&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDOmyiZvqxsnkM4iswbsG__EhrQxlgl1mgRX6kvMPyX5Q&oe=65929F1B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69983	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054161		67		1688231188353974	5	8.6521589200757E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579114360115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632987	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404267892_688453713380405_4191432616526791793_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DASzUDzYMmYAX8DWRmd&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAV4M34rucWNvjcBkrFtgzbSxfFVE_B6mQX9PnZp9A6pw&oe=65930578	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404514822_339753061984127_8006196190542325365_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SGciWFkm7Y8AX_kOzHL&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPhWRTk2UpcEaYGgHFsgibvQJYOepJ-63_EYEJPvsd6Q&oe=6592C9F4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68216	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054161		67		907441843709970	3	1.0813951533077E+15		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753718930427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119691	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409318944_887164666471946_728370610298089367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dwf2hs1TghwAX_bAEh9&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD8h0EtJ2afCmZKXrkLuR4kwtU-hiWG8dX30_Nd7KQpmQ&oe=65917A6B	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408603138_1025862652006769_7286759466773098704_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QUnt2lZLcr0AX8TNSxd&_nc_oc=AQl58fKN6Pe4UdsB9j3CfTGJFARlkIj0s0zNG8pMZVrOkqXCxJIhy5IyQ4h49Vxx5gU&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBr6Y-9d4B2I5y9ID899HVVkPuFg_XO_V6Fo_zAYna-QA&oe=6592C985			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68221	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054161		67		1289577438386597		3.7245110544223E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753705780427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119694	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408114679_1289096975183889_2214690332243210511_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eNxHkzxqX4gAX8a8vWV&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCfknV1gw3cR6G41uxUW8G8hESfWbq-RpMEHo0jLRjvAw&oe=6592B1F5	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408134924_1081997149484653_3004667486309422262_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0v8tSoT3hzgAX-ZXWic&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBRzKbr_LcU-Pq4mViIMVRuuBWMuObgpDzb2CVoLO5j_w&oe=65915AC2			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68247	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054161		67		663807149148728	1	7.2846014917364E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	615410171938741		0	Solid Rock at Market Common			6536311189735					NONE	video	Perfect Gifts for Imperfect People | *Part 7 Mary & Martha.				1702099025	6.1541017193874E+14	Solid Rock at Market Common	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409171378_887634052570992_8672173364702368552_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0SY5eBRh0NgAX-XKnOn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAdzztrM83bMkUPKZvzWgx8pwicYHSz7QNIHel9MlzLZg&oe=6592F4F2	person_profile	0	Solid Rock at Market Common	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409056671_3105672992897279_7287723783284809790_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wFvv4asZ8RYAX8U5dwk&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDLGY5uxFLzx85m0EkPw9wSh7mdwOboef3bVMVswMRhXg&oe=6591582B			0	3	Perfect Gifts for Imperfect People | *Part 7 Mary &amp; Martha.<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> #solidrock #marketcommon #myrtlebeach #communitychurch #perfectgifts #Imperfectpeople #part7 #maryandmartha		Solid Rock at Market Common		2887	https://facebook.com/SolidRockMinistriesMB	0								1702022400		View Edit Delete
68268	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054161		67		732332694951997	1	1.5100802665087E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672556380427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030431	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409090294_1574147526692306_5559160607071168624_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ze6PHShtVDEAX_v4B4_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBaL9LpmU9Bjhtsn05nqydgQTN00g8k53kclIxVrmBafw&oe=65914E47	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409077294_652175363798634_1592640710652141670_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FHt2FuRbY_MAX_qUezs&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD6mgAahoyftvd6ZKCrwuykFIaugBysHpWqcGxIqDNY0A&oe=659211BA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68279	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054161		67		1281608559201520	1	3.383970355849E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672500310427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030359	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408990170_884630293300435_3740761784397217551_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C7PYmxBRFugAX-dzEWy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKA3tVhvbRyb9gkDMPh0f4s95EDchewCjrriiv-PriPw&oe=6591C199	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408980966_1524222668337845_3170312655558723381_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oK89Mr-ZecIAX-MLhGB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAa31CkJfsmhYESoiT61FiT8tnBODS_X5O959W9FfmVww&oe=65928864			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68383	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054161		67		256448274108337	1	2.743502785532E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997389200476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940777	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408680151_1529214724559710_5948386958960298730_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7RIZglXxKXYAX8lyl3j&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCWOEjPGX2BuT8_jO-cFfHzAYVPluQM7WgwKJskxmDw8Q&oe=65918B7F	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408001083_736238011686852_1856964123767387613_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lbmXncEJygMAX9k0g5F&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDscPEGzfHdurfk8nyHHBaQtaiUL4iyLSwwgvGfBzFEzQ&oe=65917DA1			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
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68458	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		268316125863750	3	3.3370405270608E+14		1702540800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	119292717940871		0	Family Shirts M02			6531613039684		myfamilyshirt.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D8	Best gifts for your Family	https://myfamilyshirt.store/joanna-things-d8		1701886805	1.1929271794087E+14	Family Shirts M02	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408391508_1717008085444427_3826645872387921374_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e3JSyq2xkeIAX-pflwh&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBj_0bKKyub8cSTLKl__ezMq1tltjvQZ3CTi7xOUocUUw&oe=6592EEFA	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyfamilyshirt.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1yay3NRsMOYaBUCBC_np7MPgBt6szkP7-VI7xCm859V78BLaSs7zqTV2Vz1z555Vk8A8DXcZK8rbNO42psJy93fu7OtCJvbikcj3ID4ziNnaW5YBE1E1F3mMjntmVTjPfuIA9_bgdgNOYj9topMnlughY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myfamilyshirt.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Shirts M02		57	https://facebook.com/61551643250696	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68471	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		1356737398289078	6	3.7523690827598E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201882303600476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856344	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407983980_7104104022944216_2595737633573786845_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wIpGJYd1e5AAX-Jzhs5&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBopuFdukUaId_1Ry1ohGzFQsVA07HswPXUXB1Bs3nNmQ&oe=6592C105	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408030942_265000116574994_8642012297430331363_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kcnpyWDOA0IAX9Hj9mH&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBSzUHPDx_cFAZNMAG6REE-c9MHm38q-HAvVk4to8DLJA&oe=6592822A			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68177	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054161		67		1512324726210643	1	3.4334114500461E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	2029906193959240		0	Heritage Doodles YYC			120204333768440242		instagram.com	Learn more		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/heritagedoodlesyyc		1702251574	2.0299061939592E+15	Heritage Doodles YYC	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409556113_715255074000113_7267899979328551819_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=yP45ZjfH5_oAX_xkkmZ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCK54xk-68u-nb9cBDAizn3kzA07iV_4LMIHxIFb5WIvQ&oe=6591EA39	person_profile	0	Heritage Doodles YYC/ Lizzy Kusch	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406494986_352953080652358_3959872513373634302_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SDIIWYhyHrEAX83jwkr&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDavzpfiUK1AdZpCJXtUNndlnyQd75s-wy8dRmAFlmcvw&oe=65932896			0	3	Meet Joanna and her Cavapoo, Rufus! Joanna says Rufus’ tail wags have turned her home into a house of happiness! These are the testimonies that have built our reputation over 9 years! 🏡💖 We&#039;d love to hear your story - DM us! <br /> <br /> #HappyTails #DoodleTestimonial		Heritage Doodles YYC		2521	https://facebook.com/HeritageDoodlesYYC	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
69196	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054161		67		2070616986605499		3.764241743862E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145432820740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Speaks Out to the World Breaking Her Silence.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806360	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404302208_367385385674169_8748197518989188889_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bA0CkRS7hAYAX9wXGbi&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDVAr4DgUnRg0RQnitDs_VgdTPo9ERyDNqoMHw0Yf2oeQ&oe=65914ACA	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers Hid This for Years, Now Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband and Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Show Ending.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
67966	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054161		67		1090146315349636	1	8.6666960516079E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203220179740670		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702449363	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410768755_267090626019349_9081311543969533993_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kYU00Iashm4AX93qCsC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBPgfT1HPa5PQz8P4KoLeErhetMPKi-vcDV4-jiR7pHdw&oe=6593047A	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410794469_1060392522053375_8639602489542618154_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fKaV1ZSKkBMAX_F7PVC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfALDvcgp6LSF0qP4q3iyn-nzy-2diOofiDmbcDtQNdgYA&oe=6592EBB7			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68420	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054162		67		330227566469965	6	3.3839384883275E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997227310476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940567	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408559821_736161731718575_6214888025537716846_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M0DoE2VvO5EAX_cm_J1&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA03xyA9Cg4PLLg8r5gPihNa-FtgoXB1Z7G66mvwqqeew&oe=65918499	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408426490_677410297866101_8101439378871375041_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nH28HdsstHIAX9r4j8O&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBBcwduYROiMDx-SyCu_G2akxCdr1OECIqeUDbbMefJIQ&oe=6591F97A			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69004	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		722028976514335	1	7.4010827131417E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201716000690115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140551	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405812101_1046605616598895_4893163478746063162_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E3Uyg_2QGpEAX_DUhgn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqtxY5sZlfEd2jDiEYU_ZIb1X5zG0XUv4GKwkohjEz4A&oe=65922DF1	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405793306_875932034164200_9051107551516836448_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LO48yeDFhJ4AX8ghPyz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXHZ-urRB_PRJUZeGmGhE5HbL-a3jlwlKvpH89MCjA-g&oe=6591F99A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68801	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054162		67		1871696426594497	2	6.6195068276272E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1181854881965784		0	Royal Delicacy			120203290717970409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1701290558	1.1818548819658E+15	Royal Delicacy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406125870_3560897967520226_5250621508673673819_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D0TuMNqMYb0AX8ycrzc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA6AqYGaXtZDzY0ULH1F0EF_g6qO3GrLx8cBq5lcnf1pw&oe=6592A318	person_profile	0	Royal Delicacy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406093546_1554108028693564_2771849704211741776_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O94SdYy9cYAAX-ZDgyS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB6tAEmldogzoLCn8HORICcR0Rg818RtdUacIeHbkLo2w&oe=65930F04			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Royal Delicacy		85390	https://facebook.com/RoyalDelicacyFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1701504000		View Edit Delete
68505	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054162		67		1299642164032109	1	3.6637996273042E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201103334290540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701850802	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407972815_1473373749900583_8582907547728050205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oFGWHM02mgcAX__PhLI&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmv8WkDy_Zes77VMosLl9qnJnPslT2Ji4FIysEIsVsNw&oe=65926589	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407943805_3533874583533392_5173607830673882393_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e3ZEAxCnJuwAX_q750r&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBG2tdSHnHB-hTmJA9Yae4QbpiYkqSqlSSAvlSZv1h9GQ&oe=6591A6F8			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68327	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054162		67		3241027996199785	6	1.7169165788042E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074058470476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015926	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409111269_1029847298226762_1269292537890859034_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LVbChQ6bi9MAX-V88uk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxH8vmDj4yyoZwxo9JAcI3iM9Zs59iDCD_eBLyJ1sA-g&oe=6592A034	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408967790_340295661956522_8274557222186122128_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SRws5es_FZQAX8iWGsk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBGNPM7yTmkO_AaDu_J6-lzKf0e666sPX1279wv4lVmwA&oe=65923C07			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68282	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054162		67		1030445698062456	2	2.6504582961378E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672503280427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030351	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409001028_722652773079883_7572210005580018768_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BJmAyOXwf5oAX-mcd2I&_nc_oc=AQmeYSy6pW3dZfmXoBPLQPvO8e4vb25sdK3Ie0XERbsyY1L_TihjWOYBpCOznEqSV8I&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfClyKgPf7r9d8286-2iOjqFq3VIBfhBCGkVT6PDWxDKyw&oe=6591B7F3	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408853768_1057658002146418_4640967276858029941_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wU0pgVGBMIIAX-3xbcP&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMdDm73dvdNkQ_AkDfEMFybrmacgoMlDtTjiLTydui6A&oe=6591624B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68275	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054162		67		657056253297076	3	3.496162150623E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672505740427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030407	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407985264_1055347472474090_873310301127228096_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lhgq39cm-e8AX-B-SJR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBXx7QuaoG5_MV5pRcCB7ET9prPfceCZB4oz8mhmclNLA&oe=659172C6	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408041406_4000706073495700_2181857195921727526_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xljML8Dt7qgAX-jA7UL&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDILYe9fZDAyv1t0R0WT7bdLI0-7D-qxubiBMRwJV3D8A&oe=65923B5C			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68117	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054162		67		1067647671350437		1.0169349527236E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216190860123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310367	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409564493_377514224649203_1690575282712593921_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vY3m0XuPhdEAX86Bovr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCM5rRpc2Hkz3nkKQL8lEw-q4AHv5RDv05drB5b5N6jrA&oe=65921027	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409693236_1060068771975764_4705895185096444029_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hvoAoNv5ygIAX_fTCiP&_nc_oc=AQlXvSNyl_hmsJS048fQq0IrOrdys3xFQgFYh_QxLO7qPLbW85HMuDYumdvZrXnZZJo&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCop1XS-EbHf1rvbFyLm-QIxyupe1MkriQ_ITn9pByvnw&oe=6591CFEA			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68039	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054162		67		6332728850162849		6.7743684786976E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120207705935030456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389467	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409394927_647387077356910_2669447857043566122_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NLuID-8a9IAAX_ub7_M&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFhOijKsMhem1V2y9xeFd7QNmr4zQi6uzhtD7R7yw_LA&oe=6592ED91	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
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67619	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054162		67		1285102948797257	1	1.4597732382672E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204045590120514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611237	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409759609_370791675491146_1922717916226154851_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fxZ4z_tOvYYAX9MpMvD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeUSI_L5rf9xSmaMUi1dLVIJ4K2CCCtWRZLmzhiGnSpA&oe=6592719E	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411160097_1626440301458063_3267526543724004231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Xxn3yiPyPBoAX80bwc8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhQChQSc8EYnQ8KBn5TfCXrgoaYWnNe5lyoBT9LLRJ9A&oe=6591DE3A			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67731	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054162		67		3677595442564948		1.519232485522E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104503492084237		0	Health and Happiness Hub			6522175069854		healthandhappinesshubb.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Le Creuset Cookware Sets are now On-The-House 🎁		https://healthandhappinesshubb.com/		1702519942	1.0450349208424E+14	Health and Happiness Hub	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411173538_850861853499382_5638610462039550697_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CHoFsqNJ-MAX_2XdwZ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD_APZNu0fONSOH59ZKcgvPWgVuWx1ORgvKU3PfZDOPbQ&oe=6591EB7B	person_profile	0	Health and Happiness Hub	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411161180_382629771092340_5573470845858556112_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ns0gl4DohZAAX8kG6p0&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA05uXi2Uv_7iY3hMRRDKGPYU7L4bvu3Lda7vJihRaN4w&oe=6592CB2F			0	3	🎁🎄DAY 8 of Our 12 Days of Christmas Give_away Sponsored by Chip &amp; Joanna!		Health and Happiness Hub		81	https://facebook.com/61551512137589	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67788	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054162		67		212930071863801		7.013065186452E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548085209		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494398	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410459034_307737295053099_3242163052044719556_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nfrkg1i4sKwAX87zvwp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDeVxy_OL-FlIxOb2tH33dp0Hw3_ZENBMF5PCQe4SdH8g&oe=65916C8D	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410352936_231496063312378_3123021103321075004_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hr7kd1akjEEAX_esO96&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBjsRBaAJqimkNOMCexcslFgFhKbU4vAlVO-KqMl3cKIQ&oe=65932FB4			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68081	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054162		67		338504405573323	1	1.0924869285899E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108524135250933		0	William Helburn			120201929776970593		instagram.com	Contact us		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/william_helburn		1702234047	1.0852413525093E+14	William Helburn	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409720899_342506488486034_2960365884588373862_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mqsFsvAObAwAX9-1jQZ&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB953a8LIcyPfdWaqQPb1iRnQ8-T4YqjikePytqF381WQ&oe=659218B2	person_profile	0	William Helburn	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409574946_1402799847027508_6668014088073201077_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yYJso8UpybIAX-yJg51&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXWG1mDuwM7fJBA-XZAzyV2FwVjz--kpvFt6z2ZkIu8Q&oe=6592B7D0			0	3	&quot;Joanna McCormick Lipstick Bullet&quot; now making its Paris debut at Bill&#039;s first solo European show at Galerie GADCOLLECTION in the Marais.		William Helburn		6	https://facebook.com/WilliamHelburn	0		CONTACT_US						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68095	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054162		67		1032629534670961	1	3.8047892779396E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205058033590427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702371220	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409835269_329655089859309_1186326318606245949_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZrOW4PXtsAIAX9CyqxB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDiYYZ0in0Kw3K_BTB8zATP5whWnc3-bYdu7j4hfzPANA&oe=65919C82	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409679935_333506989451016_8744721879542116488_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aI21FjijfecAX87zyau&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBplHDj3aAJlYU1-4l4_-4bdpzGg-JGc5HXC79Rkre_5w&oe=659309DF			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68288	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054162		67		1127875008667684	1	1.0883881391891E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201339296540540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702023822	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408016864_356946796966395_1360653153040989519_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HvwHxByNzkAAX9Y4ta5&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDm29helNvt_aIcI0dvv-OJjXCAICdTGskGkXXiBzUwjQ&oe=6591DB9D	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407717743_339859801992162_3618965054177352571_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZYhVKWWJAHAAX_Kf1p8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC19mdkC-a6GE52Lf7OuxzDSyt6zzRfd9y8p54-6XIhIQ&oe=6592B89D			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68414	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054162		67		1076259650228066	3	6.7167257495275E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997247500476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940628	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407711733_869063961370764_1250190466952440748_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=r6dQfqPUHKcAX93DeVI&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAoGH1pweRrrvtGJQlf2e6dmMvYq-eZ1YlvalyTdaKaQA&oe=6591FFE2	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407711513_202165636277131_7914356587387540709_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pdZFxwqjFYwAX-6Bs1I&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB2wBYzqFwv4bA_dtnL_aU9jCSGk6j4jfzUSiI7713AMA&oe=6591665E			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66465	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054162		67		1597134261103831	1	1.2010030673455E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109912667013395		0	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate			120203672883390183			No button		NONE	video	My Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipe!				1702946256	1.099126670134E+14	Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412300575_1857326674700970_2687031984648221583_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SLFseT2bLy8AX95c11G&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDxDZc8STLv9ELNFBY0oHMvMC8FrOFRfAr_b_y6M7UZlg&oe=65930093	person_profile	0					0	3	My favorite recipe for Christmas cookies! First, gather all of the ingredients. Second, take a cute picture for social media.<br /> <br /> Finally (and this is the most important step), go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thesweetboutiquebakery">The Sweet Boutique Bakery</a> here in Sugar Land and buy as many of their cookies as you can. Give them to friends and family, and they&#039;ll think you baked them! Win-win. Merry Christmas everyone 😉<br /> <br /> - Joanna		Joanna Ouderkirk, REAL Estate		25	https://facebook.com/JoannaHoustonHomeGals	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68975	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		698167699045537	2	9.5288120640458E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119816401108725		0	Complete Day Magazine			120200984181250257		falafelandcaviar.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Los productores intentaron ocultar esto al público durante mucho tiempo, pero ahora, Joanna no solo rompió el silencio sobre su esposo, sino que también supimos lo que sucedió detrás de escena que terminó el programa.	Fixer Upper de HGTV es uno de los reality shows inmobiliarios más populares de todos los tiempos. Chip y Joanna Gaines se han vuelto súper famosos gracias a sus papeles en la presentación del programa súper popular y a las celebridades por derecho propio. Pero cuando su matrimonio comenzó a des...	https://falafelandcaviar.com/desarrollarse-verdad-j5-ext/		1701108975	1.1981640110872E+14	Complete Day Magazine	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406277166_895683788612490_5782394380142598615_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=l47P_7KVVZMAX-GwhW5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCW6f59qnnIdoamAB2fbL-2aODEGUn3wEKCQmFeKrX_7g&oe=659239D7	person_profile	0					0	3	Fixer Upper&#039;s Dark Downers: Los secretos ocultos detrás del exitoso programa de televisión.		Complete Day Magazine		48	https://facebook.com/100092596243928	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69574	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054162		67		286973457079838	1	1.3451861030266E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111590884348619		0	Scoolinary			120203950046630679		scoolinary.com/christmas-desserts	Watch more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.scoolinary.com/courses/christmas-desserts		1700679874	1.1159088434862E+14	Scoolinary	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403613002_805689881309072_7767401198295744866_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lQztcrGWNf4AX91UufB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCKChY1VDBKoIQ4okOfQWz-L-b9pJXBh1m9aE8Em5dlxA&oe=65922334	person_profile	0	scoolinary_en	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403615285_873637664089394_2004533309424656436_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TpchvP8a9twAX_DFDf0&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBOGj5_k8jywIrzd_GIs6AvaqB3DOqYkfxUMtYOIyem0w&oe=6591E3C1			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Scoolinary		180771	https://facebook.com/ScoolinaryEN	0		WATCH_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68487	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054162		67		236878435947620	1	3.1146792184398E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458533270691		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856042	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407933397_668006772025497_7394531184827387520_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XmjvvD7sAucAX-QaVTy&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGLAw_9bvQHiCGhQ4WkFy_8g8qk4D1MKFg4NXzY2P8Lw&oe=65920F1A	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407116579_1033747967835054_103182347920413370_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LqA5XT2Sj2YAX9H-_DS&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBVy5g2OYOGRASZJCdNPzk85QKP00h3prQ87Zd09eUVyg&oe=65933385			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68213	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054162		67		732492414980848	1	2.4286494199973E+14		1702195200	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	115119818185522		0	peculiarartbykaye			120201927394140389		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/peculiarartbykaye		1702149849	1.1511981818552E+14	peculiarartbykaye	https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/403822580_336103679037659_358106235280235566_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=39cbqmaFmHsAX9Nm4z9&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDe_NLvjkQkQ2oCsqTvePIDSatBzCLU_qZxcqp5kOsQhQ&oe=65923BBC	ig_ads_identity	1	Florence Kaye	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409173286_1010024370285375_7089455204083972673_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vMG3u86BDAoAX-Jj4aV&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfChGf5w_6WcNdBHiZgZBnXdtILd6Nc1JwDRMrAXHUXM_w&oe=65916075			0	3	Handpainted Tote Bag for Ms Joanna<br /> 💜🎨<br /> Happy Holidays!<br /> <br /> #handpainted #paintonbag #paintontotebag #acrylic #acrylicpainting #acrylicpaintonbags #dubaiart #dubaiartists #mentalhealthawareness #selftaught #selftaughtartist #anxietysupport #anxietyrelief #dubailifestyle #artistsoninstagram #art #floral #floraldesign #bags		peculiarartbykaye		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/peculiarartbykaye	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68558	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054162		67		908047200835496	1	6.6626838902225E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	871611042878073		0	Author Maggie Dallen			6504533813756		maggiedallenbooks.com	Shop now		NONE	video	5 Books for 30% Off!	"Loved this book! The characters come to life!" - Joanna	https://maggiedallenbooks.com/products/the-bluestocking-battalion-series-bundle		1701720981	8.7161104287807E+14	Author Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407113460_6901585673212563_2853654272102063678_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rj07VV8sTc0AX8C02Ac&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAa6W4nJvxext57E7mq0VdDOJFDtuacQWFdcabpLJQORQ&oe=659242FA	person_profile	0	Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407050108_1352574295372524_5771940014494154790_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bTSb-FctDoAAX8JCz1j&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCzlNmNCcN7RJQFP_81lqgUhsU-pmNbbC00kks1NVHAxA&oe=6591C40A			0	3	Yesterday, I was a bookish wallflower leading a predictable life. But then I stumble upon a pirate in a cave, and he mistakes me for a spy.<br /> <br /> He takes me captive. But eventually he figures out the truth. <br /> I&#039;m just a dutiful daughter whose life has been planned out, right down to who I&#039;ll marry. So he says he&#039;ll let me go.<br /> <br /> But this morning, when I seek out my father to confess what happened, he&#039;s not alone in his study. The pirate is there. <br /> <br /> But now he&#039;s dressed like a gentleman, and he greets me with a wicked smile. “Ah, just the young lady I was hoping to meet.”<br /> <br /> BOOK: Miss Minerva&#039;s Pirate Mishap<br /> <br /> What readers are saying, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <br /> &quot;I loved every book in this series! It was so fun to read about each sister finding adventure and love. If you love sweet regency romances...I highly recommend these books!&quot; <br /> <br /> Get the 5 E-Books in this bundle series and save 30% today! The PERFECT way to support the author directly.<br /> <br /> After your purchase. Receive an email with the link to the ebook. <br /> <br /> Download the books with one click and send them to your kindle, tablet, or phone. And READ!<br /> <br /> Thank you for supporting me directly! 🥰		Author Maggie Dallen		2637	https://facebook.com/MaggieDallenAuthor	0		SHOP_NOW						1701676800		View Edit Delete
69266	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054162		67		356684386910990	2	6.7028769192245E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	2166029823488459		0	Marspeta			120203176203880409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700908911	2.1660298234885E+15	Marspeta	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405215255_6548534625276185_4826408606391728120_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MTOXNWLz2z4AX8-L4Ln&_nc_oc=AQmfnJ-qOqXGnfnqPWPq2evjTAtbYPquiTMIfZP-mDgYzRUUX2SCkn-9i9-Ab2_HeLA&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCAx-qASJKVJy3lOOvprjVqY2216j2Oma48FeUgvFe4pA&oe=65933684	person_profile	0	Marspeta	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405293747_245167258575865_724253333890191234_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Hyl5YsA4oRcAX83w1LK&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSIBiTarjniJoF_kC3Tuj8q2v14nvrRbDIgHKKhABcng&oe=6592D4A9			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Marspeta		27670	https://facebook.com/Marspeta	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68914	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		337191488917550	1	3.6534574588687E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201210412480123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701171822	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406222213_366614555899519_5173103408492940001_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mXTJyQwIol8AX-t7zpk&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABfUuWaI6Sso3Sk2NDxXFE2gTkLtMv9XCrx5XGKIHrbA&oe=6591D140	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405935624_733790891977309_2447573897378692757_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SdbZJStFx_YAX8fr8Wc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBacISi6fOqYkD5TBP51hYjKlhx8ZvqRhJLXVID5YAT5A&oe=6591B1CD			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68822	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054162		67		1080166450006509	1	6.5705933327346E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203115912520294		m.dreame.com	Download		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		https://m.dreame.com/novel/1800871680?auto_jump=true&utm_source=facebook_ads&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&af_prt=risingtechnolog&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701257156	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406558363_3597427283875668_182813003564515239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XH1YkcK0uM4AX_fiOBG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPoZECogNRk7Z93Q89V2zdNPgqhfNcF6k03LnijZjz0w&oe=65918E2E	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406077721_859665455612890_2645273248071537028_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tWflc-dbyO8AX8dbFun&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDKmCp9Q1sYhTyDIuQ0qF451ZSnwuXN01NYyXjHvxih8Q&oe=65931F9A			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67148	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054162		67		373692558678329	1	8.4326891396404E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103863061327591		0	A Test Account for Vin			120202737561180167		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/juliabfeesir		1703007551	1.0386306132759E+14	A Test Account for Vin	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412707801_1534591354046850_2511089786835681934_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W3oK8qPwizkAX9sk12_&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAriYOZmhnIyLPAYVvS5ba5-n-sRKBpszPy4RQyFtX44A&oe=6592FBFD	person_profile	0	Julia B. Fee Sotheby's Realty	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412281485_859590019280871_7665735574537675650_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DNh_39tx7E4AX8y3UwO&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCpykaWI1nI3oqEWRBLO9tZurLX5MFFTOiL12um3hBQJA&oe=6591460C			0	3	Welcome home to 10 Nancy Lane, quite possibly the highest peak in Chappaqua, NY, sitting at 720&#039; with magnificent views.⁠<br /> ⁠⁠<br /> 10 Nancy Lane, Chappaqua, NY⁠<br /> $2,875,000⁠<br /> 6 Bedrooms⁠<br /> 5/1 Baths⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Don’t miss out on the opportunity to own this beautiful home, listed with &#064;amy_joanna_team. Learn more via the link in bio.⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> #JBFSIRListings #JBFSIRChappaqua #JBFSIRWestchesterCounty #BeyondTheCity #JBFSIR #SothebysRealty #WestchesterCounty		A Test Account for Vin		12	https://facebook.com/vintestaccount	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
69659	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054162		67		366680749061784		8.5894191571687E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201778904010250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677851	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404641104_695922715605664_4661830556968240599_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z4uoTqIzfScAX87UsGY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBQmyohwU0jriNzRQhDkXMiLKS_JHkAm32p7HXKBQSmoA&oe=65927F5E	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68932	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		720273586285678	1	8.5898746585465E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120200685804240123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700053429	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402162568_1063652217992205_8708779396906899641_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=24iSRhEehz0AX9REfEJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDgevt05DSZtpp3KlbZjVIUA8FxdrcYwDOSS5Kut0ETCw&oe=659214F0	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401473019_1597523760784902_6608858444847777742_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eDCt9bN824IAX_bWY-x&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPuz_Itcv6WUIcb6u6IEC_nPOcBF5K8nzdKufRW4sotA&oe=65933A44			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68064	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054162		67		858925919350608	7	1.4010282708114E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207705844050456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389395	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410656271_1733305633855408_8990219472974340376_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oM1p_1bPbuAAX8qIDdL&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfALbavKTV4bJwI-s2o1b94oZty7IrCfryzGomXYowTFag&oe=65918477	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68581	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054162		67		700687598686535		8.7782916725369E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	122592520767444		0	Airboosts			120202122350760782			Send message		NONE	video	Message us here 👉🏼			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"ctm_lead_gen_new","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?"},{"title":"Can you tell me more about your ad?"},{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?"}],"quick_replies":[],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"image_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"template","payload":{"template_type":"generic","elements":[{"title":"","buttons":[]}]}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"video_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"video","payload":{"attachment_id":""}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"visual_editor_new","ctm_lead_gen_template_id":"281762424850452","template_id":"885401392819527"}	1701704874	1.2259252076744E+14	Airboosts	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407877989_291726109937404_7153169024939920890_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f2eEzXvfbgMAX-PCaOy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCLVql4NmPwuESZbqEyHkW94FlyWgW6t5uEexbsyjcWcQ&oe=6593133B	person_profile	0	Airboosts	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407745291_749416807231065_5536794603987378400_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bUBdF5mPEAMAX-1gzRk&_nc_oc=AQne5cBErCDc5jbXKvfZOuB3-hNDShtyF4A9KNwr2y8WDT6vNtll2dwp0VMQy444CFhW4z6zItaFElOPHUh3mbYk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBCdRafJhDSHX0j_ckh11JrfU7OegpDHszNWjyABgp-Uw&oe=65931F59			0	3	Airbnb hosts with beautiful properties, do you want to maximize your Airbnb listings potential? 🏠<br /> <br /> We specialize in optimizing your listings for maximum potential, from full story-telling descriptions to captivating photo captions and titles, all perfectly aligned with the algorithm.<br /> <br /> Here&#039;s our bold promise:<br /> ✅ If you don&#039;t fall in love with your new listing, we won&#039;t rest until you do.<br /> <br /> Ready to join the other 94+ hosts &amp; 164+ listings we have helped since February and to maximize your Airbnb listings?<br /> <br /> - Susan: “We are up to 10 bookings - what the heck! I’m so glad but geepers, you’re good lol”<br /> <br /> - Joanna: “I can’t stop looking over how great it looks. I have another listing and was wondering if you could help me with this one as well”<br /> <br /> - Brian: “Before your help when I searched for my property we were about two pages down. Today the same search lists us at #1! Fantastic result”<br /> <br /> - Ann: “Lewis, you just made my day! Thank you. These changes are wonderful, are you up to doing a few more of my listings?”<br /> <br /> - Nikki: “Airboosts did a phenomenal job rewriting and creating descriptions for our listing, they constructed a vibe through words that we were lacking and desperately needed. Highly recommend!”<br /> <br /> Message us now to book our &quot;Listing Optimization Boost&quot; and watch your Airbnb presence transform! 📩💪🏼		Airboosts		57	https://facebook.com/Airboosts	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68655	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054162		67		699044418871004	1	1.0680436310567E+15		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	61713230678		0	Constructor University			120201612732240517		constructor.university	Learn more		NONE	video			https://constructor.university/		1701428700	61713230678	Constructor University	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407381381_725133739081184_2923294614463295516_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qAVzXUVCF38AX-wcIE9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDfxJgXeb-wC_bq5ljBlt_W8X0-0ODjlti8Y7Xeae0GVQ&oe=6592E44F	person_profile	0	Constructor University	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407455489_1438240180369006_2938070211127740689_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8atcudZiaygAX8K-5HZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAmRjC17hD0AGubzGhwqWWl7bD4i4mKhyLrtxXzSJi7og&oe=6591D251			0	3	Watch as our students tackle the ultimate Constructor University trivia challenge! <br /> <br /> #Trivia #UniTrivia #ConstructorUniversity #University #Challenge		Constructor University		39015	https://facebook.com/constructor.university	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68691	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054162		67		6947854471937170	1	1.0723308208704E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200731438670540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701410887	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401258275_3460131850871104_618686418538284388_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=swf8S4zDnk8AX8i3xO7&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBrK5zaRxN-d25nlscKVv19wvi0IxfgJq2bnGugLD2FuQ&oe=6592686D	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407163124_737140688231217_2497785612608877398_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6ebC_DWGIroAX-ZBP06&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCrctV5mrn5-5VkwVJIvigQE9ELj1SSdI3zQJvXo93Hrw&oe=6592F352			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68722	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/6/25, 3:07 PM	1703760171	1746562065		67		24236298552684011	1	3.706483120849E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113840200491489		0	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊			6503411484103		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/dearjoannaa		1701378472	1.1384020049149E+14	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		person_profile	0	joanna tam	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406406223_1800624843695270_1218155898745768548_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_QS6geuHO3kAX8ZK8-A&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBLEzX_5NMhZsy4AgbUgn8A7H3ODKxLmrDtRlvXiX7sLw&oe=65925E4C			0	3	feeling cozy 🧸 &#064;revolve⁣<br /> ⁣<br /> outfit linked on LTK (link in bio)		𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		0	https://facebook.com/100080768289817	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68773	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054162		67		375910441524936	5	8.188272099976E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120202134454210728		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701332841	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406268882_1822971428161392_168000932333069641_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mFdbODslA1AAX9Q69sO&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBio4OfjytT2ydWhDWxKAo4ZIecfS_VT901hK5JrRCh5w&oe=65927C94	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68892	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054162		67		1524551064966980	1	1.2621303744667E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201748971030115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701227884	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406538837_3680100522278332_4535635162953829219_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pmlVU62uf7IAX-umNq5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfByI6YOA45-vndHuT2Sd_iIO5kWYSXmlCSRqOVKjlR_bA&oe=6592E4F2	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406202244_888414619550930_7467612921225423767_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=neSJ0dCvlyIAX_AqO-E&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyIN0Xe0jB5P5oU6mVu5DpuNowj7TISVVUhf-XKiWc1A&oe=65918AD9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68939	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		2339938436191710	3	7.5655151964125E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109697740494976		0	Word Farm Adventure			120201494511460413		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Renovate the farm🚜🌾		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wordfarm.scapes		1701165951	1.0969774049498E+14	Word Farm Adventure	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406208557_777667474108995_1650746019540814396_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T4zahXT3_ikAX_95qbL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUZINztNThaG6FS6_skl2SYb9-jRAe1am_IIl8a19Xxw&oe=6591BB35	person_profile	0	Mad Brain Games	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406202600_645981064278679_8039667885697435374_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D0GF-CPdX9QAX_2VBg_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAWtHcn3nXwWe6d5ULHV83owht12OUQVRO65Ga7Y5DpqQ&oe=65923562			0	3	🌙 Word Farm Adventure: Find Peace in Puzzles - Unwind, Unplug, and Boost Brain Fitness in 10 Minutes! 🧩		Word Farm Adventure		18123	https://facebook.com/wordfarmadventure	0		PLAY_GAME						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69039	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		890090929127204	1	7.1396269746227E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715934000115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140254	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406240668_756513433186997_4473567189543824918_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z4iYz87SIScAX8TGyOQ&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB3uqYLRzQTjzzzFfrq0iCnx2xryQJmm2yA5HpO5mj-Gw&oe=6591A380	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406324982_336124292466008_4006752389501445123_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uXphJEsbaSQAX928aat&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBu2X0eih06TSgy2Q5ZqcHIfOu_EuMcIwPNZVO0ZsWDZQ&oe=6591E4CB			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69081	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054162		67		369573715578076	4	1.3093793964447E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690732700115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055917	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405921842_896502475180088_7197058286701896349_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MQEnsE5oRBkAX_KyJSE&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAmlQOKVqmRLzIp_r0BxvaeXQysfbNz5ELIxqAfE58A1w&oe=6592214A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405967741_1997564123957856_8211740995595636842_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8zLU3QMhnosAX90BAl8&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDpc5bOBrMgOS_wi8kmyqOfLJYlOntPxgjb9rMzWMLXuQ&oe=659274DD			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69091	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054162		67		620307636783323	1	8.7283816095994E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690720340115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055877	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406270491_830823422057413_2738398626666615644_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hFQX0oJgriMAX9U0I1f&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfCThDQw-aPEGiepu3nIwLfQ08v6l5e8ks638o_cuc6w&oe=65918D53	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405804439_7005895346162344_2366269030184651958_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jTjEkuWDHQcAX96a4bD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAPjMq04TnrXz9uAA0yvWczFqYxoAFFC3cSCXP9MfCg4w&oe=65926949			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69241	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054162		67		3623896747889536	1	2.5148833518049E+16		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674071990115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700970073	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403633908_582926160639581_2939679685080551929_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EuouVzQ7KQwAX8_G07M&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBfGeBXeJ6KqBpQm1FyTVDxSk70u5ApH6k1oiJe1qZ5RA&oe=659208FB	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403689609_1100834104613808_9157559898819072034_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5AdOtbX9waUAX8L-2aq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCbwutH11OguMSYgq9x3l5YrELvLgfyttTaCxNh6olrBg&oe=659201F9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69363	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054162		67		322640487286547	1	3.632222695538E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343768570404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843457	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403757736_1451304512107535_2020381066659176222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RJWrN8F0UrgAX-FOzuJ&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAlfVz9KEymmTDPLeEPnJ2H0ikx6yqtcEElYskdbm5u9w&oe=659234E2	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403755145_375041968293104_3926547408017744366_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ldWFJmZoy8EAX_6PiFj&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfD2xaZQH5O3vchtqZb_kn33CFR_t8paMdsft49mzWEtJg&oe=65920182			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69373	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054162		67		838486624719888	1	2.0898654247059E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343747120404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843555	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404379154_3629249914023369_7440249980536549894_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nNXMVT0nl8YAX_wKyOA&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDdtDb1-Q07955XkiWQgp1CumiYP3NGbT-H-G7Cv1ImVQ&oe=6592415F	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405828052_358980876792506_3300246407302995831_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QCq3hkrjUlMAX_rUBlI&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAugNCqwkdeY-3f3w5Te2WyJ7uiJ0cN_uMEINaOP7_Zrw&oe=65918FFD			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69398	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054162		67		351067144146109	1	3.4203371513785E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220473980404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582759	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403047770_199560026534055_8884005452969853035_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FTEQFO_VWhAAX-VVzim&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBRE2QJ02E8KnKrmHEYD8tyC1VYLoWJXtQcNgMr9tIZVQ&oe=6592272B	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404746527_844774224049542_1468328152344845832_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ffawv0CTNpkAX9vGHYy&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDcecWj_zWWKe5Djv4snPdVSAV5_FZTwZCPANqI-fjoyA&oe=6592CC66			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69441	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054162		67		721727646095757	3	1.0024689641623E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632038660115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796618	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405023908_346298024670572_3808712735196893715_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3_7SZ0jVBg4AX_oIHWZ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB1neNAO0vmW6zXYT54GjIUeCIQ9jnTfBWPk4BSFW4nNg&oe=659167F2	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405213402_1293258458056935_3914115158939821955_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pEGPinRSo2wAX_qUzzZ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMCzB_llkSjZo9558KkF8pThBrGPWWBE4SVW00sD0_2Q&oe=659170B8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69469	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054162		67		3671079293160222	1	3.7099902210698E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200341050610122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/n2ubobd0mpzo0eypph03lps0?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700807529	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405548935_687445973367479_876644150285575446_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k72jdGQnc1wAX_Hp_bA&_nc_oc=AQkEBEnEobUJx0ced_wEGNZ3FjAki7k0yApMgyO-zoAw0eA5NXpi2YpAXN9n-C33qNc&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfByuH1x5vjtZxKx3TwraRiUl24HqTsrOBizxxhNXGkrGg&oe=6592169F	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404603820_677812364496678_4362581624176452925_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6ZPVNHDMLskAX8YpI2Y&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDa7bjCVzpkCH7ujQ9E4R4aA5CVPH2DGNFmPhXQJjEN2w&oe=6592732E			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69492	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054162		67		1052406985890496		1.297378697477E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495714867956		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video	40-50% OFF | Cyber Monday Courses & Certificates	Start your New Year off with Wisdom.	https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700485661	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404251549_255243274214151_1221995075631680717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WH1Fh_ESmjcAX98eVkW&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCa6BY3C8gAePM-NhuQoHvBWQ2iz4KQAK7WcIrvIfiQ2A&oe=6591D644	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402885485_879294740226766_4330294722598361797_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GLtkFL8LZ_8AX9vvdhJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfAkWiXZDm9RDt300Ujzcrb1SkszX7Acgw6J8oVXRKMs7A&oe=659145BA			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69504	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054162		67		252743177489179	2	3.5993855403385E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611856520115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722743	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405280425_2273396286192840_5985616415744208406_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wDxzqcWjT00AX9L1RQ6&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBKwHYPxuhKprhIxzPlvbDQyu4lbfxvCIydXngmgN-d3g&oe=6592EB8F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404947816_3597831400538785_6407692614039875156_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ivi0lKhVGcoAX-o2J5L&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfAV1txMrpUMWs-S9gbnqOcrC3ehAZAcfQoZpBTbdG8vbg&oe=6591B592			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69498	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/26/25, 1:23 PM	1703760176	1745691798		67		653477393649926	1	1.4696266269438E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1394604290830445		0	The London Sock Exchange			6479333917091		thelondonsockexchange.net	Shop now		NONE	carousel			https://thelondonsockexchange.net/collections/sporting-heroes		1700741893	1.3946042908304E+15	The London Sock Exchange	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405530475_668011695477453_3406497415230866497_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zwVbPunAOXQAX9NI7C1&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfDuCEvFABKKMV0QMS6J8TqdBfDG-W-0Q4KmN8-_fupn6w&oe=65930831	person_profile	0	The London Sock Exchange	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405496794_1556520958496925_6369147310630322671_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KzvlsIgXXh0AX-nBWOG&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDfeszB2y-59K-j331F14ZGMGJt_ebrZHoXgiLM-m6kvw&oe=6592E89E			0	3			The London Sock Exchange		1490	https://facebook.com/TheLondonSockExchange	0		SHOP_NOW						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69506	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054162		67		257251350681446	1	1.0258422351995E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611860910115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722774	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625160_900002664413720_7010086864778607309_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2a2wbQLTYTMAX_CsynQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDcYiilITGy_GHgmPrYTbgEOeCuX1CkPqvO8vssbLXyyg&oe=6592F181	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403615362_307229918815519_9013283510315281144_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kVLQYH2l1PwAX9Fa-Mh&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCAUKUu3Knq1FilwoQPC6h5HNtHBmYq4y4BI7CUeEu64w&oe=659308E4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69653	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054162		67		357704596666313	5	1.7938580343989E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102865022224801		0	Tell All Know All			120200721466810167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679791	1.028650222248E+14	Tell All Know All	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403762291_1473273089884334_200510394569536447_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yudTj2MGRfIAX-hUVs8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDjSfixthkuTcn1Ze6l3E2iTF1rqnr8j4TQhWdf17oLVg&oe=6592F000	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Tell All Know All		340	https://facebook.com/100076181432751	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69673	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054162		67		362523082972541	5	2.7834020851566E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779365580250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678775	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404286689_2650950335067980_8718050196012372022_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qbl6yn4w6_QAX_afur2&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC3AMkvuW0jfKCc8-zvmmibfD4LNqE1BAXQuK-A2WIGdw&oe=6592293B	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69688	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054162		67		635172428566905	5	6.8579776031172E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779358230250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678748	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404275079_681458767299748_350875266989297425_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AsM-FRsshBQAX9PZZNG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuixQ8JVbMqVYi1eRC9E6Zkg9FXJ0zcT6HxqICdXLlaQ&oe=6592CBFC	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70056	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054162		67		889839295837641	1	8.8981067614682E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112156650243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554451	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403177857_361247963129265_7063971374654004684_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f-AgFLL66CwAX-sRFUR&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCS8r1iuK3N7J55nuPjryL-gAJKMieLMK_jb0fO97d_YA&oe=6591C948	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403791223_1489574398253149_8538264229265305769_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t8ElOVV1IWgAX_Fms2K&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDTWJ6QK7XpKn-LnnOUKnRdFwYKiJ4OGImJnXJUqJfNtw&oe=6591E8B1			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
66445	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054162		67		775600721003543	2	2.6792356532018E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120204448520470087		www.joannaczech.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Biologique Recherche Skincare	The 'facial in a bottle'	https://www.joannaczech.com/products/lotion-p50		1703181157	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412766438_248959861381133_3149345582866265197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zFVJbAezzPQAX-5EW4W&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBfCBozPk2pFlh4oxDzgcJUJbNXYJ9QbYnfyUe0YGNrng&oe=6592A9F6	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412870896_270537152344573_436520874486154881_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-1AgKmTBPN0AX-SkfCZ&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDdwENmM1-IdTmhohFEqz4AmWdYjJ5kKgttgUYnQ_RODw&oe=6592E802			0	3	Hailed as a ‘facial in a bottle’ Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 is a progressive, purifying, cleansing, balancing and re-conditioning liquid exfoliant. <br /> Shop the Lotion P50 Exfoliating Toner for radiant skin.		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66522	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/3/25, 9:56 PM	1703760158	1746327368		67		382809747603133	1	6.7509533450383E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361669130579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657235	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413933033_890332965945859_5553239490191408324_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iNZUir2q3U4AX-R0Cf-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDvj1rYVQHKabToI7BX279ev_v1TN6IFqR-kim7kbe0dQ&oe=65926D55	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414083029_2662201773944652_2905886135591609613_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8wfke4KlqyUAX-Nxw5l&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7jVTkdgrWo2Os5mDMSyilZr9nWJf_CdbPabHKkJi33w&oe=65923505			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66718	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054162		67		370118758942126	1	1.3890099224923E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204697296910210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/816?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703498858	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414697329_1357278534909112_457734377906469875_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hvFI424rlakAX8Nkx6C&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-KAfWHsglbkKZ7S0721gIign5omQ_Na7r8o5dFXw8PA&oe=6591A315	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414453359_911248193827687_4494892511382565140_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MS_Wit1yXLYAX_YIx9I&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfClg5mibUW2-Fv6S4HlRswgnIfqVwvXjq5ituGHkM17KQ&oe=65931F3E			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66840	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054162		67		664614199080718	1	9.1566261309767E+14		1703664000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	182676118267877		0	natscustoms17			120203215466270163		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/natscustomes17		1703312106	1.8267611826788E+14	natscustomes17	https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/413406281_897413425068042_2710729923753501370_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=nPE6sJ2JGN4AX-Vbw-y&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfAIeLpbihlX5xnHJLPVmBUQJSOfEBkHjaLPftOrTrmGPg&oe=6591DDC2	ig_ads_identity	1	Natalie Apuzzo	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413936054_387254973665506_4181887023643737499_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XaTxlXjDj2IAX8ndmNM&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAlaxfF4fXmWghAptCJa6BAw2-vgDOByCMA2XUy4LdQCg&oe=6591D5D1			0	3	A recent order that I created for a family friend! My heart collage is a great gift to give someone you love. Joanna, I hope your mom loves her frame!🤍		natscustoms17		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/natscustoms17	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
70086	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054162		67		201063362975067	20	6.6684229876572E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090813370403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700544994	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404665688_272063878729891_3926092173644167717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F5eXwYBojEUAX8She3W&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAxgFQRNbs9tD8NTo9sdq3pw1Gn-5Fc9tvxoXFhWcm5nA&oe=65924483	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402962089_723238649319343_1916217454629496075_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t33KCNxnKYgAX96j8Ol&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCPQPGFvBOTwfjSN--glNHG35Wzv-h35e4XMRow8xvUOw&oe=6591EA5A			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68755	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054162		67		347799567846045	1	1.2821787991052E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	711420849053256		0	Mamut Dentistry			23861766083710188		implants.mamutdentistry.com	Learn more		NONE	carousel	Mamut Dentistry		https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey		1696896131	7.1142084905326E+14	Mamut Dentistry	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387741903_231484352951811_2346666230853265892_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lUHlHYgF23gAX-HDzk7&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCVLEWwQsf-E8mnL_GhtOseb9C0zcuUsqd064ft8_VlAA&oe=65930F58	person_profile	0	ᴍᴀᴍᴜᴛ ᴅᴇɴᴛɪsᴛʀʏ	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387835822_1012091040111070_7769729215277135502_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UkZxudpp9RgAX_WFQar&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDCAHxnhztoI-NcXcvyH4cximis1iUc_6Fhc4aCcoWCXQ&oe=6591A4D9			0	3	🙏 Greetings, Queens neighbors! Today, we want to share a story that might resonate with many of you - a story of hope, transformation, and the rediscovery of an unshakeable smile. <br /> <br /> 👉 It&#039;s the story of a beloved member of our community who faced the challenges of losing some of her teeth due to a life-altering accident. <br /> <br /> Meet Mary, a vibrant soul known for her cheerful disposition. But beneath her radiant exterior, she grappled with the silent struggles that followed her accident. Missing teeth, once a symbol of her infectious smile, left her feeling incomplete. She hesitated to express herself, her favorite dishes became a distant memory, and she had no idea about the gradual weakening of her jawbone.<br /> <br /> One day, while scrolling through her social media feed, Mary stumbled upon a glimmer of hope - dental implants. Could this be the key to regaining her confidence and joy? The thought sparked a fire within her.<br /> <br /> Mary&#039;s curiosity led her to explore further. Here&#039;s what she discovered:<br /> <br /> ✨ Reclaiming Her Bite: Dental implants provided the strength to bite into her favorite foods with confidence. No more avoiding apples or savoring a juicy steak was off-limits! 🍎🥩<br /> <br /> ✨ A Smile That Felt Real: Mary imagined a smile that looked and felt just like her natural teeth. Dental implants were indistinguishable from real teeth, allowing her to express herself with an authentic grin. 😁<br /> <br /> ✨ Preserving Her Jawbone: Dental implants didn&#039;t just replace her missing teeth; they actively preserved her jawbone. No more concerns about changes in facial structure or premature aging! 👵👴<br /> <br /> Mary&#039;s story took her to Mamut Dentistry, where she found more than just dental care. She found compassionate partners in her journey. Dr. Jovanka and her team provided guidance, accepted her insurance, and offered flexible payment plans, making her journey even smoother.<br /> <br /> Today, Mary&#039;s smile radiates with newfound confidence. Her dental implants feel just like her natural teeth, allowing her to savor the simple joys of life, laugh without restraint, and engage with others authentically. The discomfort and shadows of missing teeth are mere memories.<br /> <br /> Mary&#039;s story is a testament to the incredible transformation that dental implants can bring. It&#039;s a journey of rediscovering confidence and joy, overcoming silent battles, and embracing hope.<br /> <br /> 📢 Marys smile is just one example of what&#039;s possible with dental implants. If you&#039;re ready to embark on your transformative journey, take the first step today. Click the link below to fill out a brief questionnaire and secure your spot: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimplants.mamutdentistry.com%2Fsurvey&amp;h=AT00ySSRg3nMWMnDoDsdgNJXiPQz_c45LSs5sSMe3q0JPX2P_7ww2lBtZjdHPJPgZrq68IRu0KnYmt6isQau1qM9Bq2gqPvRQmfESBEyvT5SrF1gOJU5w_cX66hEQ18agZRXSVRTSUcy-aOGNhwepkTH9HxDdScQpO6XlQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey</a> <br /> <br /> 🌟 Let&#039;s bring back your confident, radiant smile together! 😄		Mamut Dentistry		615	https://facebook.com/mamutdentistry	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
66454	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054162		67		821891233072161	1	1.0810791363647E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120202449143000087		joannaczech.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannaczech.com/collections/the-kit-individual/products/the-soothing-serum		1701463480	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406984908_730104271880267_878205655278318865_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tJe4njNV8b8AX_DC3wl&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC_8VWSKPYwjG_FwdhyS-rM4yNq11xQU-HmAg8r9L5YtA&oe=659292A2	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405226124_870158671399762_6709793324119323970_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VvWAVt8esJwAX9jtnNm&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC46L9SXn2-O8GkTDwf3SuZAafi7WFWEVTeTogtf87lvg&oe=6591BC9D			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68627	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054162		67		1062143824975128		1.4272105615288E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101598762667562		0	Blanco entertainment			120201401775410549		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	In the colorful panels and witty punchlines of today's comics, female illustrators capture the essence of women's experiences with a vibrancy that resonates deeply. These artists bring to life the joys, struggles, and the often unspoken realities of womanhood with a deftness that's as empowering as....	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1701636137	1.0159876266756E+14	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407986879_678342987761831_7814902037020637817_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RcfrRAaYVf0AX8qqJBc&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGi1ektWBa_ivOlBDPzWMuBruf6oRCVyrz-io-tr5V8Q&oe=6591C3AF	person_profile	0	Blanco entertainment	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407656631_1313119199390766_1764109631910715412_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uN_PF097REEAX8-padP&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXswNOKXp_BzmdLf1oVCooSKi4uqs8g-WqShPgnyjg9Q&oe=65927C1E			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Blanco entertainment		53	https://facebook.com/100084702515578	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
66615	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054162		67		944140297069865	1	1.0396758204251E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204713213170210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/853?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703582611	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412980170_911363583674965_3657923292121688900_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VOxPMqti5fEAX_JS5vx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2K2aCNAQtzJO74hqO2qbrvLzbp0GRXrJn6lPYIWjreA&oe=6592934B	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412680857_188891150916863_8413097844848328731_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Uq8MboHjkv8AX-dpfXH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCyi3KKRR4EjI1PDGVyhJxkVxH0QGERl-zNkA-roW_h8g&oe=65919973			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68519	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054162		67		1026426651920408	1	2.3986183897785E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	308901506171176		0	Luluna Slings			6522513133901		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/luluna.slings		1701776999	3.0890150617118E+14	Luluna Slings	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406685526_1769352036811991_304415850053399195_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QBsiQ_LPYjkAX8HszBp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAcXzspchaI97BiJ100LQAxE0oe5I5k7-UL1Y17g0FqaQ&oe=65920AFD	person_profile	0	Luluna Slings: babywearing & woven wraps	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406686718_1433959500485974_6894858032168353253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JYLpprim0LAAX-dS6ML&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSczyf1JKESwonRVtsc0vFGrgxnNwaUS7u9hSW9wrbew&oe=6592CAF9			0	3	🐺 DRAW TO PURCHASE 🐺 <br /> Saint Nicholas&#039; Day FREE SHIPPING <br /> <br /> GEO WOLF MOONLIGHT<br /> 100% combed cotton, approx. 270 gsm<br /> <br /> Wolves Lovers,<br /> It&#039;s been long time when last Geo Wolf was here! Very long time! So now we want you remind about this beautiful pattern! Please welcome new Geo Wolf Moonlight ♥ It comes from the depths of space and it is looking for a new loving home! Do you know that there is a constellation called the Wolf? From Latin they call it &quot;Lupus&quot; and it is located in the deep Southern Sky! This pattern is simple beautiful. <br /> The Wolf Moonlight is very strong and durable because of high quality combed cotton. It is equally cuddly and soft at the same time. Amazing shades of black looks very magical like black night - just like the sky in the night full of shiny... Wolves! <br /> <br /> Available:<br /> s7 (5,2m) for €119<br /> s6 (4,6m) for €114<br /> s5 (4,2m) for €109<br /> s4 (3,6m) for €104<br /> s3 (3,2m) for €99<br /> scarf (2,0m) for €84<br /> <br /> Everyone who wants to purchase a wrap, please email us at lulunaslings&#064;gmail.com <br /> Remember to include the size of the wrap you’d like to buy and of course your PayPal address! <br /> If you don&#039;t have PayPal please add info that you want to pay via bank transfer / credit card. <br /> The draw lasts until December 6th and we will send a message to happy winners about 10 a.m. CET.<br /> You have 1h to make a payment once you receive invoice from us.<br /> If you are outside Europe please let us know the country. Because of time difference we will give you more time to pay.<br /> Because we celebrate Saint Nicholas&#039; Day 6th December there is free shipping for you as gift ♥<br /> <br /> Luluna <br /> <br /> (c) Luluna Slings (c) Joanna Weyna<br /> <br /> #wolfteam #babywearing #wolf #wild #winter #december #motherhood #babygirl #motheranddaughter #baby #babysling #babywearingmama #babywearingmatters #love #family #parenting		Luluna Slings		50485	https://facebook.com/lulunaslings	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
68343	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054162		67		817857870006973	2	3.236350370454E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	267863949928546		0	iVvy			120202757557290322		ivvy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Victory Services Club | iVvy United States	iVvy United States	https://www.ivvy.com/customers/victory-services-club/		1700174211	2.6786394992855E+14	iVvy	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401849046_1242721673786393_3805145765424379519_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9bo1F_cNQ_sAX_nk7RF&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAFKl8btID_pjvljgDHB_T1oX_yLlIteM1CeIMjZkbJ0A&oe=6592FEA5	person_profile	0	iVvy	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401839212_673293668279250_8310546067399055090_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LChLM0ir1EoAX_PG_WE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDQlzQw9QeQXsdKQr7M8WkwQXNdhGoccniRR7bLm-8R5w&oe=6591D73D			0	3	“We have become more efficient, and we save a lot of time. Everything is in one place and it captures everything we need.”<br /> <br /> “It’s very easy for organisers to go to our website and to make an enquiry and very easy for us to respond quickly within 24 hours. This speed and ease of use have definitely helped to increase the number of enquiries, and the speed and efficiency we have has impacted on the number of enquiries that we turn into confirmed bookings.”<br /> <br /> Joanna Lunn – Sales and Event Manager, Victory Services Club		iVvy		3393	https://facebook.com/iVvySoftware	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68000	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054162		67		1046907803207844	1	6.8632471027346E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	214175789304493		0	Joanna Hernandez			120202369444330467		instagram.com	Contact us		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/realestatebyjoannna		1702430232	2.1417578930449E+14	Joanna Hernandez	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409179924_400555952554543_108165930107976201_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a5Rx7CfkFAgAX-AaDFS&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDySDEYWbfgLb43RhIjAEHh2J7iP-avQjh43Kxe0oqaRg&oe=65922201	person_profile	0	Joanna Hernandez	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409171157_2597373253750290_6322263746960340211_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DAgvfp75gAQAX9AjYe8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDFBHJjC5hIauTJf63oK5iIRuB_vyFc2km5j_usSld26A&oe=6591C8CC			0	3	Knowing how to apply knowledge strategically is Key 🔑 <br /> <br /> And we have the experts to Help you! <br /> <br /> KATHERINE MENJIVAR<br /> <br /> OSCAR HERNANDEZ<br /> <br /> CHRISTY DUEÑAS <br /> <br /> JOANNA HERNANDEZ <br /> <br /> PROMISE PROPERTIES GROUP<br /> CATTELL REAL ESTATE INC.		Joanna Hernandez		177	https://facebook.com/Realestatebyjoanna	0		CONTACT_US						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67677	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054162		67		900421095046212	1	1.4614009210756E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202496553190123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702560531	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411207440_917462869955988_6628937873064354953_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YtsdZ5-rt6UAX8wTFHS&_nc_oc=AQmj6CoJ84AlmK63v_K_C6V-x08n-n2Gk4x-GRg9vfMk_PpctGXyXG7GtCOS4ssEekY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAg13v3KN_VTq6ZOfHAHwDeYNVSNTr6FrXji-v-QEWv-w&oe=6591BAA0	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411193872_1033371944618380_8039030828678606285_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=514kDAMiYYMAX9Z8fi3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxrDvLGzjEUjXwI2KLQ0Q9Me3afyRH4pMTRzr5OiSwUg&oe=6591B907			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69059	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054162		67		1011718113250283	3	3.4829510454682E+14		1701676800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	102071899574413		0	Family Shirts B2			120201560244430754		familyshirt.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTIONS	Best gifts for your Family	https://familyshirt.store/joanna-y1?product=unisex-hoodie		1699785931	1.0207189957441E+14	Family Shirts B2	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400273114_331504589582049_639310208074002361_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=75gzMQ4RphUAX-mG-3x&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBcOF_GdNoaMxNdF7vaRtHxRosxlJ_JW7x9gIkpWeVuaw&oe=659156EC	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> More designs here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffamilyshirt.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3s0FkyIth7weSICS3SvamaJwrg24K5Hlv6XV0nLAE37feUASHHMheSuytfapaLXSY58fqMl-i2idI7trXP6V1NAOPUsmj3alsE8cp_7XQzaYEUBOgEpyPBqIFl5GLgDd8vIPbzytrrem-e2ItH-g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://familyshirt.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Shirts B2		56	https://facebook.com/100093120934925	0		SHOP_NOW						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67772	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054162		67		732275672142102		3.5355846726739E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548030209		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494394	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409980647_3409521639328975_2257122575686503363_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n_rDA39kK2IAX_-W0Xs&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCze2ms7d4O358RWABxe4zVuMKJlT5LWt-iT63-A9aEWA&oe=6591B7D2	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410132130_937718224354537_2607750661800980764_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OmKJO6EiR8UAX8gQw8_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBvOxL4YK8zICi1VLKHFkqCCNPthekD9bNPO1nAuZeaHQ&oe=6592A479			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66621	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054162		67		667397118624663	1	1.3556430119836E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204137285180102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1703581402	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414013094_1357694235117854_8330914688835976586_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dReIOAqoRyoAX8CQw31&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBjx2yYeQnxquIumEfLoa8lN2SVuQYb2rHzxTpxXmE0CQ&oe=65933B99	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413989155_2532350706925601_2904554154718255854_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rDR_CXuPUYgAX_U_ZJI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDA636AWt_UsdjiH1rMvzyaT1SYzjJNqWhTJvXfQ-77A&oe=659302C9			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4993	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66649	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054162		67		2553323668176811		8.851472866062E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204886716610742		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703571609	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412757484_6963818043725001_458054003860333568_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dB9Dp6Ff738AX-HdAdx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzLpCHAPbJQs7Gkew7MSbpHV5rTheVKT014YnRfCJWJg&oe=65915DDF	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412671035_690266842916140_1562387775108969172_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KdrDytgNbXoAX-DKZUg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDsxkQOGOO0hPnmTxTRqcZVrtHmjTNGCkFXLUgwXmlLrg&oe=65919E12			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66863	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054162		67		896018868814765		8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967015400018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299786	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412994473_1313941882645128_5029228233087293966_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zDI6kJ3JYPcAX_H2gza&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAyIH4_e5sLCpnATF6YLq_Rk6W0WaNi0ibkKqWqYRvwRA&oe=6591D5D9	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412930232_1308148423178858_1942626086788800394_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JBpMQriuwbsAX-snIsM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBdctz5NUfihs9vF0fQlV6cGURVnTVL-kE4n2VxJiieMw&oe=65921D0F			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68226	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054162		67		267224363004175	1	6.9485989906405E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155255060476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094686	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408500266_7071790252928776_8797604567701373952_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J25aypbDFA0AX-HV3As&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAVKEHGFe6GRETj8FURlsm--i12_PQLUsF_127SaP513Q&oe=65927787	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408505599_724888925846524_6188678347268696051_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W8cgbi3bUKwAX_UT29Y&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDsGAwj5JSMBAoEb5l1mIEBslfyxncDSCPlkfl3wuOLwA&oe=6591938D			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
67088	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054162		67		1060423421830479		2.1117062204031E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	328690820916913		0	Jim Fisher			120202082026540705		morelifesales.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Discover How Top Agents Are Getting Off The 'Buying Leads' Hamster Wheel	Life Agents: Watch this video if you want to sell more IUL and Annuity - GUARANTEED	https://morelifesales.com/learn-more		1703101087	3.2869082091691E+14	Jim Fisher	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412357155_374953655047462_5845521354140205189_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YWaRZRatp6EAX9wFezJ&_nc_oc=AQkZfuZchOgGwW5QTqRayOjr4JdqCAX_ad1pTRgANSoRjYdBhbXd1bGaCsQrM8PtwBTD2OF3LbHbJkev3_fDtQOI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCf2hFqdJBzcm4Dt_-TJCXMfItJ11ASmChJ-t-DyXnwZw&oe=6592F3DA	person_profile	0	Jim Fisher - Jucebox	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412397366_878994510268985_7401232351064668596_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KoekPlw98j4AX_iPJnZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCCtVqDPCcBQFKS4RgZ2n6H4OLjGhW5cSjEpeCtwByz8g&oe=65929692			0	3	“I’M SO TIRED OF THE BUYING LEADS HAMSTER WHEEL!”<br /> <br /> I see it all the time…<br /> <br /> They’ve been told by their IMO that the way out of their mess is more leads (and better leads).<br /> <br /> And what’s the result?<br /> <br /> ❌Agents drop out of the business…<br /> ❌They bang their head against the wall…<br /> ❌They keep buying more leads in search of the “best” leads<br /> <br /> But there’s a controversial and surprising truth…<br /> <br /> If you’re only focused on buying more leads, you won’t consistently close IUL and annuity like top 1% producers do.<br /> <br /> Why?<br /> <br /> Because there’s something that top 1% producers know that most agents don’t.<br /> <br /> Leads are important, sure.<br /> <br /> But how you convert that lead is more important than who the lead is.<br /> <br /> And that’s why I created Agent Shift.<br /> <br /> After proving this system with 1000 agents (and guess what…I actually use this system myself), I’ve realized there’s only 3 things you need:<br /> <br /> 🌐 Custom-Built Lead Generating System<br /> 💰 Proven Selling System<br /> 📈 Customized Coaching and Support<br /> <br /> So if you want to get off the ‘buying leads’ hamster wheel, then click the link below to see if you qualify for our Agent Shift program in just 30 seconds!		Jim Fisher		1204	https://facebook.com/jfishercoach	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68051	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054162		67		1080928160007975	3	2.9873383587064E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140225069170076		0	HistoryNow			120207707160190456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390502	1.4022506917008E+14	HistoryNow	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408184355_349534381115212_3968338814680488598_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ESumr07RQlEAX982yVQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbTYYfsINADHKTRpFOTcPM2NIo7GgN7qDLvd-gXguLxg&oe=659164E9	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		HistoryNow		293	https://facebook.com/61551862348233	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68164	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		735417488002505	1	1.2623060413146E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974489690427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287492	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409583048_817774670149669_7782665171628745141_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hF8ICq-iVWsAX_AaBaf&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXBWkIImzsgbTUdJtbyq8-WjiwvcnrrOC3hILUV9tekA&oe=6591612D	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409472521_729054095396016_2239528544911639489_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lAKE6rGtOYgAX8zZh1G&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAU-Aqdw_WcebgVPSZ2x7fvZWMZrRWv1RAVcII09kGIDw&oe=6591DC7E			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67509	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054163		67		1054554825890069		3.4787033128756E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011726140506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636906	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410866111_330316356614855_4226179959100357247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GvQ-NE0jFJIAX_5na7V&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCFftxh9mTQv5izACVlOiA1GS_No-wW4s-Axb7yvAOYLA&oe=6591D908	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410959057_687224273544826_6624659602356466650_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q6cYU7ULkZcAX_IeOye&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAI2Z32TypsTHdRlRNGREscJYncQ7ufT4UytygP2qeaLw&oe=6592FB0E			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69871	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054163		67		297427616608870	1	2.2981277666208E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	733844546757862		0	Waco, TX Local - News Break			120200933295870465		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Waco!	Her mantelpiece exhibits a rustic twist on an emerging holiday decor trend – here's how to replicate the look	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0pmIA3P2?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1700645583	7.3384454675786E+14	Waco, TX Local - News Break	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404416683_1486375158875876_4083501088683557412_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1BTxcSIPQDEAX_OGoQB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBpQJrQzLWFRa1WTusVZoPekhQasRtgva26WDk1wGy_2Q&oe=65933EA6	person_profile	0	Waco, TX Local - News Break	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404396781_1072608213924560_7969427316714903616_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7W6FSUIiHgcAX_Rs3q5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCrfhDx9dRRZ8S95TnlhCgRXYVxqj49P1udr5QI1eRiHQ&oe=6592BB12			0	3	Waco News: Joanna Gaines just tapped into one of 2023&#039;s biggest Christmas trends – using this exact garland.		Waco, TX Local - News Break		4290	https://facebook.com/WacoTXLocal	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68241	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054163		67		1075800646785235	1	3.3710949570439E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155397330476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094779	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408711179_369301612337847_4700172757778695167_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9df3IKXtx0kAX_Dakjr&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAdLpRtl8d8K8XLK8Zjwt3mSUG0tLdBzMCpGujRaFiSIw&oe=6591C04E	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408725057_660043902693311_754184201666264723_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5vXjIimxojkAX-0Iy_a&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBiVTINY43m6sY7IefBY1v0SKJiPNtT9XK-bE6O3tbN0w&oe=659244B1			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
69085	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		1544907012715987		1.3711089701987E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690726710115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055912	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405136004_674274214844252_2698739126201228683_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mxnSvwbz7bIAX-S8ylr&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAH5lFVO366Q9uzLEhQk6IWTcmg1Q_9iKEH_qE7nSwgwA&oe=659332E3	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405148324_1077860479884386_6983606186734664649_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3T9LHFZqycAAX-fyEDV&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAW_DQEje-w5HgfBDjYcPpv9EfQzg1AR8nwgKpQL7ks0g&oe=65916A53			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69517	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		355203753708597	2	3.5370658048436E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611857780115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722752	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403605071_1555174525259987_690439688826745133_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HaqmGUhkO0UAX90TMs0&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfA-TRjwwYzRisgRg5ZBHjlEvAVyb3WZ8BlbBw6F80Qjew&oe=6591CCAF	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403617123_1060173811800388_6944458493402210530_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mMixzZz0T28AX8xoK8R&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCKmdqbiOkAoJUS85C71F0vVvZ7ToLL816_e1K7xKHDLw&oe=65920EA0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68370	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054163		67		1315635225800714	1	3.4309742175747E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997450990476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940986	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408864038_904708817652099_341064543969459550_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aFDiZqTFX_kAX_Oc23Y&_nc_oc=AQlhqMe6lWIiLfEPlj7UWF0unBfvmGSORePLrk2y-Eq6QlejdLf_tzBp6t-6womOeiE&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC-DN_JprlXQXymx6wDYQkAj8otT1Nq9KzD7bqSZ_eu_g&oe=65914D96	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407933367_3752721475050936_1801787912336114582_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UGRFXDn6WxkAX9KR0i6&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCArUd-pIpQrqY_hnUEX8yJT0tlMaZvqDO4V4YDdB_50Q&oe=6592D188			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68866	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		345720534866863		3.6876741415128E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120202064923820319		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250775	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405170100_1056640752352591_1403274656139393350_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j-jF6QgvAnYAX-rYYKY&_nc_oc=AQmDwEGHVmZjVi1y31zcrDSfz-YCcZLXv8IprGEQXANFAcpUnjvnIIZQHjo6DCl6hs0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDu16WRpRU0rIgUf6xq_8R2gmA0hQVEngVQ3XUTHxG33Q&oe=65922492	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69451	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		902277144658932	1	7.1368849035068E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632014100115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796602	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404609433_315588758089313_6854826678548173965_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NLcmq3rt3CoAX-4l7Ra&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBpBjzbPLA1rAshJSdQ_zcmgY2tONy51yTH4daWfqV8nQ&oe=659149C1	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404784306_665630998990031_1878432636366423147_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o8J8tdPr6CoAX-EVf0U&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAiyUsNKfnPOW216PNF5iEK9vR2H6mfOq1GrgPXD56Tag&oe=6592FBD4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68936	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		659994516270031	3	5.910962964769E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120200685804160123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700053424	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402878531_354341610288079_3486703522383667875_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LV179i_6NHYAX_S99rM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCq18WYJux1a9qrAUzb8QJH2hfhEB-qd1N5RNvQNw5Few&oe=6591F4D6	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401570857_1087186825781902_94503910363973304_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j6Lbff0lc1EAX9vbst3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAy4WVzzh4I9Qvc-wfK0FFqbDPqABzWj3udSWVQIld82Q&oe=6591BB0D			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68127	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		1047257999690982	1	2.4274073202345E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207596588850456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702294882	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409192701_1980399749061711_8056048689992197745_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=35uYqz00cn4AX-Wyejw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-2B-dyadK0RwsYVs1aigtWhdsE49bmgY7DolpSfcLag&oe=6591C4FC	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69240	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		3440943419549272	1	7.1289167036097E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674070810115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969843	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403682765_1545605436203135_2409194134508637417_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=v8PTRK9HH9gAX8AX35E&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCY0bLn74z8vqmwEx7GrFwwTSbE5UaTXZRX1dTmjruP3A&oe=6591CF1B	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403686301_1045555233153359_7766604265251144940_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=knDv8v9j5hcAX8Ny8ZK&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBr0iY31KPgzoPZng09m0Aved2G_m8apDMriHnq4X1zsA&oe=659299B7			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
67800	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054163		67		741588810639708		7.3704260847814E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548019209		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494395	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409768826_372051281964613_8512959798565894444_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GHwvCYv8-JgAX9Y9Z8o&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8ZeuUQnrgSbO6u0qKV3GfNpOzHWXDO28UMVcMBJyYMA&oe=659294B1	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409737689_896339828667983_8638533004791380985_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kcZPeJh8xkcAX8YlvS6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDpFKxqiZq-PO2_hfXDUwf18Xqb-KR56SkZiQT3ZEmB6A&oe=6591630A			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68189	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		1543605043071237	1	7.2579992442446E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202100489480180		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702189761	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409598086_374687145080847_1371185318903275988_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YjCgGkyqtbcAX_r0Njh&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBYnLiSPyzBvALXMBxsUuN6pwksVR6EmqH7-6kqxylkLA&oe=65926928	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409738710_908316840891023_6927596425420206702_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SPx5mp9GjfMAX8FI7lo&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfA_wOrpSUO78-zNUQ7JYEuYxdcCr_EKlALXTOYDShviOg&oe=6591E53A			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68894	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		3575860379397054	3	3.6750709584826E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201748960670115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701227680	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404766843_877139470612212_2420077041164537089_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-M_qX6bg3YkAX8aYe82&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBlIOIaYUHtAC7KOOdutheyhM1mXghKkOB4kahAf9Duow&oe=65931875	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404779336_1116239806031775_1253871720426640816_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seOPMRDG3KIAX_xMxhQ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDuooGG77MbBj4pkBJoRPDpkMSnl_my3JKNevq_1iNavA&oe=659162F7			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67141	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		891898395591022		1.5236034117624E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	43095243080		0	Higher Ground			6585507646480		solidsound.frontgatetickets.com	Buy tickets		NONE	image	🎫 Solid Sound Festival, June 28 - 30	Tickets on sale now!	https://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/?aff=ebpredboostfbandigads&td_campaign_id=611035		1703014847	43095243080	Higher Ground	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412714587_205779662587649_642965519958678629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Beyv6EOtbZEAX_T6ZHI&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbHx2vCPKjtU_MbSwpraLrg_CdnRyoiD_wAOq9qBRe9Q&oe=659212AB	person_profile	0	Higher Ground • VT Music Venue	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236609_1046256759823512_1769635639596446298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EnSn3EZmu6AAX_BSbLL&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCLG9Mpoas4OxiCCs7DbhQFGqVl2RdL86xyUQDVEBobpA&oe=6591E2BA			0	3	We&#039;re thrilled to announce that your 2024 Solid Sound Festival Lineup is here! ✨<br /> ⁣<br /> Tickets are on sale now for June 28 - 30, 2024 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. <br /> <br /> 🎫<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsolidsoundfestival.com%2F&amp;h=AT3eIZOJ9fLQEtc2SJAsG9-mTvk0zIWVrAjW1KtJuHvXshKmvZAJHnGhJtaPwwdx1FduHSxiqg8sNbMJZ5HbqgdXkOIW-m7JbgT1k7qBi9vajper1w55rm4skBJaZoZZqoaeL753QpuH3FLdHLQ5YQC3NGOe41FbyKLfSg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">solidsoundfestival.com</a> <br /> <br /> See you in June!		Higher Ground		82337	https://facebook.com/highergroundmusic	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67163	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		1313096442742716	1	8.0228156827527E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202476341540743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977013	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410964385_844058874072375_7653728610574895023_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u1NVSl8lq-sAX82zMe8&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAz-qURRpa5nNBg6MPcCXgcu6yjyJOVNvQlWl0HFQ-xfA&oe=6592492F	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410935515_744174494224627_9085144416777877589_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dw_PIshCJx8AX8qwq7-&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDL7fOE_LbMpLSTuXPpYI9ZZHHUd2XkFFHHFmJ3aGaxtA&oe=6592C40B			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67172	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		328766793306971	1	1.7348737103295E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475750720743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976788	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411250001_294441656382110_2076821529979898218_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XT40OX90IwAAX_vlMY7&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCOPANTK1QsOwMVvh_wK6C85JqeRn4AmBG3zXkfTv8SAA&oe=6592F1F9	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411271457_706651411436218_8987804722599557807_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F1OJ-6el3jIAX8z1t8m&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAOhbnaK50Ri2yFKuGEYI2TXpSf9PQ4jfrC_-kIgJewng&oe=65928A17			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67184	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		1422076675188330	1	2.9231773144887E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475490990743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976718	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020500_274745155220207_5274566174951543037_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mjuSEAdSoyYAX-dK6Kk&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCMtt7T-E1vVrkmzGSmSepr2yXtjR02h27r-M_gFRconA&oe=6591C743	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410013835_876634590595870_1784911796101911183_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tSu9rYUE7roAX_Yupdy&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDnv6VZ8nOogDgLwVLhcHBYjpj6N7QkvrQtYMljT4YZiA&oe=659249F5			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67228	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		870876247870384		2.5809983036598E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67256	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		936507677813294		1.7640580406882E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951472390043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963076	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411079635_975606220419557_7407835480805041454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xcjGruMll9UAX94Pyb0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCu9ygtpd6arRW-HhlDx5hbBsxjqvDYi5wsIDeCw-k63Q&oe=65923888	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67277	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		908121574154715		2.9387042645447E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX8Yb4nO&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChhy9HM6t8mMEeFHrdWyRYfx-gSjLvId4HxlLz65sO3A&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67275	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		309482292064015		2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX8Yb4nO&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChhy9HM6t8mMEeFHrdWyRYfx-gSjLvId4HxlLz65sO3A&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67283	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		1778032565958802		1.7640580406882E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX-tleQa&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoF8zn4N5YcU0EVpq_VM3OmgaJTRo9jqLbMijbAyE_tw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67506	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054163		67		1313818469321288	1	2.4470499621653E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011751510506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636958	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410703071_355837153807572_6492247973391073953_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=73kCsCD2X-8AX_nn0_E&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAErgK-2orwhvOUvj0Jk5QuUbHxqaU6ECBz4BBwvbIG1g&oe=6591B75F	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410720918_1266996710646767_7975589735902407523_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dUWbq9ee2cgAX_WP9yZ&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC5Zw7wv48TqaCmcPZP0cklBSmZ4V-o1gz6EE3BQFR2WQ&oe=6592EACE			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67935	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054163		67		2095971757416642	1	3.8051857120923E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411375890044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702457974	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409582733_2442525799263414_6869942555820788636_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w9JXIfY8tvUAX9EbcYx&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCXp7PRZS35nl8GmNkcPWYzKCCcBG6GOPyDqUSYqN13uQ&oe=65918BDB	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409579223_322447050705677_4860823779722476211_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eXaZOXlhwmkAX95VizO&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAaExDfwDArJlFSIGd4Xrfud8XUtfgZer4JiAPUFNzIhg&oe=6592BAAF			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67953	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054163		67		758699629611532	1	7.4946514386805E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203220414640670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702449725	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409174014_883768986686543_6013305912833685206_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hVwYSAu048oAX-ViVD0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC75BDDs-UYaLao-Pt39fP9gNxX2yaCx-25inbcp6q2wQ&oe=6591C63F	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409177458_377720698165760_5631737553831097936_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VUqVGYCM_kUAX_-vJGm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAC7IWmdWZag-_0Hd9aBHm3zG41S-kOn5qQs5aIQso5bg&oe=6592D64C			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68062	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054163		67		252325024302789		7.060869210673E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207704970930456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389042	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409707390_1510547362847178_2665010040968094253_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WvMuoMlv-R0AX89gI_k&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHI4cvppY0gTfwQ5HxUkYdqqzaorfYjz3F9rjh9Ad5xA&oe=6592C033	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409830854_882606169878071_8644514474231310445_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T4QmUWrH2yoAX-oturL&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAcrrLyOvXJ94ufmkO_jdd8tSOihFR8XYDfiALU6LAuHA&oe=65926E61			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68633	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054163		67		202109159611774	1	9.9944095112151E+14		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200979096440773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701579364	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406768396_258098380600522_162874708484154883_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Gk6ghmf3X6wAX9iF_IL&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB59msvajaAr-OCi8OuEIZmDj-zbgaLe8d6stu56mSVTw&oe=6591CE1F	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406692564_1467017227216535_5530773846130160064_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YZWUAjeU0TgAX_2NfKv&_nc_oc=AQllygTrqGgU-n5SgFveoepZidpYlMvGXUSZqYZvk-25NL-IF_TsUtUA3FU8L5oZcNf_AdzaLK72_WGGjQqo_YZv&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAdW-2KMQfUMNHENwfPSrHO3TBALlRJajzWEVdLSAdaTQ&oe=65918A99			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4996	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68646	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054163		67		311867725046632	1	8.6030122588072E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200804450600540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701495745	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406387197_900808618337670_6353386434631883273_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HYQcGl3nDCwAX8Qr9NW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDKXQn4mmiKpdYErMGjRGhGazAB8sHkOjuGGFkP1tFxDg&oe=659317CA	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406419037_397274625960821_7727559301709177553_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X0QfalEOy7UAX_RUzjB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfABTRc9ENVtdwqJeI2OT_XxeXdMUqrAFBZ9pjziWaVZOQ&oe=6593290F			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701504000		View Edit Delete
68681	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054163		67		1790670191353400	1	1.7606949244283E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200735069000540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701419207	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407448156_1797764757344658_6622656190005503561_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wePm-NVQ0UUAX-mvk9R&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCPNtkLJlOnohUCjt_DHelyFfJpe9yssC9-XhX5qXrOZA&oe=6592E6F9	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407448444_363918646183594_7002541911663763969_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-6-wW8AzwfEAX8ByTfs&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB0thFztR8-NFmBvc4PVwW87Y5ZJyPuFxLTfBKrc624VQ&oe=659197FF			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68742	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		1083238359711181	1	1.0676538275888E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497702270404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357855	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406092081_739220848054206_4866763581353004112_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_9-MYRsdL4kAX-IMkuy&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDjuhRlhitMBN4Ek-IY3C-D41ye7QzriMtCs6t4cfK5ig&oe=65914722	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404832025_238598912407445_617495298096180434_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T_zfDVhYzeoAX-20adf&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfD113OL9mm-WsGmuuaQ0cQL52A5v-uhpQ_Ot0iLq3DVNg&oe=6591D57E			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68746	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		1776819452758862	2	1.4054883300456E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497698780404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357850	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406929659_876015570669430_685685864040164370_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QVAy_uc4sr0AX_dSYR3&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCzmRxl2Dsju_LTggWkh4G6sC-pOjMuGEY3p_g0NbkmYA&oe=65916BBD	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/399287870_1397439617796154_728012271251993847_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4MnyRMYmk5gAX-vRTJL&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAxyZioo4NM-UQn264wZruIggS4uq_wRM56Wwh09ZD-gQ&oe=65927E96			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68833	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		349722057641202	1	2.0513516589888E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201240371740123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701259766	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404707988_308485548668398_5780286725084810472_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BUXvOj89A4kAX8R3q16&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdhi2Fsj5hhBJT1AaqZiQOvlwk2BpGhUtx3uWviHw3WQ&oe=65915E75	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406081204_1515247942663639_6201444692566248877_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TANjYorcHCUAX-aWyX8&_nc_oc=AQnIF2q6HpipByzEoW4KBPqa7_kiGTEhSQa-LENB03NArx-JHZcWbgSGYm51TUhwR9Y&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAGUMjO0_gm6Abm49Lz-ApHWswR52-7hJI-KsLyEGcqBw&oe=6591987C			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68934	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		311549648422684	1	1.0491882996572E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120200685810090123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700053393	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402526908_338920245395074_7538130888944426979_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VKSt_NuG_6IAX9gUuPE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBb5LPlKWRsdGG1Th6h2zkevpQpCBXGIaGjl7ORgebK7A&oe=6591EC98	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400652275_3273973439568983_7373635686749370251_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oB6jzlPBGwkAX-aocyr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfABz53d-OEAYG5h4FUt4nD8mo2eUSKMqWu8G43oVN_ZDg&oe=65920B2A			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69006	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		867317058105498	1	7.2933518866695E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715943140115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140393	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406540969_1076278060167807_7928594644643035562_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-cl-hLRF0vYAX8DBWj9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC8xfloCMYRVHYJ--9TzcjrkksmkRsZQQw3s-MoR8yu8Q&oe=6592FED5	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406095513_749140703756790_1475202729591696840_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4TLrLFTxHogAX8wn37I&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA_281wG8ZNkshXDjSQlQeNCA9sfhIr-vB35hpF79soZA&oe=65928D1D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69014	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		881678080135575	1	1.0463122733572E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715939810115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140272	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406678297_731336848888914_1829334589414550180_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SnpKc8-4RLYAX_GVaNn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA46RFSYmK5IDERtX1-a31Y-OQlX3oGlzkgDgxwbZ9huA&oe=6592FC07	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406661784_726539046046027_699752164234857861_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FDUNNzQQpXwAX_5BmlU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAkS-B-VEb-av9pV8LdlJl_DVwCaifnoZGNmSoVt8BBMQ&oe=6591D220			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69077	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		358707500024489	1	7.7876409093087E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281101750596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068208	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405684230_366512065780511_8249842672910695507_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x74-zqS-I9AAX8UrxtU&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC6TDFfyKelZWiH3dCF72Wh4u6W-SbXMbo610FMbP33MA&oe=6592336E	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405663931_309729045268469_772165756148184279_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sl-lG6vqS7UAX_cisfq&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA_s6WI5pbwl5ZHIt49pOfQuXdfyjYJl2FjtS5FUdaaRA&oe=65932EC6			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69108	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		777303167559761	4	1.3093793964447E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690735810115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055923	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405079497_721835849456085_1551248531729839648_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bsC9MwsP4EYAX-zhBbD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDlrrcu5VBijGsTcJs5jvNxAJ61rYRzTgeRI1OuSbdbBQ&oe=65915E96	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405203696_279009097976004_9073506435570310819_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8bneD71bA58AX-m-1-8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDc29dqqaYheCjYwR10ah4I9mWtPlCPwiekvBRB_eoJCg&oe=6591FDC1			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69124	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		991273681938350	2	6.8210268406386E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690791530115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701056007	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405982721_1697217037455126_4542521380882972097_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1CF6ZKRWCtcAX-gBrSm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfALW0aEBSbcgtGLoRg0wAt4D8hwaD8dnjfYyQ-7aXUdvg&oe=6591E8FB	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405965712_1737810283353258_5992199844015476277_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jon1yrVZm4sAX8P2Sz0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbv6rKCpux1nycN2GjBN4XGp7axnnYU1NQ79Md5_jo8g&oe=6592FBE0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69205	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		253094940808986		2.4725411142976E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495769223556		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700488723	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403604594_706496401407873_3386959245189523628_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FhwdMDC336kAX9f-a_1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCG-f4asUNIUGVOQrkH1fcEKcOsklq4x7lf8KMoBsbYIA&oe=6591A2DB	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403603740_3617283778488076_2538065533749317892_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5OGRLusvfkcAX9smFfz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwmKhbY-OxSjp25Yrj3uXeWJ-GKEwJEddJa3TxmJPa2A&oe=65927CC9			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69238	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		1386275405577934	5	1.4934879178929E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674070320115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969827	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403745769_247205911444675_7271484387563935182_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y14XrShyCbQAX80QesQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBykMex9UvUI25A8stnZY9roGvYl7z0ZwekmhlRhrpCvg&oe=6592AF99	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403686331_1515508455877140_641063253056880077_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yWik2kDavNUAX_tB2qO&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB2QvCgsTK7qjQ1DHN9zNNY3ewu_0BuTFha7Y9N9f_rwA&oe=65920091			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69306	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054163		67		1045127419865493	1	2.3071113828114E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632034420115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796753	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403621876_858167745963020_1874452396109940104_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ihAcDUUG-LoAX8eFyS6&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBW2N9I1FSyW9-m_RNu8fsoWxhUzLuwDHVdoVMpCYL0aA&oe=65927FF2	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403621994_1856626994757137_818270811200196099_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gzmFJpdA1NAAX-ZWdLm&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3sx4H-mV6RBbcom0M9MlsdcdEOLiG7qcFttG7k6T6jQ&oe=6591A483			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69370	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054163		67		674449414499690	1	1.3977142111545E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343746920404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843618	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403629604_324366210386684_288505643675111969_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lH-1vNPWriQAX_AmE_m&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDCwNzmubbMtScOiwY1tZbOGUNvmZIWv97tkZCR0f0QRg&oe=65914C80	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403630989_1239574390778413_6908584326344237471_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=43oi-EqPQT8AX-NmGyg&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAcipOZ29Xwzx6g1IuxgTgyBWMs79G9wNLfBRRndVeoZA&oe=65931C9A			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69274	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054163		67		317246834579696	1	3.5896157879875E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632007030115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796585	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405067045_252757750822936_7699805384117218565_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JK-S73MmyxsAX_C8LZY&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB22YotS7LvE0SbSy1Q_5NoeJUPwUha7vgvptR9MZcbMg&oe=65918C45	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405089254_1798641297235514_8095599690766653630_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z7U0X_eilTAAX-w6iSK&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAaK1OCZO_Mh6uNaHRPDJDlmMRRnnsOhxitAssTJu9NSw&oe=659150A8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69416	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054163		67		3156801637949790	1	7.2022437333056E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201123542160123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700827910	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404669616_1059190841779072_3274841490877304953_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=34WXK6OGrnQAX8769Bv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDnqrI0NlrxMI5jiAVQgiG88TDK-FugJpw4kRDmsPz3Hw&oe=65932A9F	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404622047_317803967710405_3244255085941417834_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IBIqve29eJMAX9AORzU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBUfXiVVVqmHghuiBWBLxkWodC2GToAnG6OpfG4M4Os2A&oe=6591FA07			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69437	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		648646504095764	1	7.98140715404E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632009630115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796590	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404599833_303206832676638_4020486337578810736_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E5R0kgwFvXEAX_iFMZN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_BcUyKqURxk4EhQWO3xm0g6kydFOWonO4TtG3FiK88A&oe=65915A09	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405584763_598021995766050_7894290800085537837_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lVKnoRA_SPoAX8dX6RI&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDScXlNMltrbBM4Mn_fWxbFf-JQ_iiGSSgO7USls5SyJw&oe=6591ED70			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69455	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		1117596699619468	3	3.6750709584826E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632039020115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796620	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404960245_884028946225851_1805989380963901726_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TVJFfxX4iSEAX91ZV5J&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDOsKbhlM-DV9FKft4uCGaB-K_3lnwNI1GI8KhyttGu3Q&oe=6592AA9E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405017271_754881956462034_2687350278007289619_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G_oEuKK59zIAX84gjbl&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBgiuJ5w8psN0FzVnrDOQlgVikR-0aYNPAeSbcHE6_SuQ&oe=659327E7			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67156	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		664959739172338	1	8.7596359099169E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202476712620743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977368	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411252863_320208087494375_5373551423766190724_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lNuWbvBPHVMAX9IarCh&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD_mE0qnGGh7ju8_I6B1PnfI0E88tszE9fNDINArWhfWg&oe=65919856	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412332682_375312318490808_667316444567617591_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mbnc8wlxXNoAX8NSInV&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAoCLssw9zZgOgZXMm65f-ALdY19zM843md-_byU0HWBQ&oe=6592333D			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
69231	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		1087178679317358	3	3.6750709584826E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674067390115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969814	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405741227_332064549533888_569206459819120544_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9DH6oXH_CN8AX8k228l&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfATKrh-YB3tAg1RPNtPaSVmYtWllP9FtVfJlZvOep8Cwg&oe=65929A11	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405761552_899992311475047_5209107122285690033_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JmLzU0y3PSYAX87Di7p&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDdEaGUR1aDTBKYB2InmhwDjk93BtPPiSoCChJAHbUg3A&oe=6591ED77			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
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68377	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054163		67		1087104999131710	1	1.4646446740799E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997421550476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940808	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408499217_2973646612765822_933439013044021529_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Bv4m65UQ7dQAX_e_YPv&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDSSR4-R4n5JlyyrmxPHwj6Fh55VGtX5P9Zm8gZnFR67Q&oe=6592D290	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407702517_396471286039300_3583923280924815154_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dXsaTDHL2ZcAX8nPCRK&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBHZbWvgdEVFLPsb7cMc-bm-zdpc8COL6mt1vrrkj_v4Q&oe=6591C225			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68274	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054163		67		720394666630117	1	1.3941107947918E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672507750427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030374	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409047094_1074123670612481_3174298708458135810_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0EzOaAqk_wAX8VfuC9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABH7ObVUMDqAupcXnTJt-WofZTthxvQ22-Dh0rZgDi0Q&oe=65932C9C	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409035225_1181206549412920_6155009482026868507_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xbnT_BCNdVEAX-k-M6G&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDAsqQ1dFF4tymy6JpHLDY-apfTcsnF_d7JExPaKOo0ng&oe=6591F83F			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67553	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054163		67		881468456815909	1	7.6536717895985E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205077844830729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702629734	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409733026_6996199570416725_9475510341436150_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EkpUoJkfswoAX_pCzR-&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDMgHNhRVA2DrEwjMCpTOwPDpGDQJk5B-VjAkyiSv7d4w&oe=6592051C	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409792973_1849959492104569_4118496396967311093_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aceg_p7xrYsAX93e3-_&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC-ZeDFyRW-6za3_U_OMcGA_Tx05QySAl77ZZCuNSbiiQ&oe=659172F3			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68142	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		1080968529569995	1	8.7742052051812E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498243490278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287841	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409590932_680876223856737_6891577313830768961_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MhhYihHdbpMAX-sBgFc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAZdLyuRviRnWpzliL5vfvFe64VL2rAowpDigFsSdalrA&oe=6592B971	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409575370_243542821912464_5041672640023177546_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ln7v5j1GzzYAX_ss8ud&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD29FluBitvNoTaM7gxZQDXrWNcweGJRHTrUMrgQ3rxzw&oe=6592618E			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68314	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054163		67		1085364819491480	6	1.7169165788042E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074057320476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015920	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408964698_760110865938779_9168368140077978786_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mx0tyoihuDkAX9jQp3r&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCZj29dTT21UCmtaVLMn2iYsuUX5-E5cso4Ycf2m03ytw&oe=659150BC	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408996983_6798919186843430_4029889489695145261_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Pp7Bu_KUjHgAX8mJBPW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCFsRl16MjxBgMGKMXmuB942aIzuRwaz0l5aIatRmL36A&oe=65927C63			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69018	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		1334662847182490	1	8.8127853671526E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715937760115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140266	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406648536_6858794507533664_6415151710192441771_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WzhUumd7V70AX8S_ltR&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBYRrgwoukMrk8puyJ8HUqXimmsAHheHUnZldhTE8paSA&oe=65918099	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406670562_320803414066473_7829096292855378594_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SiaY2Q3YkMkAX9MSH45&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAa0vDnOIwvE0jikFQjiGFBjBZdCkGwTybHukc2hwO8dQ&oe=6592CB9F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66750	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054163		67		1114893206342384		8.851472866062E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203128078630274		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703489773	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414460522_2351779175022988_1296492482102595974_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vXCpO93jl9kAX8aGvfc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXuUTm4hB2EFOw3gqJilOek4WgnTD87A_lXU_0bIHJsA&oe=6592BC58	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414466689_303694519329472_1488687750424467024_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cVB9dKP8IfoAX_CAOq7&_nc_oc=AQk834qZ9moDK5--mi_vfpv_zZiXt0Shq4Cyhk1iM4vqGeXfIyJE41qp9ln7IFwxHXM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC9LKOD_x4hjC4K2W0qHtgz7e_kR2JKBk9Pe-WlZRN7Ug&oe=6592E857			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66481	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054163		67		189572160888879	1	8.8450340965446E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120202362779650087		joannaczech.com	Shop now		NONE	image	New Arrivals, New Favorites	From Joanna Czech	https://www.joannaczech.com/collections/new-arrivals		1701272424	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404702273_1508209453305019_6357617085409257160_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K3gCTz2enSAAX8bTRIV&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDUkQiOhwmyaZoVeE9qNPR3YMlnlNm2uDnmQHa92aFXyA&oe=659316A3	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404807501_1069170020777037_2418253723897307596_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6WIe3W7dJDQAX_C8qmg&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBGdydkFSgdJEPHfVPZg8z-jUJiFStd9VsSibhFgnNXrw&oe=6592BADB			0	3	Fresh favorites for your skincare routine.		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67377	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054163		67		1100572987620600	1	1.500475097403E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205509151610427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806621	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411459332_860886442185655_3610561373309024120_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tR3TJBMsB6kAX-H64On&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAziRk8fPXazSDAU4fDfDntHZeygf9w1sMaNVU5Zbbx4g&oe=6592A594	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411481865_321240374129268_1478670247787849453_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M0PQ9QKxBp4AX8CSJaB&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCc7IkhbwLRSYcveGVRXqWbTCPxgm7ySv_ruHl4jRkXWg&oe=6591E932			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67115	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054163		67		348684498109959	7	7.6711392198264E+14		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120204266116610297		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703053942	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412019361_378787494552895_7982363204233741633_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MjVYyP-mbLsAX_bn7jZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHdpOzQoMGqGfRVv1geZr2gsbCANvk7nGOOb6rVxzkAQ&oe=65921ACB	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
69248	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		649866970562020		3.6652817912708E+14		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	520171088019503		0	Liforme			6528911330664		liforme.com	Shop now		NONE	image			http://liforme.com/		1700945594	5.201710880195E+14	Liforme	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406099342_729721612352105_2456704453891670776_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AWoY1qPhN4EAX8se8nv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCvfB3Y-aFY-FGNbTECPPDtBLNZTeOR9peSvMIUQfgZQg&oe=6592A659	person_profile	0	Liforme Yoga	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404656928_706643908064436_8436162110122725954_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_yF8QNMmPYAX-AA9Rv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBdMYyqB7RWfea9biZZvuNiRHjnPRtA7st8eMa2vrlTZw&oe=65922D96			0	3	🖤 BLACK FRIDAY SALE continues! 🖤 Catch the best Liforme deals this year with amazing savings on all products! ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Liforme mats are the grippiest, and we’re sticking to that. 💪✨⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Don&#039;t let your Yoga practice slip away from you. Deepen your pose and advance your practice safely with our revolutionary GripForMe® top surface. Stays grippy, even when sweaty wet. No towel required!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Head over to <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FLiforme.com%2F&amp;h=AT2q2wJXgq5bkLoaTVYVY8AJ96LfyTGeOxP53tTXwcelry26Zt5s6VshOmoYmpWHuhYuMQS4ortWJOOxvfGb2E8-dCnbf0ClU6-UMEo74HfvGCC_IPffUWMBAiKiefphU5L-gHRB8m1ejrBhjUWg0rZRpZDOQcFTLYuvvmUv95k" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">Liforme.com</a> to get our truly transformative Yoga mats for less during our biggest sale event of the year. Everything is on sale including our custom mats featured here! Link in bio! 🔗✨⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Sending our love and thanks to the incredible &#064;facetka_od_jogi pictured here on a Liforme x You Custom Yoga mat. Special thanks to &#064;lekko_store and &#064;Joanna.kepa.foto for the beautiful shot! ❤️🙏⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> #liforme #yoga #yogamat #liveformore #Yogi #yogaeverydamnday #yogapractice #yogainspiration #yogamagic		Liforme		118780	https://facebook.com/LiformeYoga	0		SHOP_NOW						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68207	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054163		67		1829174147535419	5	4.0040837231424E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259661140476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180792	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408546849_679258414294197_5051666096349522839_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FpMy1UwqtQ0AX_Z68j8&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAJpZpZJCEDZPoZCG8uDOqXm2n2tzG6O_W8eormDLvakQ&oe=659158BA	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406775393_254093004090188_8735889365689050652_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K6zxwVwuBk8AX_Xt-Ws&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfC707XQqt1tHANKQ3B3xZqJZwi32GyNR1qhkRht7VI0sg&oe=65929618			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68222	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054163		67		1096490774709870	2	2.9949278909666E+14		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753709080427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119699	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409555013_1598335897638807_8519515434360997818_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=26s5ubXbUeEAX_yf4xo&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBNXueqWIRBX2uRUIBuoVGaYZDErpsA0hhbC_8KsFo31g&oe=6592A32C	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409598101_1049765939477640_663825076262667230_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6--YZj5msIAAX8mCxgl&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDEImNv3D30GHPHIvQaE3rYl-kcVgMpwWXMh7hKeqos1g&oe=65929EE0			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68341	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054163		67		664139719078899	3	1.0508745226186E+15		1702281600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	109080568825640		0	Family Store A1			120202020087690521		mfamilygift.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTION	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilygift.store/joanna-things-d6		1702008375	1.0908056882564E+14	Family Store A1	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408782295_674016538134445_1504278512161745631_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WeIH3Wq0CYEAX-dvHNx&_nc_oc=AQmvno-GnZNLZHc7s_2q2VQyXjBm3tGm6mVmntdxlUZRY3fxpTuK_ii6Zxcmgr1TR8A&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfApUv0aBMfm9oEZrQrOicxZeDTNazz_JvTSKSj8Zg1C0A&oe=6591DEEE	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilygift.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT09BcYIS1bkL-hVKXKL2j2Bg9VIs5WmO5CT6VLQ0FZVOMB7YhS-pSL1FS7OVzHTeCpbb1gzuCy_zkKZa3Zn_99qAp-MBTu7j_hz4f6xsE05kPQ6d1aNYzb_hWeiM4QL4oRBCA849yB7pnOMaMgdmQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilygift.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Store A1		34	https://facebook.com/100091830608558	0		SHOP_NOW						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69246	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		337289455576535	2	3.6652817912708E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	520171088019503		0	Liforme			6528911475864		liforme.com	Shop now		NONE	image			http://liforme.com/		1700945724	5.201710880195E+14	Liforme	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405285661_248105778279450_9134938934918258102_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4AxfMudGlLYAX_-6rDI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCOJcitAfU6BCSvTPKt2q3gInmKlHtVpI5TzVbmcYNE7Q&oe=6591CF74	person_profile	0	Liforme Yoga	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405325826_331879692911189_6724145078767975800_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nmVptvfqq-cAX9P4XWE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDm32sLKzMO0Lj6gKFvpGDCQwHn1xLqVHD8a1d0diACLQ&oe=6592EB8C			0	3	🖤 BLACK FRIDAY SALE continues! 🖤 Catch the best Liforme deals this year with amazing savings on all products! ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Liforme mats are the grippiest, and we’re sticking to that. 💪✨⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Don&#039;t let your Yoga practice slip away from you. Deepen your pose and advance your practice safely with our revolutionary GripForMe® top surface. Stays grippy, even when sweaty wet. No towel required!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Head over to <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FLiforme.com%2F&amp;h=AT2ilqjBgo5Fbwzgu_3rWNidpRcgofSwQs4sazKcsxCnL6p3c0RufjyK7Zwn1jFtBKk_b9nNvXAxUceYDWe8FgE5ywELvh62TJMqSza5MqAikGPXl-p-3VfCiyVMdVT_NdSBvzo-NiuitFDQ6Wi7bjSsWiqSO4BWets2JvHktQI" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">Liforme.com</a> to get our truly transformative Yoga mats for less during our biggest sale event of the year. Everything is on sale including our custom mats featured here! Link in bio! 🔗✨⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Sending our love and thanks to the incredible &#064;facetka_od_jogi pictured here on a Liforme x You Custom Yoga mat. Special thanks to &#064;lekko_store and &#064;Joanna.kepa.foto for the beautiful shot! ❤️🙏⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> #liforme #yoga #yogamat #liveformore #Yogi #yogaeverydamnday #yogapractice #yogainspiration #yogamagic		Liforme		118780	https://facebook.com/LiformeYoga	0		SHOP_NOW						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69869	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054163		67		720194670164420	1	3.5791227022857E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120205094787110777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Watch and go!		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700645840	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403058725_1038705557370802_2740430073186866017_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9GAbXAfCkRUAX_O9UlM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDhDUgIKg8zwsHo6fr4xMyhSMHWl3vIeN8FzuwsCgq68Q&oe=65923447	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402957796_1015002469776084_8146876807129316698_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A7NAESMYRXkAX9hkllq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAlj-CqdZoysSRr_AIWqg-85kPQbRO9eEh3zee50bkrWw&oe=6592EDCE			0	3	##Chapter 1 The Divorce<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, He was framed for taking some kind of drug without his knowledge. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for what she did.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who framed him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to spend a night with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He did it with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68167	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		316228524585017	2	3.3376776531968E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974489550427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287497	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409548513_736123035088674_3865078046541670480_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tcvw_BZNU4kAX97Hx_w&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB018c1wlTAkSqyNPBums3pJmN88hzOGcaOfJkdTXqBNw&oe=6592CEE8	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409663865_1077074143323302_7754359586513390816_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ck1P-MkoZ4kAX_WjA78&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDtIWQe0dIvcAYsdSbRnvzEsxc8mBOb4HhHsQYqTPzoA&oe=65924CC3			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67524	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054163		67		1597979484346601	1	9.1165694391733E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011737650506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636914	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410854871_1046420269935289_7239202059052729649_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HsGzV3lecgkAX8FzogB&_nc_oc=AQnVxu_e3PFH7H2jdQ39TXMYsOfY7e3tRfiqSZjURjEgboY-hIi8SSiLkm8-aNwuZbY&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCVldGOOARARMvFFEidpJ1QZJizAPdJAaCts1GZwxJVVw&oe=6592576C	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410669089_1101858634137328_8947683167676573757_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=raDLmaKggqQAX-rkCiV&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAU8gUOrb4ZbQzd3DKdDs-qP5RWTC7CjdwzYfUzctZ1yQ&oe=6591F75A			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69126	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054163		67		1012929836668439	2	3.7049479884375E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690731820115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055917	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406037591_1508235186700669_6029666679832363918_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cXPBH9H1wSIAX8uyY0b&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFg3M8AXHl4e8GCcMj9h6CnKslg8R8tmXy45IKSkd0wA&oe=65918D40	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406030042_734984821300760_4027324127174315871_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zRVWKB_TN1MAX9C-e27&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBu1chp67S0AzFO6a3VtLxUoCLE72aJaRnjkWBgt2rTnQ&oe=6592BB70			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67962	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054163		67		1046994889911288	1	3.8741503037589E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203220396290670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702449651	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410738282_925532461814247_4355980368736443896_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8LgNz4YZmrkAX8NnAW9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCWqMfCOyQFXcZnEU50E2_E2SLAuUPvY7A8iH-KRUUQ7g&oe=65923500	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410601755_698475189014514_2836908792587626576_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AeUWLSaZscIAX9fDOAA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWI4EaNarfRBvlsp-0rgxjtsfyJ5B5ksj7AO1GSRkAYQ&oe=6591BC3F			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69576	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		662330822693093	1	8.705296445664E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111590884348619		0	Scoolinary			120203950092260679		scoolinary.com/christmas-desserts	Watch more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.scoolinary.com/courses/christmas-desserts		1700679950	1.1159088434862E+14	Scoolinary	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405048753_292152330462355_640483908611715032_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1YTUKw_r3S0AX9Udyg_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAE3aBDDyZLBUt-WynmezU1tVikQBzf1mdNX8GWFWcBg&oe=659301AF	person_profile	0	scoolinary_en	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402663822_1155743302499968_8650124239449016395_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V2vcaTsla60AX-7P70-&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAGBCmSqGA3YLWm-pN8nPJKB5NwofcDg9Md2YfcGXKVZQ&oe=6591BD3B			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Scoolinary		180771	https://facebook.com/ScoolinaryEN	0		WATCH_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67943	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054163		67		251792271033284	1	1.2833082056642E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203220179900670		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702449364	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410156980_1422950644963858_6338414394463622060_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OwOnCn3BiA4AX9AKovE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCaI04QSgOMLTdtKLPgQXGrOSkUyI3oSzgTeZiBGVXLGA&oe=65925C7A	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410835618_6800945969960612_324757981267390950_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fGK-9sLzPXIAX_evzDU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoGN58gIrIJKbF47mrcN1281aIO410cxLcMNSN7tWn0g&oe=6592FF02			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67944	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054163		67		385620450571432	1	3.7610357489045E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434496920465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447735	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409845103_1104982403737017_3354036724626691066_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eT9RhQZZSpcAX9FvwJv&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC7CspjVczEBKbFcGwuH1JM6LhSuXAAHI9CB9mlByNFcA&oe=65921200	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409744527_862005142056359_982591847832200209_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wa6aKxJMh-oAX-u8Qxr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDUN57PuLtTFddw1-yaNsJN5O7eRXuvoaDEjSbu9cke9Q&oe=6592D35F			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68109	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		730347718590910	1	3.329919928497E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120202541248560781		WWW.ACEHARDWARE.COM/MAGNOLIA	Shop now		NONE	carousel	KILZ		http://www.acehardware.com/magnolia		1702338790	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409393862_728820275791355_2000459465963158743_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6UBEscCLUgUAX9rp2fb&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBwFeHx1A7BYvjsWjhSdHcn24urt2930dcYkI8PeuprKQ&oe=6592C196	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410462493_696856155930593_4778605442293308195_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U6zn6iCbXHcAX9x33di&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPwB3eWdGZ7V4d6GgmEoUwTD-G6jUCQhUAs__mM-4RIA&oe=6592DD66			0	3	Say hello to beautiful color &amp; premium coverage from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69051	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		320008720975150	1	7.1807344253229E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120202351763960268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_400879EFF1FDBE3A7056331C71F319A4_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1701106072	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406104681_1580753012461380_447936092192138441_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CcKXxtho3TUAX9dLza_&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCYCWuIaX0MRN23WrzRzcvVOIp2WLO2Hvw3nvSBnYqOnA&oe=6593107A	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, recovering from heartbreak, is adamant about avoiding athletes. Knox, fighting the &#039;dumb jock&#039; stereotype, needs her help more than she knows. Can they challenge their own prejudices to find something real?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68765	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054163		67		690235199870096	1	3.8374211068572E+14		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108524135250933		0	William Helburn			120201096517700593		williamhelburn.com	Learn more		NONE	image			http://williamhelburn.com/		1701341727	1.0852413525093E+14	William Helburn	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406067940_879941097193657_5636277887507495217_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UkO620hVaUcAX-7DZuR&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBJcpsN_z3NN9_cqTMMu9PKekTuW24CtKoItNacqlegxA&oe=65931D8F	person_profile	0	William Helburn	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406242779_1476691849574078_2164083501816864373_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=otsQAkggfjcAX8qrNPE&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC7qpqzyOqszpDvYbcjoVNvqjw2vsx5_iJKRqLdx6PK5w&oe=65917370			0	3	Joanna McCormick ⁣⁣<br /> Limo 1951<br /> <br /> #williamhelburn<br /> #william_helburn<br /> #joannamccormick<br /> #fashion​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #fashionphotography​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #retrofashionphotography​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​<br /> #myvintagevogue​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #50sfashion​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #50sfashionmodel​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #harpersbazaar​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​<br /> #harpersbazaarus​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #bazaaruk ​​​​​​​​<br /> #vintageglamour​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​<br /> #1950		William Helburn		6	https://facebook.com/WilliamHelburn	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
70115	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054163		67		341101648538978	1	1.2769838063249E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201626202090439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700551930	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404495097_3084957241634300_1155769027400189790_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YXrSSeMcDq0AX_q1_PP&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAau5XS2gcOjsvf-KvRTX3wdQUXCd3wX54x08OQu3_JbQ&oe=6592FDF5	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404600559_865031345284027_4495840532606290225_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ENZ1CMZcLwMAX-Nrc5g&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB3M70eEDIQ9oiZoo0c4nDv1JFeOODkjSN2MwzabU_tXA&oe=659152E0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67691	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054163		67		1046080406642910	4	3.634585093535E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120202081806810160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702543445	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410621952_869298584807558_2639963278643690258_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e-UGqYVjhJYAX-u93RH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqXay6L0PthbfERByoI_FzyZEijPxZjD8OFcXjLq287g&oe=6592FB8E	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69002	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		900921421035709	1	3.6430958957573E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201716012860115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140483	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406059743_1013783253399937_8405621616624694896_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fM5ABfIZSj0AX9cKJ9i&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZKram_LDfd8J_XMDqr0Hxf0iq5s7kjLwKAxtnx7BOxg&oe=65918E07	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406050185_312401661690820_1471007349290503434_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OMdOKMtco1sAX-lHgUM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBgQSfT_ERsJSTJquAPzu_kl8GGGLAOUm_VU4N4z9IqDA&oe=6592392F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68641	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054163		67		1109653850028683	1	9.0660415085646E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107994988993702		0	Joanna Joanna			120200566441210328			Contact us		NONE	image	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/272116089171849/		1701525858	1.079949889937E+14	Joanna Joanna		regular_page	1	Joey Rosado	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407623459_382070647587347_1125722353710021855_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DpGNNOEjSA4AX-VJL8O&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAAbxf3AHuXvOL97j_SXWi590WJh6pfJ2Ku0cfdAerUzA&oe=65920E30			0	3	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment - $695.00<br /> <br /> Spacious one-bedroom apartment with large walk in closet for rent in Columbus, GA. Remodeled open floor plan close to shopping centers and restaurants. Don’t miss the chance to make this your new home. Schedule a viewing today!<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Joanna		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=100080150565277	0		CONTACT_US						1701504000		View Edit Delete
69309	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054163		67		1053185165924341	2	2.0955220407935E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632260110115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796881	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404300093_1384739212476587_8752495425808631167_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sp_nDtjeZn8AX8jgpT9&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB85P43e7ipmajYlLoJMqa6QWSBWzB4PAdVs0S-9Z-ZiQ&oe=65925786	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405663944_5431572583633801_1945011588064854730_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-NJM85zqXXcAX9j76XD&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfACNafUxoh3aQJMIB2H8nF6rOIIxTDb9IEh0GEMQNAtqA&oe=6592468B			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69556	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054163		67		1432924697264098	1	1.0804549700544E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611857380115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722752	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405508582_2452664074915700_3692324667612825909_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q0KvxkiT-MsAX-Jc-9j&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDpeCkuVX2McrSa3m-_SZw8ZTsxqOHezqibb0PueZW3Sg&oe=6592A00F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405502630_7028081143909683_6352232828341024807_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5PYUt94DM4UAX8TXBV3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBpTJDO4pTrkiJBB0qp2hCsi5XwkWgLBZX7UN6K5VU9Eg&oe=6591FB10			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69842	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054163		67		3712112829069385	5	1.442981893229E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201779378060250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678825	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478384_307379925475582_6668460916514100970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p_2ZDPSghJYAX9YLev7&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDXfNso3e_k3ZbEShvq-ipNNMhqdCFeIjQcy-3JROVtPg&oe=65928475	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66930	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		907703957337858	1	1.1135176663114E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104155217643336		0	Joanna Białucha			120203439071250419			No button		NONE	video					1703223121	1.0415521764334E+14	Joanna Białucha	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412707471_362997023086882_909968614548264271_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uLui5D7Q-HsAX-zi3Qi&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDu0k2bg4vi9IVBGF-rHN5SEuWqIrxDJOQQ-NjomMr0kw&oe=6591D3EA	person_profile	0	Joanna Białucha	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412873787_331488503080395_4075047565405993618_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ttwwqikiKqMAX8pctMB&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDewUsmnyPJ5okWqBmqvmW-nColnTLDvoD-TMGtKFvnNg&oe=6592DC51			0	3	The Night We Met - Lord Huron cover by Joanna Białucha		Joanna Białucha		84	https://facebook.com/JoannaBialuchaOfficial	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68969	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		3676625995954173	2	6.948599559537E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300676150596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151573	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405640979_1429526347601696_8978102572269323512_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q_Uer9oVRR4AX-F8Jyt&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBzS6US8DDkP4WQl64-lB1fyWESklL3lklFeQpvHXensg&oe=65933E4C	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406513875_1669565883448967_3333913800727783364_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kAVonYNiPLkAX_ajmp5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCh9H_ojWrwIZnHX761HBu2RT6yG3Y5cuFQKh6Mqxz2pQ&oe=6591FB63			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67488	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054163		67		1524693491613363		8.9287584543981E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011752230506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636958	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411171747_314170734909172_8779442420551454041_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-Qrm-jgA6P8AX9k7_ox&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBG5WFINSiyRqt1zstrYF6d28uKq8cCCvMZEfiY1ELpJw&oe=65919B7B	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411157711_1451773532065017_7715843290818518265_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UOgDYpyj3O8AX8ZDGIO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAbzn0Ssmyp9fmsrA32eREvHeoYxXVTlkqvlV1NW9SFyA&oe=6592B6DD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67363	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/12/25, 7:58 PM	1703760162	1747097912		67		2008402819538016	1	2.6439844631626E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	368314343336961		0	Piper & Skye			120202684328930201		www.piperandskye.com	Learn more		NONE	video			http://www.piperandskye.com/		1702827971	3.6831434333696E+14	Piper & Skye	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412152554_6906205722789398_5685622313516889019_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=28qqetZuSYYAX_-PlFJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCbqUi-LD5aqobR_ktGaNhVeQu6hjvBFcT8V8mERC3Y-g&oe=659152E2	person_profile	0	Piper & Skye	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412214294_1057202492266436_276154345490070548_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QcV0E5uKv3gAX-WzM1M&_nc_oc=AQnizJw0nrjC1Wp0dvzJ43YpBXHgSRxvptLcMtsn6hpLiVRG0TEfAEUADB0kM3lDLv8&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB417mvcVc-QBpvq-RrrS4GJE0foiX4jwDTcEjMl4hMow&oe=659229DB			0	3	Did you know that each of Piper &amp; Skye’s bags directly support survivors of DV and HT through our sister brand &#064;safetransitions_co ? <br /> <br /> Created by our shared founder Joanna MacDonald, Safe Transitions acts as an intermediary organization, connecting shelters with landlords in the GTA, who will provide safe homes for individuals ready to begin their transition from a shelter to a new beginning.<br /> <br /> Safe Transitions prioritizes a housing-first approach. This means ensuring that women and children have the resources they need to leave their abu3ers and establish independent, fulfilling lives. <br /> <br /> By addressing housing as a fundamental need, they create a stable foundation upon which survivors can rebuild their futures.<br /> <br /> And their work doesn’t stop there. During their 12-month term, Safe Transitions clients have access to a comprehensive suite of wraparound supports, including subsidized housing, mental health counseling, employment and skills training, life coaching, financial literacy, and other supports provided by partner organizations and Safe Transitions’ network of dedicated volunteers.<br /> <br /> This holistic approach is foundational to Safe Transitions’ success, and it is key to the organization’s ability to uplift vulnerable and multi-barriered women out of shelters and into a sustainable new chapter.<br /> <br /> Through our Sisterhood of Impact, Piper &amp; Skye is actively involved in funding Safe Transitions as part of our commitment to social and environmental responsibility.<br /> <br /> So if you are looking for a “Gift that Gives Back” this season - A piece by Piper &amp; Skye might be just the one you’re looking for!<br /> <br /> You can peruse our entire collection through our Instagram Shop or the link in our bio!<br /> <br /> #PiperandSkye #welovewhatweremadeof #giftsthatgiveback		Piper & Skye		2730	https://facebook.com/piperandskye	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
66934	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		773230557956534		1.9150066404804E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829710990756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213286	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412245351_1525851681535175_6482378805252949989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Qmngrs6JrgAX8Loq7z&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA52g0YvShvU04gGq6dBAvfD3ZRVNvd7rwMMLJluf0i4g&oe=659217DC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67011	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		900920501238439	1	7.019112764863E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	198589046869940		0	Gee Beauty Miami			6520022074933		geebeauty.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://geebeauty.com/		1703169739	1.9858904686994E+14	Gee Beauty Miami	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412696596_897098595046171_2186930487701323036_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-5f0U4s3QVgAX_XDTHB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDK7n9RWwiakeDZzTi4YrldX2xytcT4vG8wYzO-x685Qw&oe=65923119	person_profile	0	Gee Beauty	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412704406_1391491324863634_6582755451960211298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i3jCOZwY78EAX9EVcxk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBWNjDlhFoSBVcbeZ4nxpTDZJ8DtuB0libJ7kF_M8yLjw&oe=6592A64F			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Gee Beauty Miami		959	https://facebook.com/geebeautystudio	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69853	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054163		67		641553591515085	1	8.7940395057528E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	328574304457733		0	Joanna Rubio			120200924959350620		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joannarubio_voicetalentspain		1700689798	3.2857430445773E+14	Joanna Rubio	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404394129_2169771813356408_4656355047617052311_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LzaXTQJ0fKwAX9n58uS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBEIKP4bdBuETbOEj8GORg13WNJAA49B7cVSzL5IW59lw&oe=65930607	person_profile	0	Locutora de Publicidad & Actriz -Joanna Rubio	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401604062_1021930355689752_8119468122843277873_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lokFpx2-TUoAX9Z61sg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDrlQovJBq8V_jd7OBXIz4VHGKoY_SATrqWC_uJst6EuQ&oe=65919729			0	3	🌟Presentation Video. 🇪🇸🇺🇸European Spanish Voice-Over talent working remotely for over 15 years 🌏🔥🎤🎁 #voiceovers #spanishvoiceover #remote #recordingstudio #voiceoverstudio #locutora #joannarubio #ilovemyjob #vocation #digitalnomad #directoresdecastingmadrid #tvc #corporatevideos #acting #dubbing #bilingual #producer #audioproducer #virtualreality #joannarubioproductions #presentationvideo #instagramersgallery #locutoradepublicidad #spanishgirl #español ##selfemployed #myboss #workhardtoplayhard #leo		Joanna Rubio		13	https://facebook.com/voicetalentspain	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69747	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054163		67		1050702726071591		8.9788543133228E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721115290167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679000	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404549215_1715815735586018_265815704509471861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w6MJY-G4Zg4AX9Oezz3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBRsrVW4oyQOPpSsJ4BAkySoBdawt5cSnGeFil-vkWqng&oe=6592D782	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67573	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054163		67		347918311178417				1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105570775961220		0	Cozy home			120203117126200782		homeknowledge.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.homeknowledge.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702567191	1.0557077596122E+14	Cozy home	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409744392_736145238571574_420537052615061852_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jN2M3raFI8UAX8Xfrqq&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBe4XgEvLfWSUyWuhs7iYccBbKIYdL5q-6gtJrtGSZ84Q&oe=6592DEEB	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Cozy home		1055	https://facebook.com/100095409212705	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68261	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054163		67		680508337527775	1	8.682099414404E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	132805209916985		0	Gotoz Shop 41			120201675610660447		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls44		1702042526	1.3280520991698E+14	Gotoz Shop 41	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409003677_1107149366938567_5759689275238973259_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xK0Q1NNLcVUAX9tKHLc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCKsM8PiHw4FpozE_onicA69mn9v6eyA1_12aU8_dYGgg&oe=65926231	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls44&amp;h=AT0kwtoQORGcn0teOgoqCYGjMagEsDGG8U00NVD7wjpfd2_dfisaOLUDO4B0gKISqjFLGFAkFzApaECA1MdWYdn6GDCwg8qm5NGWPYx71C19g10jNHwQSXIAL0JHLFnwTO_04-YWq6dJaWmPLGTcFB0ONHw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls44</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1U_RZq56vCOp-zDwHvOVV0II1JJGvCcrJCIG6vcr31zcyA8JkXObPZvEo8x1EzGE4kRQ_rj_DAsFdPmtF-OSt91s9CdzpVtpN3aaeLrHCwRZts_ZlqErXLr2cIE-7EZ_TZoDcXxw4RHa0zErrbnE89Bdo" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Gotoz Shop 41		0	https://facebook.com/61551865623424	0		SHOP_NOW						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69041	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		1337229090256723	1	1.052423562672E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715933890115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140252	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405794617_1031419641407422_6449381710491225332_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VPl54Yih9pAAX9PSueN&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAyNtQa2RmcdfiKhR3mrg2Q5o75JPoeZLtDr-zalMzTag&oe=659324F0	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403717571_336574448987925_2419818652990746410_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vEAQjPHD07UAX-PM8qh&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBUufXBTm8A2rOIFEia602BH3zZjEGPsMps9lEfMCQvhQ&oe=6592E9E8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68638	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054163		67		901020771593234	1	2.3120760990019E+15		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107994988993702		0	Joanna Joanna			120200567739350328			Contact us		NONE	image	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/1043708276947694/		1701531475	1.079949889937E+14	Joanna Joanna		regular_page	1	Joey Rosado	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406767387_650812633884647_6584833787894882770_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AQnf_Xl4txQAX_D20KV&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB5Av2mrzDSymqNnU1rBPyLrbyrMUzW9QUrKcA8zMZSAw&oe=6592A8AA			0	3	1 Bed 1 Bath - Apartment - $695.00<br /> <br /> Spacious one-bedroom apartment for rent in Columbus, GA for $695. This updated retreat features modern touches, offering comfort and style. Close to shopping centers. Dont miss the chance to make this your new home. Schedule a viewing today!<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Joanna		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=100080150565277	0		CONTACT_US						1701504000		View Edit Delete
66872	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		380080241239243	1	6.5395319026522E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	169192766267241		0	Playadors			120204354960340277		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/playadors		1703282201	1.6919276626724E+14	Playadors	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411529446_1051603452833073_4100770964307178556_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CQAp9UC-WjoAX_l0wuk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAPwfykLOZxCE2PvpYnHK60iCuebVlzA-Cw6eBHytsyLw&oe=6592143C	person_profile	0	Playadors	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411517493_1597948754279802_1525792620342886299_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p8ohx_8p4vsAX_Kxyao&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHUFW-izW2b-9b90GrCIuU3ZRzKqj8SE9t_4cpR4IRow&oe=6592B39D			0	3	PLAYADORS // Fearless Love featuring Joanna Serenko 🌺		Playadors		331	https://facebook.com/playadorsmusic	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67795	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054163		67		315616537977866	1	3.5608362044133E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548022809		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494475	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411083288_1760430597765371_3076544466818421764_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LUZtBeN44e0AX-UK1y-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC7txgVm4Whg4cNGISvPn5sBjFHEWBbBiVtdepHPXo_NA&oe=6592ECA4	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411196322_732012131712862_5988404186932105430_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fQrjVDbXgeEAX-DGfSi&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRVALJFINKlMdAggoNv-I06OCFbKU0rNrA96l5GJmUgw&oe=65932179			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68359	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054163		67		2564512583706837	1	9.8864357838402E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	12013348247		0	Country Living Magazine			120202295239810684		countryliving.com	No button		NONE	image	These Joanna Gaines-Approved Finds Are on Our Amazon Wishlist		https://www.countryliving.com/shopping/g40177047/joanna-gaines-amazon-prime-day-2022/?utm_source=facebook_arb&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=arb_fb_clv_d_i_comm_k1_g40177047		1701963934	12013348247	Country Living Magazine	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408912427_734575158069743_2348624942991150047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NKktf51Rh1QAX8P7CBF&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfApJrpMEg22P5mLYsxb4tTtcnx2PImusCX-FoeEI4kTqw&oe=6591E24C	person_profile	0					0	3	Farmhouse style on a budget right this way.		Country Living Magazine		5145670	https://facebook.com/CountryLiving	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68307	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/2/25, 9:36 PM	1703760169	1751510195		67		1035716971072156	1	9.2618298226808E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074170590476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016106	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407976029_884250260020585_3922702087516270494_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F_6lTsAPFTAAX-TzULF&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFSn2tpK5Q5nkE2t1IvDWs-cX6Z8fS_-YFBhwWhhgt8Q&oe=65915E51	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408013550_3640260342876659_2980185788599711961_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yb6EGiUi7y8AX8Rl3ZJ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDu4dSlLx5xiUc2ffg2XaQII07XBLy-PjQeAUYdOayySQ&oe=659153B4			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68345	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 10:59 PM	1703760169	1748750378		67		1295667341148235		7.37223603612E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	865633690313272		0	Unbothered			120201740567550660		www.refinery29.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/12/11565917/baby-tate-pansexuality-blonde-new-music		1701973724	8.6563369031327E+14	Unbothered	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408854408_732390335445148_9051682135270771121_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0UdMPj3P2FgAX9zUk0z&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBjiW9VUrJDCuT_0-fNOwDg3NOBfHiBQl-4j7BQLVWe4w&oe=659217B5	person_profile	0	Unbothered	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408907822_733896101978023_8477828859715679808_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zA9wUhMjpOMAX9zvamk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKfcaO4TQLfE7Mz1sOVrWacWus7cNBZ3wQC2Vw0SNpqg&oe=6591E2B2			0	3	🗣 The Unbothered Zine is finally here featuring our amazing cover STAR ✨ &#064;imbabytate! ✨ Tap in as the IT GIRL dives deep into duality, self expression and sexuality 😉. We know you don’t want to miss this amazing pop culture moment so head to our IG stories for the full story. 💖⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ___⁠<br /> Photography: Ally Green &#064;theallygreen⁠<br /> Styling: Yety Akinola for Atelier Management &#064;yetyakinola⁠<br /> Hair: Shelby Swain for OPUS Beauty &#064;theshelbyswain⁠<br /> Makeup: Shadara Holmes for OPUS Beauty &#064;shadaraholmes.mua⁠<br /> Nails: Megan “Pink’s Artistry” Smith &#064;pinksartistry⁠<br /> Set Design: Samantha Margherita &#064;smargherita⁠<br /> DP: Joanna Thanh há Nguyen &#064;jtngu⁠<br /> Video Editing: David Rho &#064;davidrhorho⁠<br /> Digital Tech: Ed Cañas ⁠<br /> Photo Assistants: Avery Mulally, Obidi Nzeribe⁠<br /> Wardrobe Assistant: Kaij⁠<br /> Hair Assistants: Teyah, Nuni Aenon Bowie⁠<br /> Set Assistant: Cody Rogers⁠<br /> Production Assistant: Carrie Rivera⁠<br /> <br /> DP: Joanna Thanh há Nguyen &#064;jtngu Video Editing: David Rho &#064;davidrhorho ⁠<br /> <br /> Cover Feature Writer: Ineye Komonibo &#064;ineyekomo⁠<br /> Cover Feature Editor: Kathleen Newman-Bremang &#064;kathleennb⁠<br /> Talent Management: Sandy Pierre &#064;sandzp⁠<br /> Director, Unbothered: Kimber Bowman &#064;kimbernotkimberly⁠<br /> Vice President, Unbothered: Chelsea Sanders &#064;definitelynotchelsea ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Unbothered Social Team:⁠<br /> Alexis Jackson &#064;lexisjacks⁠<br /> Maiya Carmichael &#064;_mcqn⁠<br /> Christa Eduafo &#064;chreeeeeesta⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Unbothered Video Team:⁠<br /> Jessika Hardy &#064;jessikalyssa⁠<br /> Rissa Papillion &#064;bordeauxpapi⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Vice President, Brand Studio: Sarah Filippi &#064;sarah_f___⁠<br /> Design Director, Brand Studio: Andreina Carrillo &#064;ndre⁠<br /> Art Director, Brand Studio: Ben Tuber &#064;bentuber⁠<br /> Senior Designer, Brand Studio: Kali Concepcion &#064;conrkali⁠<br /> Senior Producer, Brand Studio: Agustina Gaviola &#064;agustinagaviola		Unbothered		5214	https://facebook.com/r29unbothered	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68439	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054163		67		835701768304345		2.7496543485083E+15		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543259824110		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Primavera Sound Porto		https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899308	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407711281_383179104135886_8051482914939574926_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QxEYSgRZHcUAX8P4sBe&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKRU007RmTCBF3eXwxsN0XWgWQsV9S0eZGHoGXqT3YzA&oe=6591591E	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407705718_365202216033732_7061675438936509745_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wwRGNBWW77oAX_2oIru&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbgMoiy0gxSCjsBOIyeyA5ckohy4TDbp9_SBatnzo7Ew&oe=65924231			0	3	Primavera Sound Porto returns to Parque da Cidade from the 6th to 8th of June 2024. Around 50 artists confirmed to celebrate the 11th edition!		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66726	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054163		67		342835571838105		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204367956730400		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703490937	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412715237_330005936547062_3550222687105991642_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nAlS7zYXHHIAX-eIfLD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEWzlUUIdwpvEze4mt5aR-4TdIXpGEdE5yiLNu6HXPdg&oe=659249EF	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783826_388595710206327_4192630617525670597_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_jy-xzUZAKgAX_MTQAj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMXVODrChuQdO7OMAUfN2g83Wt-5xpNyqnHNTPSBX3HQ&oe=65931B8C			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66810	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054163		67		1790089571496230	1	1.4997614107805E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	529777563733104		0	Meridian University			6561206332601			No button		NONE	image					1703347425	5.297775637331E+14	Meridian University	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412346867_3480731175574162_6471883215353220155_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=I3JT4UdZn6AAX_Wi9lb&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCQLjJTqUJY9MFeFP0T6bsF8yH1nYkcpFr5emQS5jnk_w&oe=65930B34	person_profile	0	Meridian University	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412697111_335484359430224_2148219696045883625_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DB161C4ZzNUAX9jGqBA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOJ6vkQ9NJjcmGvXgx05mFztYviTBz_ZChdjEQv8wKYg&oe=6592E3C0			0	3	Open your heart and understand the power of vulnerability.		Meridian University		3638	https://facebook.com/MeridianUniversity	0		NO_BUTTON						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66956	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		325518953653441		3.2085676418162E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111233318296643		0	Multiple Choices			120202829733320756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213366	1.1123331829664E+14	Multiple Choices	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783833_869622144811496_7149635715460326849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YP19n1yGdBEAX-6btmm&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhEmY4-_sU3EPutqN4nQpnbqRDZEbHvfJKSdkJUcHN5Q&oe=6592C96A	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Multiple Choices		34	https://facebook.com/100083202375576	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66948	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		782521337252315		3.6610815266792E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829728740756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213337	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412281800_737327067855194_5585804166645535762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5wQMPXMTN-AAX8kHQTp&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPF3hYKO3uonjFQ-Zg7eFg2YTlZ9sC8SMoS4yWvtolow&oe=65921B7F	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67015	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		353376050818273	1	9.0389222134585E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107782662260298		0	Tony Johnson			120201980472490452		gotonyjohnson.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Run Your Marathon In 16 Weeks... Or I'll Give You A $100		https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit		1702862823	1.077826622603E+14	Tony Johnson	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411234563_378179194573366_8389408697720457988_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=st0ApmVcnFYAX8ECIZ6&_nc_oc=AQkS66UYH-YcfUEFSmZDCjs4Nz4C7TRVwZPPHgDgrLK6hMBbfyGay3JMY6QQ6gOnl2Y&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBTjd1uFyd-tRao_UV3F-auF0ccyjjpwFVvrYmqQwP0RA&oe=6591E041	person_profile	0	Tony Johnson	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412282304_1075603620246920_51109711020779814_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DsvgdpXtWWwAX9JPwJu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCvfYv6QZDGa0lpun4dbUhd7f4tpNrM-WGCVpx8d8xpdA&oe=6592416A			0	3	Attention Marathon Runners: Run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or less for ONLY $17<br /> <br /> (If you don&#039;t run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or I&#039;ll give you a $100 for wasting your time)<br /> <br /> Introducing The Marathon Training Starter Kit!<br /> <br /> This unique style of training has not only helped me, but also 200+ beginner and seasoned runners run their half or full marathons like…<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Joanna won a gold medal on her first half marathon<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Abby ran her first marathon in 4 hours with just 9 weeks of training<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Salma ran her first marathon in 4:28 after overcoming a pelvic stress fracture.<br /> <br /> The &#039;Marathon Training Starter Kit’ for ONLY $17 helps people like you easily run their half or full marathons in 16 weeks or less…<br /> <br /> ✅ without running 4+ times per week<br /> ✅ without running speed intervals or hills<br /> ✅ without dealing with constant overuse injuries<br /> ✅ without getting burned out or bored<br /> <br /> Run your half or full marathon injury free and finish with a time you are proud of, while also becoming the strongest, most confident version of yourself…<br /> <br /> Click the link below to get instant access to “The Marathon Training Starter Kit’ and start your training today for just $17.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gotonyjohnson.com%2Fmarathon-training-starter-kit&amp;h=AT1hvb7EDOiulNzWBLtOu0Ccd2pv9P5hRrtHWlLebXY0BiEAyIDD78Mfc-Bry3_M7oIEupc_i6ruyRR5j0HZNXm7Ut4C7Kny-WJTZQP6zCmHTryamPCE8yT2vplBu2bSQ7skFwq7LUKRXrkgZTpSFw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit</a><br /> <br /> See ya inside,<br /> Tony Johnson		Tony Johnson		450	https://facebook.com/coachtonyjohnson.10	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66473	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054163		67		916099749886599	1	2.2577309377534E+15		1703664000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	2349888851730721		0	Joanna Gottlob			6519375870258			Contact us		NONE	image	Pirelli P7 Plus 3 225/50R17 All-Season tires on OEM 2008 Honda CR-V rims		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/3498985980414114/		1703719958	2.3498888517307E+15	Joanna Gottlob	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415194475_1268034020532213_3044426931757520759_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=53-lU_OBgPQAX8Y-fTC&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDZcJSNZarIr0np9r8o39cAYnU-kULJdCopYFvzCX6Lrw&oe=6591C82D	regular_page	1	Joanna Gottlob	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415259546_3876180125951648_6483941609680683923_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cfnu19Tta0IAX9lL9sV&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC7nmm0pfK086pj4sk8aVO8wEzkPp0FG2HrgycQY28ktg&oe=659227E0			0	3	Pirelli P7 Plus 3 225/50R17 All-Season tires on OEM 2008 Honda CR-V rims - $850.00<br /> <br /> I have Pirelli P7 Plus 3 225/50R17 All-Season tires on OEM 2008 Honda CR-V rims. I was in a collision and they wrote off my car so I&#039;m selling my extra tires. Driven on 4 months. Open to offers.<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Gottlob		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=703830025	0		CONTACT_US						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68503	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054163		67		3646190102319591	1	1.8009084852281E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	733844546757862		0	Waco, TX Local - News Break			120201626855900465		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Waco!	The Fixer Uppers are at it again and have officially opened what could possibly be their biggest project yet: Hotel 1928 in Waco, Texas!. The home flipping couple, and HGTV royalty, ended their fixer upper show in 2018 and have since focused on Magnolia Homes, a remodeling and design business in Wac...	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0q2xhd3P?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701854548	7.3384454675786E+14	Waco, TX Local - News Break	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407975681_891041685932799_60125509681984087_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VsAGge4WbssAX928Vne&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCuhNxg58gYl7s2PfhQwfiJVmqCvYpdB8inKgXYo9Q8NQ&oe=65921B74	person_profile	0	Waco, TX Local - News Break	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407925688_291096973929775_8722681132735979807_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7yIm2pZIjYYAX8jZJ8A&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCq3AD3CgQVFUM12HBaDJ_q8HlKqpR0dtAP4iVsDzQDXA&oe=6591BA21			0	3	Waco News: Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines’ Expensive Hotel is Now Open in Texas.		Waco, TX Local - News Break		4290	https://facebook.com/WacoTXLocal	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66841	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054163		67		662179379419120	1	1.8390955298609E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104238192067446		0	Fox'oclock			120201783055130044		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-bt/		1703299544	1.0423819206745E+14	Fox'oclock	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413857505_400211219004178_1964938579208555333_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sj8F704bwpgAX9XoHN0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCC7L2nsjySNE0Jq85CgezsVEpHN331Zq7HBmCll30Fdg&oe=65929D53	person_profile	0	Fox'oclock	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413944379_1060222085025592_3206233902143702673_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tnXgMobYx3sAX86hMPw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCAOTMY-otsKYCNs5qlLe89CwYXMFXsDsFGQ7_sgG2QzA&oe=6591B39B			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Fox'oclock		159	https://facebook.com/100076064792214	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68141	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/8/25, 11:14 AM	1703760167	1746720851		67		692951535936611	1	1.0041175773246E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498246310278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287836	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409583137_1385926655348005_1257338174878429796_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fjM9KA5GdUkAX9sxNt6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfClYUh3XsbL3yFA7lDcak_T-N0XnGjnkZyTHuOamLmQYQ&oe=6591CE68	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410238421_714712073929839_2675286043389757889_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jg4Cox2uRaQAX_pyhde&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBc3Pq5waE0W1ndxxveoEK29aWcfaGG_2vaIRvYTUm3MA&oe=6592416B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66912	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		343619041719931	1	7.3716555847402E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575822160530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Install to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703215097	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412956237_220076494511715_3417619156013233115_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8eWNTM0ofnIAX_tJN8U&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCy8T9BNhY06VorSPEVm-hqwNeK-xMl31fP6vY5bVYN_Q&oe=65929021	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411975411_1364110524216040_9218179105143584392_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gkyY8wz2tJEAX-AdfsD&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBE4UHe3WUj1g1iyO-1C5cseKyK8FbSGqWn9h38dylP0Q&oe=6591E9C2			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP<br /> Search book id:1374 <br /> Or book title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩,read the full version!		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68200	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054163		67		892858982553065	2	7.1937572440191E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259785930476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180916	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409699537_1092522901775505_4800940763371127827_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8vYMUI_WEiQAX_Q4giK&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDyCUQFpFMrWO99UKExiMmxwXo5YRHGJR7EJreCZ3uFHw&oe=65926F22	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409646226_343091831752577_1671177735386444671_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f6ZIfhUQSrYAX9noe9v&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAt5EKXn2hbtFoBFyajbeRRdXSVRtV70IdYutmBqOAhYg&oe=6591CF47			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
66954	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		616445513885816		3.2085676418162E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111233318296643		0	Multiple Choices			120202829733320756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213366	1.1123331829664E+14	Multiple Choices	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783833_869622144811496_7149635715460326849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YP19n1yGdBEAX-6btmm&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhEmY4-_sU3EPutqN4nQpnbqRDZEbHvfJKSdkJUcHN5Q&oe=6592C96A	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Multiple Choices		34	https://facebook.com/100083202375576	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66978	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		1336839426970287	1	2.1526242162604E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120766401101493		0	BioBursts			120202829677260756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213195	1.2076640110149E+14	BioBursts	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412986113_714714433953604_7845172158245151613_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VUk30gwA2HYAX9HECUR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB06PiKvKj-RKsJDAlWrMDCXm4xraKR2Ua0od0xZMDcvQ&oe=65916B97	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		BioBursts		5440	https://facebook.com/100095312214573	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67007	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		276417682078834	1	7.0229190677838E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	132372003442630		0	DoodyCalls of Houston			6504371096642			Call Now		NONE	image	DoodyCalls of Houston	We provide pet waste services in residential areas, commercial properties, and community areas.			1703172444	1.3237200344263E+14	DoodyCalls of Houston	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412891374_735173494847530_3654421079460462650_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HP_QJgPjR60AX-Bq8yk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAyjt7FLZxzc9q91ZsvXMou2HLbAFPjWHojbKGii9nWJA&oe=65928E6F	person_profile	0	DoodyCalls of Houston	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410060999_2309144375947197_5483184246456993198_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9cmXuPbnD-sAX8mc2HS&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBlrOKDCsTR-RblhBtcjmIjRDW9a6srozCXjyi8FSY2dA&oe=65917A7B			0	3	Merry Christmas from the DoodyCalls of Houston family to yours! Love, Carlos, Kenny, Clifford, Juan, Stephen, Danzel, Mervin, Chris, Sade, Joanna, Katelin and Amy! <br /> #pooperscooper #petwastemanagement #petwasteremoval #dogchristmas		DoodyCalls of Houston		1708	https://facebook.com/DoodyCallsHouston	0		CALL_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68099	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054164		67		350365237690944	1	2.9013772015988E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205057535530427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702370903	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410234597_345652294855975_2269583192749116436_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4wziKkKwh1cAX8lKCLa&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCOJYRNrsZL5xz7kA7Li4II2bOueaufHgp7q-Jht4auxw&oe=659300AC	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410270735_1078948406446605_6366078462541195746_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cxQj3AFd0pUAX-nx_J8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAr8Wc0tEueKA9yg01KjdyE_azvahA3wPEnBAUr0aUhRg&oe=6591E0F2			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68097	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054164		67		1050223782690751	1	7.6094717920617E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205057980280427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702371277	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406868951_1037186887401449_325268379889717981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9_fuaM6cpLEAX_DEQpr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABO7KclGPQndPr_UXnDJkS4a-jXGkUvCMl8HqM2JUfLA&oe=6592487F	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409559942_386435810397385_7254711632310337614_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-hEG_tu1a28AX_wVDja&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA6EUZy-IFaqjIUs7R0Qt3y37CQsgxYFnSagD-ozlUzkw&oe=6591EF81			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68121	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054164		67		878946303832389	2	3.1601919460082E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216185080123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310315	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406836688_266288373102733_362970838354008203_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GN7boz8AjJMAX8bHdqm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCUQvGtRpri6Y6MteFUqShkbKKMWD8beVqnaPYluwhOOQ&oe=6592E5AF	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408464134_365323619323422_1611467445753259670_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ly-6bzvbafwAX-rOMxY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBhfnSsdFknF73N7UlEvxZVk1m_eh3WVIYe2lIvRdHlKw&oe=6592A14B			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68153	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054164		67		3114505482014686	1	9.1427245637245E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498173870278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287780	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409906373_1022338088866099_5538452331523543679_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ts6PgJVXVKYAX-YzZa1&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqazKPWH3wd9eDG8Uq0Qvx1_eAy0YUo_jiW9bxgl4KWQ&oe=6592C84B	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409684798_3802776606622767_718087880499197697_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zak9fbQ7nh8AX9Gyt8s&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAOxhpih-NJQ3g-hzIt3gFj1YzGLlKlVXHy_OLG9EcTag&oe=6592C71D			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69552	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		1117554302546881	1	1.023097292141E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611859530115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722964	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405017689_311153695071774_4558684013250948045_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ki9uABnCGFsAX9Yp9nZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChnIzO_5Z-8bGC3LTVHMUM8U2cms_NVVJGermc8N4UNA&oe=65923E78	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402663213_327088806696623_8533469152566214213_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EjFW2UCZV-sAX_y6fla&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGp4iKHBDURs7IbOG-mE3d2nvq2jOPtnCAbCC68oGnaw&oe=65931AE2			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69420	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054164		67		3420850348212592	1	6.4817656750527E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1987069611516146		0	Les Femmes			120202397571940300					NONE	video					1700828444	1.9870696115161E+15	Les Femmes	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403621802_339857481977900_4468443214681371301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UE-yTrjl93wAX_H9rIj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB4X070lYB2I4URvOyOoJgN3HJfCElUpUqVZOxc9FDHmA&oe=659212FD	person_profile	0	Les Femmes Opera	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403679925_1045653343372258_4912870556510771613_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dSmSev5QBi4AX8XvaTC&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDHbc79rTAg-dl0iiUfEh3FnpOxJ71wCk_0p63WqzeCvw&oe=659191BD			0	3	Ś𝔀. 𝘾𝙚𝙘𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙖 dzisiejsza patronka.<br /> <br /> Nasza najnowsza perełeczka ❤️<br /> 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 - 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙆𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨<br /> Uwielbiamy ten utwór!<br /> <br /> Joanna Sobowiec-Jamioł sopran<br /> Natalia Krajewska-Kitowska sopran<br /> Emilia Osowska - mezzosopran<br /> <br /> audio: Kamil Słowikowski<br /> video: Monika Gut- Jarecka, Grzegorz Ciecierski<br /> live, 08.2023 r. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oblackiecentrum">Oblackie Centrum Edukacji i Kultury</a><br /> <br /> &#064;obserwujący<br /> 🎶 Idą życzenia w świat! 🎶<br /> Życzymy wszystkim znajomym i tym śledzącym nas z ukrycia;-) <br /> Wytchnienia, ukojenia, zanurzenia, eksplozji mocy, podniesienia na duchu, podtrzymania radości...w takt muzyki, którą kochacie 🥰<br /> A naszym kolegom i koleżankom muzykom - kochani, spełniajcie się i niech Wasze muzyczne dzieła wypełnione będą Wami po brzegi. Abyście w pełni mogli się dzielić z innymi swoim niepowtarzalnym &quot;językiem aniołów&quot;...<br /> Muzyka jest nie z tego świata!<br /> <br /> #cecylia #acapella #contemporarymusic #sacredworks #paternoster		Les Femmes		1733	https://facebook.com/LesFemmesOpera	0								1700812800		View Edit Delete
66589	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		596060979313812				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	149187418450228		0	Epic Reads			6521119101256		www.epicreads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	"A vitally important story.” —Misa Sugiura, author	New from Joanna Ho.	https://www.epicreads.com/books/9780063059351/the-silence-that-binds-us/?maas=maas_adg_569212BEA739C4E9C3CA25B3A699D1C8_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thesilencethatbindsus		1702937174	1.4918741845023E+14	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411131704_348538707892348_2249010095564869227_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PXKMVoCRljAAX8WHx0I&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2ia9ZppnZCAKWe1OdM_u4hQ8HmrKk_5jngN6tdV4XLw&oe=6592F0B8	person_profile	0	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411157604_1867470330389897_6814663110686880124_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eVXlCRKJAaUAX9w4oFd&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBVPeysInymvNf_fQs3yWrmb-FH9kE7a_eqpSms-YBFrQ&oe=6591DBFD			0	3	Start reading the powerful YA debut from New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho! Now available in paperback.		Epic Reads		1164999	https://facebook.com/EpicReads	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67500	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054164		67		374019618514691	1	8.3428950178119E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011752260506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636971	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410685529_696414825923032_7737946702717234672_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JXwy6NnxrZgAX9HY0EC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCdhHfpNuaGCoVINN-1CUHNloLd_MtED-8PoFH11Kgb8g&oe=6592A0E3	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410661307_1212076050196614_6937698823545521118_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e6kzvAcigMwAX8Yztqn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC5g2zm8pdIeb6DkQvHLPs6m6bzSXKBa5WgMWjOpB92Mg&oe=65921C18			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66693	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		24465624119751236		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203800483330518		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703505657	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412548317_910401070136295_3759380771553876049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YyHxtmIiNW8AX_cgGtt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDVwitTV7hcla6Hgijwpj6EpXUAzvYL2U5MO9JAXlfqRA&oe=65923355	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414027881_750574450278860_8000123261913264303_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HXs6vtVNe-0AX8X9WoX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSPQBHfViLg4J5yWZwiyXM8vcJWjMxUT8noVUyfgOqkg&oe=65920708			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68079	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054164		67		1095127064727557		3.6635276607399E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	520171088019503		0	Liforme			6572587199864					NONE	image					1702381746	5.201710880195E+14	Liforme	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409737722_896603635462927_9190100317724444159_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TqS7r47ZFpMAX9xru0L&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXLOPLJt-wtPBEBKEoXjeJdUhOCouix9_2POHfdBGkYw&oe=65928C4B	person_profile	0	Liforme Yoga	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409759602_325226696955161_3522389432997282893_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-J0IwLbSd58AX_ARe3H&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqbWY5SoXM94Fd4sokgGCB4t3wTMNrsslkXVdVoUo6zA&oe=65914E5C			0	3	Looking for the ultimate Yogi gift? 💝⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> For a gift as unique as they are, you can design your very own custom Liforme X You Yoga mat using our innovative, first-of-its-kind Yoga Mat customiser. ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Matching custom mats are pretty cute, but you can also go for a Liforme X You gift card and let them pick out the colours, alignment guides, and themes that make up their own perfect mat. ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Treat yourself or a loved one. Personalised Yoga practice awaits! Link in bio! 🛠️⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Sending our love and thanks to &#064;facetka_od_jogi and &#064;iamthecode pictured here on a Liforme x You Custom Yoga mat. Special thanks to &#064;lekko_store and &#064;Joanna.kepa.foto for the beautiful shot! ❤️🙏⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> #liforme #yoga #yogamat #liveformore #Yogi #yogaeverydamnday #customyogamat #customgifts		Liforme		118780	https://facebook.com/LiformeYoga	0								1702368000		View Edit Delete
67675	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		801158858480499	1	1.1044990738953E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	222370042008912		0	Jazz Lesson Videos			6521240083770		jazzlessonvideos.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Jazz Piano Fundamentals Course		http://jazzlessonvideos.com/jazzpianofundamentals		1702574480	2.2237004200891E+14	Jazz Lesson Videos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409858876_1072794720519993_2417048052070693134_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t0eEE630UYgAX_id8Qe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKsEacrytSGzPfYStHSn6XZvCfCb6mb4BeC-7oqRu0Ag&oe=6592951F	person_profile	0					0	3	𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝘇𝘇 𝗣𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗼?<br /> Use code &quot;RICHMAN25&quot; for $25 OFF Instant Access to our NEW &quot;Jazz Piano Fundaments&quot; Course with Josh Richman! <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jazzlessonvideos.com%2Fjazzpianofundamentals&amp;h=AT2ZvO9g8JgzqkJgKpTLuZP6e8ZACksyFHVapk4hXYnR48WFuvSvGMCPmF6Hme92LJkW-xhBJl3ZfHPEEycM_rmhtJoOaokeB5XCfxUglFD0p68CgwXJqsxwB30xjufTbzxJoaT2qv56I0PDdJloIg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.jazzlessonvideos.com/jazzpianofundamentals</a><br /> <br /> Video Edit by Astrid Asmundsson<br /> Videography by Cody Williams <br /> <br /> Pianist and composer, Joshua Richman received his BA from William Paterson University in 2008. In 2010, he completed his master’s degree studying jazz piano performance at The Juilliard School. <br /> <br /> Josh has studied jazz with piano legends such as Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Barron, and classical piano with Gary Kirkpartrick. <br /> <br /> Josh is a two-time winner of the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award. Josh is currently a faculty member at Temple University and The University of the Arts, where he teaches classes, private lessons, ensembles, and conducts master classes.<br /> <br /> Josh has been fortunate to have performed with distinguished artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Terell Stafford, Randy Brecker, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington, Eric Alexander, John Ellis, Harry Allen, Tim Warfield, Jeremy Pelt, Grant Stewart, Mark Gross, Charles Fambrough, Byron Landham, Steve Laspina, Bill Goodwin, Lea Delaria, Ben Wolfe, Lee Smith, David Demsey, Rich DeRosa, Joanna Pascale, Mike Boone, and Justin Faulkner. Joshua also was the pianist for Anthony Rapp and Stephen Sondheim at the “Sondheim on Sondheim-In Words and Music” event at William Paterson University. Joshua has performed both nationally and internationally as a member of the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble.		Jazz Lesson Videos		7881	https://facebook.com/jazzlessonvideos	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68202	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054164		67		908260490185492	1	2.430526737912E+16		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259677210476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180943	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409744844_895554451699188_1792231570865802972_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZxwOBrxkvWYAX_K_ZE1&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfC4VAdc8qd58DtipEt0ias6T7RJyepGD0YJvCuY7HDMTA&oe=659334D7	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409720603_319778044234472_6165223045847147198_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zKtktm17RbgAX_qvoRA&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBfc0rzOlFQ7t6FmW5703NG0XI-BmBaKzyemIOcia1JdA&oe=65928DFF			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68210	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054164		67		729064905945782	1	3.6432843493325E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	378161328919010		0	Topeka Chapter of The Links, Inc.			6524471495406			Send WhatsApp message		NONE	image					1702170542	3.7816132891901E+14	Topeka Chapter of The Links, Inc.	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408141640_882738209810106_4816104332318714056_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Slv-NfUJfVgAX-yyXOw&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAv7QA8PKJdm-0a-NyHGgwL5OwEKXx4LZ7fSXG17MzyHw&oe=659151BF	person_profile	0	Topeka Chapter of The Links, I	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408109559_7182172971838673_6653775190291637296_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sIQlZCZDmkAAX8fGeam&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCGbosL5aPxDLmquII63tgvCtuCieI-i28pGOXnwmWl1w&oe=65925912			0	3	Auditions were Amazing!!!! We have incredibly talented people in the Community and we are grateful for the huge response and love this project has received. Thank you to all who came out to audition for Director Dr. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharon.l.sullivan.52">Sharon L. Sullivan</a>. <br /> <br /> We extend a heartfelt and proud super-duper CONGRATULATIONS to the Cast of BROTHERS OF THE DUST:<br /> <br /> Roy Colton - Jason Brock Jones<br /> Mayetta Colton - Khalani Britt<br /> Jack Colton - Nyalia Lui<br /> Wilson Colton - Dané Raphael Shobe<br /> Nella Colton - JoAnna Marks<br /> Ollie Colton - Elijah Reed<br /> Audra Thorpe - Laressa Kelpin <br /> <br /> Thank you to everyone who took the time to prepare and come out to be with us. You are amazing.		Topeka Chapter of The Links, Inc.		1275	https://facebook.com/100064488288350	0		WHATSAPP_MESSAGE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
69409	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054164		67		868461308619135	2	3.4232712848285E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201123540070123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700827948	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404617422_1363814377561988_7113541317899086296_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PVmxhVt6x1YAX_xFzFb&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCFKHEFd3JS7LobiCluTateR48qVdxiifqIfLMRdQzcWw&oe=6591D90F	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404631331_362762229482759_6102477019058025046_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QWWN-_VDrUAAX8N49Lm&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAR2sJFaIWNDe7PWHSm6x1KgqTikQMKf0ezUxZQe-q_Xg&oe=6592B5B4			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67931	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054164		67		771713808318841	1	2.6543745413786E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411383390044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702457993	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409984348_894747788567748_6820995907649587049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9lHWVLPsEMYAX-6I5Xu&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD8Gpenbg4PXdE4vzhuB1Kgyygwoo5eLJaH0zFvhpnrbQ&oe=65926699	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410088361_6793778574004962_1702605529684282598_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_1t14ILCZMwAX-8HHj7&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBiCZLSfdSu_miZ1uzKT2Ok6K5L9lM-vTFSTL5-5Hm4Vw&oe=6591534E			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67380	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054164		67		889011812509506	1	3.5974354330565E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508986000427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806651	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409996357_1539416883488296_1521917243072426882_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GUF9kUlohFoAX8wNBMD&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB8nV3wqATEDsI82VB_kTRCJYrvnrOLbsYxNKWxcYJmTw&oe=6591CE83	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409963882_2019915058383519_797921044547365648_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JJapqYxoE8sAX9uxfxC&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCi2Te0v_hZRYCjwVtoLUfoQyEIPZTfJMxITyjZAjgouQ&oe=6592C0A1			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
66958	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		881109663614950		3.2085676418162E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	111233318296643		0	Multiple Choices			120202829733320756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213366	1.1123331829664E+14	Multiple Choices	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412783833_869622144811496_7149635715460326849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YP19n1yGdBEAX-6btmm&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhEmY4-_sU3EPutqN4nQpnbqRDZEbHvfJKSdkJUcHN5Q&oe=6592C96A	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Multiple Choices		34	https://facebook.com/100083202375576	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67044	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		1037095994193507		1.5123013262127E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202910130210160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703138522	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410649084_1058371278533663_5806169407458708871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZnkLzxPXCygAX_-7N_4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD2HJz8BbZ68sB3UArvVrbZ9gkO4S85kixYPBMObz1lGA&oe=6591F27B	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66633	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		332297779695538	1	8.835885432247E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	177983085391505		0	MetroNovel Zy 04			120206108689020226		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	More free chapters		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703573433	1.7798308539150E+14	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414136381_1102660587406132_5354253390133252756_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Hq0Lev3N6rgAX80YTjN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCTn8r_4e7V8S8dcUdQapsIVPWg3B1LZECYf2aTSBiEnQ&oe=6592A496	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414128512_599201582342014_5784881758129989958_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uBUgyQa4edgAX-gYdlY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDOM-8a3osMwsFrrueIGAyI5EBGdj_AAecISSOjSzdKsQ&oe=6591F9AA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed. 😡😡		MetroNovel Zy 04		12	https://facebook.com/61553260029631	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68188	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054164		67		347636324550216	1	3.6749870585176E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202100281480180		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702189608	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406803705_1187616338866223_2942323859668456524_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AwPDTAI67fkAX8p-1Rc&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBkg2Kj0fQSMaS9CDyINJSEaHcq-DBukiR1R1ZJOktLwA&oe=6591BF28	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406851703_384495927356907_1510678676202578876_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LiVCUt5fJxUAX8qNtR3&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDUTktDRIKYJAEe__kSw9_-Myjs5bxtGD2k-6hOJodInw&oe=6592BF8B			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
67860	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054164		67		1657999608057008	1	7.2069697331662E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509805890308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462360	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409931266_1826325587797563_5594555840098952599_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=95Fst4q9k5gAX9ClVSq&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA7hIOCgeNS2YsfWTKsWU_39tboDfINjC_-gEDQV8iR2w&oe=6592F183	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410015944_673280748158495_3679648254863659542_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BU83mYhDenUAX8DTpzc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAjla4xnA7akm5R-o47dFEnAPzlsO2VxbWENQvwNjfPuw&oe=6592DB62			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69609	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		266301842692730		1.0318422547396E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721011560167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678821	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404328773_1017772942786960_6287617802985419107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uQed_5J53vwAX-CnfGP&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfC2Te80b0u4a4Rrk-_o9pDlvfT-TMHIgUF8FKjdOA6L3Q&oe=6592A44F	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67611	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		1049230059530134	1	8.9707654861456E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120201852656090185		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702554864	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411200761_1491674078284299_3745407661258455466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=viQhkM69cBwAX_g6jaL&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNEweZLDP7UkN27sbshChipuAb6KenAIlIxHWP3M3Yow&oe=6591D5F0	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411230818_1006749050415304_1897507742464913224_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W76mW74kqKsAX_tzhvy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDL2nP9VYs774n_lHNnrJLy_xup_X0DUeIqnMpXXmtskA&oe=6592EAAA			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66669	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		251078348000733	1	7.4631956754623E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820613070777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561273	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414210890_1791170907991799_5607769405029837807_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=r9tckqoh0ZUAX_Z3YKl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDy2YQMbg7aV44lUqIyZFirvD8s3l8OJOAf1cOCAdfzOg&oe=65930848	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414160430_771188148176075_3588399018446871658_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HXC4WeAC9xUAX-p7p3D&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDIcR2kcnMbMyD5b4jAJNx9Jj2778_R8rMMGPK8jP7cKw&oe=6591D3F1			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68225	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/12/25, 9:06 PM	1703760168	1747101961		67		265919759464733	1	3.336346461977E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155248530476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094441	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409064973_1275705733104784_1126383760841866428_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=REPWbzkZv78AX8DkuBw&_nc_oc=AQlbekZ1hUfpGoJsNvHAvQOpbt4AWFqWZ3XnYqQF_MBYHD2D0Yn1wFKh-LXAhbMPNPg&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDxI3ftw7_OAFV1g2-ZJ60RasFMKf9aQe0iPj3rqDjNjA&oe=6591E4CC	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409079570_1305885956780208_5885327596105222773_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sd5H7jm2fmAAX9hnhkw&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAQ6OHpzMajc9-EiEX9L0sUWag_RldsVWriggU1tHFMmg&oe=659207D6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
69224	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054164		67		883446473383262	1	9.0357144070072E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674095780115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700970015	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406016600_1035020094450942_3056561326279875957_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cqwZRLL4CwIAX87Ey36&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDsONghl-RATL4GjRbBWdHrLOJRH7U4LZhRoTVY-3FDbg&oe=65931467	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406045072_1055882518778085_2565306792317696418_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vrqo3_rIDDsAX_-Rj5f&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-pLbBR_E-bnQtDaLYY1Ggt-8j1ZixS1Fbcn22H7fNLw&oe=65931938			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68253	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054164		67		371160815298017	1	3.1625473111579E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	217085925452880		0	Visual Mood			120202016567400199		www.visualmood.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Double the Style: Joanna's Reversible Swimsuit		https://www.visualmood.com/products/joanna-reversible-tie-shoulder-one-piece-swimsuit?utm_source=MetaAds&utm_medium={{placement}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{adset.name}}&utm_term={{ad.name}}		1702062387	2.1708592545288E+14	Visual Mood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408459817_25060879513499311_8823529792304052682_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uPHhT4v7flcAX8a2hez&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAQnnHuureRQk0uECQLhh-P5RWn4sx1_B3IUq9mkkXO9g&oe=6592008E	person_profile	0	Visual Mood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408476997_1524736904962286_1695511994535499213_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vfF0f_2jNJYAX8QnGZ7&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXY92YqmFKFwjuhR9RTpO1PZ05mIzskkNGtOmhUd65bg&oe=6592521B			0	3	From Beach to Beyond! 🌅🌄 Joanna Reversible Swimsuit and Matching Skirt - Embrace Versatile Elegance for Any Occasion!&quot;<br /> Shop now at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fvisualmood.com%2F&amp;h=AT1CjTdZDZZWHfE4HQ-lZ7O4Pg_zQzv8ZP1pTqqs2giT41Eu7_9CgMEKvck31i3Iz3c8uqVKTNmfxn2ynz-lIYjF7b-vbLQKjnox65Fcfp-rcoHklb6DIxmRxz-v2Jxg9KLW8OEn9aTcdEZr6VYMnJ6tZ0M" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">visualmood.com</a> and enjoy 10% OFF your 1st order! 🎁		Visual Mood		618	https://facebook.com/visualmoodswim	0		SHOP_NOW						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68277	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054164		67		1530039041111574	1	8.0018622545175E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672503550427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030351	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407981380_1426761748185716_3627360625712057347_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wl1DCr0MgkAAX-NjP_s&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAgmyC1P2WB3trBAJBljFvxSx3imsojnHEhAis63GvuTQ&oe=65926363	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407754883_2620869268070293_3774437281417951638_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CG_qCwoWUawAX_j6i9i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJx3lBsH455kQ7YisFF41CtiVEMdTORe7Muy7eKtcyeQ&oe=65931EA7			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68219	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054164		67		1613990145675551		3.496162150623E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753714900427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119703	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409554821_1042756336971764_6897056661856736005_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g5iclg-WWggAX_9OL6j&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA8mLAakSu5GT_fUpNwEK_eJUCZMq8jwcXgj1EtcGLLXA&oe=659163A3	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409544823_1058519471930391_277735151274211793_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YieUPCxxHsgAX8GENU-&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCO7HGcPex-X42arj36ui0IFN6VjvaydQQLP8nG4f93mg&oe=65927EFD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68004	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 5:17 PM	1703760166	1725056231		67		1046331433347930	4	8.2245211630123E+14		1702454400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100662392307897		0	joannapegier.art			120202179893230431		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapegier.art		1702417472	1.006623923079E+14	joannapegier.art	https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/343572976_3489330761282565_5896789005078121418_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Hb_BVhIQewwAX8f-09k&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCnpEQZA6bGd3sU-p3_0GGE0f7exc16JZAPP4BYZcZf_g&oe=6593108D	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Pęgier	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409781629_1005429260758384_5153527042778145028_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qUlOFWMNjm4AX8tnepT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCtgQUjTHg-eqOA2Qzzbtm5j4yMj0R1GAlgN81fk7RdOA&oe=659251A2			0	3	🇺🇸Greetings from Miami Beach 🇺🇸<br /> 😍 My latest artwork &quot;Scream&quot; from the series &quot;Into Myself&quot;, digital art technique, has qualified for one of the most important art events in the world! Art Week Miami Beach!<br /> <br /> 👉In my series of paintings &quot;Into Myself&quot;, I portray our bodies as sacred in moments of intimacy and honesty with ourselves.<br /> <br /> I am there only in spirit and represented by my work, represented by a gallery - next time together😉😀<br /> ❗️Attention, I have tickets available if any of you happen to be in Miami, let me know. 😍😀!<br /> <br /> #artcurator #modernart #contemporaryart #abstraction #contemporaryartist #polishart #polishartist #exhibition #artforsale #malarstwopolskie #artgallery #artcollector #artweekmiamibeach #galeriasztukiwspółczesnej #galleryofart		joannapegier.art		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joannapegier.art	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69025	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054164		67		1113007880078275	2	3.2071576089619E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715937080115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140264	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404649525_2060918560967654_2280731942841318777_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kbxjxaS4r00AX_0WASG&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCuhtpS6OtRE8zsj0CBm6Ci0CxAODb21ziErNWm9L0j4g&oe=6592B2F6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404717928_675317164413168_1223324724525241407_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K2TLgUPbp90AX82TgOZ&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBov5ptdSGDUTtPoqbtBS3SDPvrIMrmKGdwupiNeJJ_JQ&oe=65922D3D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69200	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054164		67		1531681917593939	1	6.9289558538608E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1598210863727191		0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art			6483247564312		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapilarczyk		1701029555	1.5982108637272E+15	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405599725_684444803788470_5424530738946560033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0YfchBeSfUEAX_yzg-J&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAYzjk9NuUGo2XLAgGnnHg2BDLb6QkXge1qyJSvJFZ-Cg&oe=6592EF91	person_profile	0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405609833_1274031936592917_850110808933622868_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Fxc6wxV8TcAX8A9O83&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDUas4XYu3WD7osSv2p1h7I8t7fq0IYiRQTaIdtkOggCw&oe=6591CCDF			0	3	I am happy to be featured in the 7th Anniversary Special Edition, Issue #40 of &#064;createmagazine, fondly dubbed &quot;The Humor Issue&quot;. <br /> Thank you to the curators, Katerina Popova, Alicia Puig and Christina Nafziger, for selecting me for a little interview among other wonderful artists:)<br /> <br /> This issue is a delightful exploration of how humour intertwines with artistic expression, showcasing an array of artists who skillfully use humour to navigate life&#039;s complexities.<br /> <br /> The Create Magazine, Issue 40, is available on Amazon and in stores like McNally Jackson (NYC), Charlotte Street News (London), Paradigm Gallery (Philadelphia), Delaware Contemporary (Wilmington), and more.<br /> <br /> #createmagazine #Issue40 #artpublication #artistinterview #artmagazine #contemporaryartmag #printedartpublication #interview #artistspotlight #CreateMagazine #HumorInArt #ArtCommunity #ArtAndLaughter		Joanna Pilarczyk Art		914	https://facebook.com/JoannaPilarczykArt	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69884	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		311440341713552	1	7.314047890078E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683762380439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636331	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403735670_1102740627380163_5113148547679448057_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_RS4gltEAnsAX-Mc4P4&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCeSo8tYTQBAg2hrmYszc4wggyPtAqHQeTVsUPdW_W7vQ&oe=6592A8B2	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403729628_1084396835914478_217805563408980133_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WrwynNVzUt4AX_-ArUn&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB4g4zw2qT2V_Fdby6wTwK_hbSqBm_a-OYnJse4nriB_A&oe=6592064E			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69771	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		1090372055303939	5	1.0156560028262E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721035170167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678881	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403723303_340445045354355_4047403071000238198_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pRsfrS4YYjEAX-hILcr&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDt_qfAnonJU7yQpwkbkK_S6-uWUgPkdIXofYqvwlmg8g&oe=65925703	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68191	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054164		67		193407053844250	1	7.2348679603168E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259689560476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702181099	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409302711_907734500321227_5948040262296100502_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9w0MqkdmwQcAX9HE4O8&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCnUrTGfUit8p1n0YK7f49T4C7L7i4ji_zyJQKvxXOctg&oe=65920380	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408571604_1059610325350701_3425118269413578320_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LEyGQMgiv1wAX8i9CyM&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBqcozT9vqQzso-6PrMp3svB9cgyn9qOuO2Kiddjm6aSg&oe=6591F0C8			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
69846	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		6822988231150024	5	6.4373481125526E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721249030167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679265	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402946191_307574395500084_5630667761958460280_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CAwUWy1e1YAX-yaW_u&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD8YhOS5Aohs3tFCXs-7fFerhjCKWQeKNpIny8mykbjBQ&oe=65914E8C	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66402	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054164		67		321579010626138	1	7.0625991163999E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108215147346228		0	Joanna Fashion Store			120200715186310435		joannasfashionstore.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Joanna Fashion Store	Για όσο καιρό η ιστοσελίδα μας βρίσκεται υπό κατασκευή μπορείτε να απευθυνθείτε στο 6945 148 796	http://joannasfashionstore.com/		1699655457	1.0821514734623E+14	Joanna Fashion Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400038795_1527906117964536_395154621710778400_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z0IBIFFKp6QAX-GY16s&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD2kGjK_bzEGMv7uZOEbyYR3iPA_ulBpzMkJHobagnitw&oe=6592C238	person_profile	0	Joanna Fashion Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400030257_883886283303096_5584607642922802511_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sw5wDG5exFsAX-pdyOI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA0DsAzD8CP-68MA56m6UPrHFsnyZMtQatsGNAPbT0j2Q&oe=65917A08			0	3	Joanna <br /> fashion store		Joanna Fashion Store		83395	https://facebook.com/100064833155643	0		SHOP_NOW						1699603200		View Edit Delete
66932	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/23/25, 7:58 AM	1703760160	1748005093		67		384268700632097	6	1.9150066404804E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829710990756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213286	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412245351_1525851681535175_6482378805252949989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Qmngrs6JrgAX8Loq7z&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA52g0YvShvU04gGq6dBAvfD3ZRVNvd7rwMMLJluf0i4g&oe=659217DC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68057	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054164		67		306830735650699	8	7.060869210673E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207705910170456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389455	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410577953_1408585943058975_1875657578831273746_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oL8pAO6tqGMAX8u2p5j&_nc_oc=AQkh7LhIjVN_ERkzrTkZEXIdOg-BTh1idrQ-J4fopLOqHD2CeTB63Ijjo0Z_PFTo3tc&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGuz_pLmLaulCXSPxetGjGVh3TQua7v9Q9vcD2P0dZLw&oe=6592F696	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410757426_283240954259838_333447386647059446_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UQIJ-34O1G0AX_6bYiQ&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSLC-rMxvCvnZUmya0QTOVvRPCs3Gt5w-lhrZVQtil-g&oe=65924146			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
66916	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		1008111103621374	1	3.1652086468016E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575270410530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703215005	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412887009_350685350919383_5811256403963549740_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g0oJp_VvE5gAX91EXQo&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfChA4kX-IQVdbznMLEi92esuv0M4ymxWlvtaLP19V0Rog&oe=65921E9B	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411641160_1543733103053177_1696422642972176741_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=19pQZq6ADqgAX8iTttc&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCx_0y1LAZblVu1IxeYxX3TQwHJ_uXFf6psgrRY0f9qrQ&oe=65931E65			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
69735	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		871636157704272	5	1.3699666969605E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201778998720250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677962	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404501919_1399764947592984_5324204061772205548_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c9ePsZcglVUAX8zdLeX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBSxAs393HIOb4Xl4JPUIzA9Uh2TTWp3MdVFmM-An-a3w&oe=65933ED7	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67609	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		889256896126034	1	9.0223761428115E+14		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	133697996490926		0	Life's Daily Shortcuts			120202208925610424		hacksdetective.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Hacks Detective takes away the mystery for you	https://www.hacksdetective.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702556237	1.3369799649093E+14	Life's Daily Shortcuts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411195192_6871525499631370_1997038440865574479_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o2xgxaLS9E0AX-hRy4S&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBjOmPU_fzLzLPzQoXkoAh0ugMjGnZlx3K8XNo5JRDdAA&oe=6592B12E	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Life's Daily Shortcuts		19	https://facebook.com/61551365124856	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68494	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054164		67		1477218733122815	1	7.1388985528296E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458488740691		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856029	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406847843_1616251385571720_185482662528186935_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FUCdSeGXHnAAX98NRdi&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCqB7uAHELvYTTchGvkeP2ZoQOxkgW970lUoxlBwCNiGw&oe=65922406	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408461966_1030688261523817_7119857373723188168_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eTXcOiFfq8AAX-Us6My&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB9AQZ6XE32K4wqKRI_h7y1sVoUUw4r4yPKfs_0EI3yCw&oe=65928200			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68342	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054164		67		340476698683329	1	3.6006269335567E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	110406065000734		0	Joanna Valdez - Texas Realtor			120201475520830018			Send message		NONE	image	New Year NEW Home!			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"I'm interested. Can you tell me more?"},{"title":"Can I speak to an agent?"},{"title":"Are there any new properties available?"}],"quick_replies":[],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"image_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"template","payload":{"template_type":"generic","elements":[{"title":"","buttons":[]}]}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"video_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"video","payload":{"attachment_id":""}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"visual_editor_new"}	1702007739	1.1040606500073E+14	Joanna Valdez - Texas Realtor	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409407630_1068687334286459_176261787938177658_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1oAs9goaMtkAX-thoPY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBnbMVanoKq64SEGJZNXpys-WcehZMcfxRtpJEmKJfqOw&oe=6592417F	person_profile	0	JOANNA VALDEZ | TX REALTOR®	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/392778041_670514888400741_8955833700732352388_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EtjzHpvuQWAAX-kXGi3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBO9Jn1CfaN1b7BYAH26jkKXCbbthblLefMdJa_rjx4RQ&oe=6591F0B5			0	3	You have enough resolutions to focus on, let me handle getting you into your Brand New Build.<br /> <br /> Builders are offering SO many incentives right now, contact me to help find the right builder for you!		Joanna Valdez - Texas Realtor		104	https://facebook.com/sellingTXSA	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68900	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/26/25, 5:46 AM	1703760172	1748256361		67		385475153808412	1	1.6787883792803E+15		1701417600	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108758418815036		0	ninja_furtivo			120202723887570548		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/ninja_furtivo		1701212743	1.0875841881504E+14	ninja_furtivo	https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/332760421_1142248786464768_3871527482234436399_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=gKzKPCwdpZgAX_zDc-w&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfAG0OJMLM1tSDvt649mwrd8pHvsVnITPhGhV4FW9Nqzqg&oe=65929BF4	ig_ads_identity	1	Selected Furtivo's Art Archive	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405293749_907497660989704_6939782000505778802_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m8S8eYXLsB0AX-p4p2w&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCk3Hs4OnYasI8c_osfAtoLbsIfTY7JpsSdrOIUhs7n7Q&oe=65916C90			0	3	Story of a fish<br /> by Joanna Braithwaite<br /> <br /> Compilation by me<br /> <br /> Hope you enjoyed!		ninja_furtivo		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/ninja_furtivo	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67200	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054164		67		1091251332048903	1	2.1882890793292E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	247315511960801		0	The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay			6497565586481					NONE	image					1702970124	2.473155119608E+14	The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412244211_350178104319608_378711405111299746_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yu3O-9NLTlQAX-_0cfX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA4vKweHVHgwc4hFqS38OAFZgmj4R1OD40QILInd1N_pQ&oe=6591EFE8	person_profile	0					0	3	This month our resort is honored to showcase a gingerbread masterpiece crafted by Executive Pastry Chef Joanna Kaskiw and her team of dedicated and talented Ladies &amp; Gentlemen. The pastry team skillfully dedicated over 300 hours of work to create the homemade gingerbread house, which is comprised of 400 eggs, 200 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of butter, 12 pounds of molasses, and 2 pounds of ginger and adorned with over 200 pounds of icing and 50 pounds of Valrhona chocolate. The creation pays homage to the local mystique of Half Moon Bay, telling the story of a town fisherman as he enters crab season in December.<br /> <br /> •<br /> <br /> •<br /> <br /> Create your very own gingerbread house at our Festive Gingerbread Workshop! Guided by Executive Pastry Chef Joanna Kaskiw, guests can use sweets, sprinkles, icing, and imagination to craft delectably festive masterpieces. Don an apron, get creative, and enjoy light bites alongside refreshments and bubbles while soaking up views of the Pacific. The Festive Gingerbread Workshop takes place on Saturday, December 16 at 1:30pm and 3:30pm, reservations are available on Tock.		The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay		157232	https://facebook.com/ritzcarltonhalfmoonbay	0								1703145600		View Edit Delete
69922	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/8/25, 3:46 PM	1703760178	1741470400		67		834055091782811	1	1.0161385094891E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579105820115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633147	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404336445_857460342426126_7072072575750580817_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=isK2X5FaHRAAX97QNE-&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBw12pBr8vB-b77hIvkhfxa_ksbEXseqHyz-bEGIVbNLw&oe=65931A17	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404096352_1061615858187744_5778962511087549095_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zuGaioqFmZ4AX_Uz_7v&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBdsM5U7VwBbDVw1C-h_ZUnbJbwOq8ftnxvwVKnQnFEYg&oe=6592C314			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69671	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		674480514503593		8.6183418227823E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779111620250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678187	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619723_1061366564892535_5544603005193099836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AeSr85PiixUAX-7KsJM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBuGsUc0etdJzt7c4OReVb6y_qBci54Ubk72I2eiIYEWA&oe=65925A04	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67964	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054164		67		1074227130282164	1	2.5356365083736E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203220112170670		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702449336	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410635492_1136737980645433_700333165720064703_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g-93EUKO1n8AX81effy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJmtyomMg6vsIXF4L-2zHb_wHYmjl0Ks7fqrj9Hnbdww&oe=6592E493	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410622842_283641670883178_9085018069825129936_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LFTbuLDPqxcAX8zs_Mw&_nc_oc=AQnXaQTXKQWNDLfHN9uEWM8vLBkjl9O6IMjtyUC3ud1P9dCZEMEK7BHjeIsaOZeRuJ4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfALjxDF9srYvPdUWnGHrJQiG30GKmI6-jZgNqQtTLLNgQ&oe=65921E56			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67666	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		1043163223500871	1	3.4359308400025E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	416589001735771		0	JOANNA COELHO			120203556276720552		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/djjoannacoelho		1702600017	4.1658900173577E+14	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410995491_1570178770186785_6646600768683635044_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0v-Fv15AKeMAX_CnCaP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDsfUUt21ojakcQGpTr7p6hqyqnwn6BfKND4rdQXoex9A&oe=6592AFD2	person_profile	0	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409844980_324130483896559_566878712683265800_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Gcl-4TO4b4gAX8hnj0E&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-Bu0jq0sXpxC6lrXN5rx_wtJlgPoqASd2Vh8FO199TQ&oe=6591FD63			0	3	&#064;soundwavesfest official After party at &#064;almanua.pt was 🤟🥵🔥<br /> <br /> Thank you to everyone involved 🙏💙<br /> <br /> TID &#064;djalextb - Open Your Mind ( UNRELEASED )‼️<br /> <br /> #technogirl #ravers #ravegirls #raveparty #technolovers #berlin #hardtechnodjane #party #technoculture #ravergirl #technoravers<br /> #Techtok #joannacoelho		JOANNA COELHO		21303	https://facebook.com/djjoannacoelho	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
66830	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		781003837188618	1	8.8591450307759E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	256859647665050		0	Joanna Mazurkiewicz - Author			120204412528350363		jmazurkiewiczauthor.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Mafia Romance Bundle 6 Ebooks for $26!		https://jmazurkiewiczauthor.com/products/christmas-romance-bundle-60-off		1703326910	2.5685964766505E+14	Joanna Mazurkiewicz - Author	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412882720_749030357090352_6863007056921559017_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n68lP4yPTqoAX86Lir6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwbkUdyfdobxKwqerFFcW7xzht3lCP-3kstzkRqc5A8Q&oe=6591877A	person_profile	0	JMazurkiewicz 🖌Fantasy Author	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413914662_661947282517959_8775449979467397136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3VmuHRM4dwgAX97z7n3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB7kkKozXDnE8MCYr96wfVe5coCZg98sOdF-2Ud0rAXrA&oe=6591A681			0	3	🌹💔Poor Merry thinks she&#039;s broken because no guy can make her have the big O. Turns out she just needed Daddy, uhm I mean Ivo. When his sons couldn&#039;t do it it for her, Daddy stepped on and stepped up. He proved to her she&#039;s far from broken. I&#039;m definitely reading the rest of their story.🔥🎁		Joanna Mazurkiewicz - Author		5423	https://facebook.com/joannamazauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68796	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054164		67		1264315104237551	4	1.8125626292586E+15		1701763200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	131920553340233		0	Family Gift 13			120201303781150403		myfamily-gifts.com	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTION	The best gift for loved ones	https://myfamily-gifts.com/joanna-db09		1701100368	1.3192055334023E+14	Family Gift 13	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406011090_883082463529943_8780638927458560793_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kHi7baQWi8AAX-GyTjs&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAoX718hTP7eJPIGm4KGeWHyOukDSO2ZoRGSl_DuVz3bg&oe=65933DB2	person_profile	0					0	3	Find your perfect, thoughtful gift here!<br /> Order now: &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyfamily-gifts.com%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT2rNQnMXWhd7zyYs4p8YhB1zpVRwJhQKgR4wcRdMj-5DDI8RksJem0AChLrD1L5vC2cHngMKnFQUAv6bTcNywrTJpxbe_j1ZeqdDEtzDKIfOMCb1We06bg8m1DUSGIX694Xo_8m-sg9qVZJKUfKYg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myfamily-gifts.com/collection/joanna</a>		Family Gift 13		16	https://facebook.com/61551888543646	0		SHOP_NOW						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68729	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054164		67		196233610203113	1	8.6331330876408E+14		1702800000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497703800404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357819	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406649127_380022111116449_347483401878603561_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6euQWSoXIOsAX-nbyDa&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAkbRGvjViu8jSBvlnVla5ndWMyVpSWdb3BhepZAv7DOw&oe=6591D948	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406642127_943686430420717_1009255948815044601_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VCI1yuuJpPIAX-W5Hd2&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBL-HUDHsyLbnIPv3S2vXeakSNbFw9b4BqCFjN9nXsp4A&oe=65914591			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701417600		View Edit Delete
66609	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		1026242441737566	1	6.6142060593153E+14		1694415600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23859032284490562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości	Dla kobiet kochających, czułych, z sercem, dających z siebie za dużo które powtarzają te same niechciane historie w relacjach ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI Natychmiastowy i trwały sposób, aby ODKRYĆ I NA ZAWSZE POZBYĆ SIĘ bolesnych, trudnych, nieuświadomionych wzorców i schematów, ...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1694079943	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/375668016_324711660011526_4038100145956144720_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d_5Wf0z9PaUAX_aHxiN&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBYoTUllcSNo2SWj4dP0Ft85AOZMN1lO18faHSp9ESoXg&oe=65923F05	person_profile	0					0	3	❤Jak rozpoznasz kiedy KOBIETA daje z siebie za dużo w relacji i brakuje jej miłości do siebie?<br /> Poznasz PO ZACHOWANIACH:<br /> <br /> 1. Z sercem i czująca dopasowuje swój czas i plany do jego preferencji.<br /> <br /> A te preferencje to często inne rzeczy ważniejsze niż ona.<br /> Ona, na ostatnim miejscu w kolejce.<br /> <br /> 2. Godzi się na jego zachowania, które są dla niej w rezultacie bolesne.<br /> I nie pasują jej do końca.<br /> <br /> Ale robi to, bo ma po prostu uczucia, zależy jej, chce dobrze.<br /> Do tego usprawiedliwia je, uzasadnia, aż kipi empatią. <br /> SWOIM KOSZTEM. W jej wyniku bardziej cierpi, czuje się wydrenowana z energii, zamiast spełniona i kochana. <br /> <br /> 3. Wydziera zdrowe i dobre zachowania prawie siłą.<br /> <br /> Czuje się, jakby stąpała po ruchomych piaskach.<br /> Im bardziej chce coś opanować, doprowadzić do normy, tym bardziej się zapada.<br /> <br /> 4. W większości ona bardziej chce, organizuje, myśli, wkłada wysiłek.<br /> <br /> A on bierze. Przyjmuje. Korzysta.<br /> <br /> 5. Świetnie potrafi go zrozumieć , dlaczego ON czegoś nie może, współczuje mu, ale siebie w tym nie widzi.<br /> A on nie podejmuje wyzwań, osiada na &quot;laurach” i nic nie zmienia w sobie. <br /> <br /> 6. A do tego myśli o sobie “co ze mną jest nie tak “i stara się zmieniać,<br /> aby On ją chciał.<br /> <br /> 7. Tłumi swoje emocje, kiedy dociera do niej, że coś tu nie gra. Nie mówi wprost, co jej nie odpowiada. <br /> <br /> Czasem dlatego, że obawia się utraty tego co jest, czasem dlatego, że obawia się , że swoje oczekiwania uważa “ za zbyt… wygórowane, nierzeczywiste…<br /> <br /> 8. Analizuje co on mówi, przywiązuje się do słów. A nie widzi przepaści pomiędzy słowem a czynem. <br /> <br /> Robisz tak? <br /> Twoja to wina? <br /> Nie. <br /> I możesz to w sobie zrównoważyć, bez lęku, że wszystko co dobre będzie stracone. <br /> Zacznij tutaj, jeśli tego nie zrobiłaś. <br /> Dołącz do mini kursu z maxi efektami ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI. <br /> <br /> Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT3veXS362yvhh21N4ihtHlzhsghviLThtx8L8Wnqw13wXAwzAruaJAAt6aeiRvFfEKpHedxyoJoKh6OYFX4sf4rNWesYvnYrbqrQtlPiMkDA-8vc4bZDCBfZgs_mKJ2IsQM2jSJ6hkli1WG6sDIEw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694156400		View Edit Delete
66849	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		258607736999608		8.9362920225368E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967035620018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299800	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413948015_1798430837277358_2323494667999391150_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kQGMCPDLLaQAX__jeLc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC3dlQv3KM-kYvnZ0ekMzkdWs4Xj40G5Uo0EQ71MMKi5w&oe=65924E25	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413967810_351989844429505_725813591613607510_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AnDZLvdLEV0AX_aF6Hi&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB9vWyzGfI8GJTvqspj-VEwB8oYRWNVbW22oMVpBPXb_w&oe=65915330			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67351	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/16/25, 5:10 PM	1703760162	1739747438		67		7428834357150326		3.1589290310703E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	105343545334758		0	Culinary Creations			6577364620618		culinarycreationsre.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Le Creuset Cookware Sets are now On-The-House 🎁		https://culinarycreationsre.com/		1702850429	1.0534354533476E+14	Culinary Creations	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411112075_2300417090149769_6239144309732109313_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vGZl0wQjo-MAX81QSdZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBimMihjCPNvQclBD0I7uy5jl9-PwY0hhJNNQbK9uFbAQ&oe=65932E23	person_profile	0	Culinary Creations	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411157582_2272577989615012_3624502923782014118_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j_QwMwOlJZQAX8Dq8xl&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBdF8_vYpkaN9JFz_eYue2yrYcVyfYMNGAGhS821-Bllg&oe=6591F768			0	3	🎁🎄DAY 9 of Our 12 Days of Christmas Give_away Sponsored by Chip &amp; Joanna!		Culinary Creations		8	https://facebook.com/100090339347603	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
69657	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		361471609589064	5	8.5894191571687E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201778904010250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677851	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404641104_695922715605664_4661830556968240599_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z4uoTqIzfScAX87UsGY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBQmyohwU0jriNzRQhDkXMiLKS_JHkAm32p7HXKBQSmoA&oe=65927F5E	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69675	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		366218762717972		2.7834020851566E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779365580250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678775	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404286689_2650950335067980_8718050196012372022_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qbl6yn4w6_QAX_afur2&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC3AMkvuW0jfKCc8-zvmmibfD4LNqE1BAXQuK-A2WIGdw&oe=6592293B	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66629	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:45 PM	1703760158	1749599132		67		690073846441062	1	7.3421500159737E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	177983085391505		0	MetroNovel Zy 04			120206108699150226		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	More free chapters		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703573442	1.7798308539150E+14	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414694890_682757580378611_918344726665122188_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jTTt2uvkSdcAX9iJbJp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAeLwafXINPC_eQHnYR1_k6kj-BzpEMgnZtLImDBgfnWA&oe=65919C92	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414693232_2187680228252140_879789024346031558_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ondkuyocpXIAX-sxSmk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3dUqk9MtLoGrPSHpzc34KC8HHlHw1jHCII1e7pYiwPQ&oe=65916073			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed. 😡😡		MetroNovel Zy 04		12	https://facebook.com/61553260029631	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67121	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054164		67		327938710168431		7.6711392198264E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202808079560160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703052561	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411885489_1061021068558379_8705853048937781225_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QM7fyJ-UiD8AX-VJXsU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXpCmNPdiTL-5oO72Gbtm35bmWHOoIGbCnO76gHhstUg&oe=6591F3B8	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
69615	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		274985125521584	4	1.1104183366128E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105318458419634		0	Fully Delicious - Images			120200721278410167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679319	1.0531845841963E+14	Fully Delicious - Images	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404558025_3293112430978708_5909986734546003458_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tI8-4PNSIbQAX_HcLKP&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfCY5OgHa7sNzwVWbg6ElDiJNma1ubJu_wQWnj0kYeYUpQ&oe=6592C2F9	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Fully Delicious - Images		714	https://facebook.com/100069380589760	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66779	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		723472242754280	1	4.1918806043128E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106326485873627		0	Hessel Group news			6551657978924		tripledailyreportblog.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaine's Announce 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Give-away!		https://tripledailyreportblog.com/blog/how-to-maintain-high-end-cookware		1703432114	1.0632648587363E+14	Hessel Group news	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412861489_1330869884293165_5246820868066442112_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KmfN3f4jmmoAX8ZLvDe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMDL-noutIytzf3VNigZK4MkPPXABEW2f7b8mt46fZbg&oe=65918142	person_profile	0	Hessel Group news	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412847782_3316493111906470_4559859537042389729_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gDLV2noduNEAX9YmUYr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDK2j8SPBzrHBsY1p0unKCSqXnUPn8o8EPQvizzTEkWEA&oe=6592BDD3			0	3	(Backed by a Lifetime Warranty). Guaranteed, the last cookware set you will own.		Hessel Group news		23	https://facebook.com/100094920646471	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
66852	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		741540871364811		8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967035370018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299801	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412887432_1175966856698162_7178376863444357697_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kRDIVLJllIIAX8jLAyn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBsZCO5NpezWrCD9O5uMErGkzvp9AaPXRmxxMJofgS7_A&oe=65929273	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412793646_1322200635181012_8983975997274448306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T6LDBNWO-p4AX94O661&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCfMj1j1didD_RleY9aZHzydNCeqPcBkzUGtsBYOan0tQ&oe=6592ED71			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69251	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054164		67		367585869101718	1	1.3953987813867E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113576797162972		0	The Good Life			120203184899770409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700944947	1.1357679716297E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405796908_718816219783255_1092913973457179681_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rm37GN40jHoAX-lTXIB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJWNkbpKdzpdfiYa0srOAdFgQ9DjACRD0SSmRJRL_q8A&oe=65933D20	person_profile	0	The Good Life	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403725532_246610054841239_5432169989273583235_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zkwU8BFp1fcAX_w92eF&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAQE0L-lAkEgCtdvFATnV-W0qVTgw0y2q8-wHTdf97okA&oe=6592D080			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		The Good Life		102	https://facebook.com/100064184615808	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66566	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		1067254664393605	1	5.6997397198883E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	128775020312944		0	Jọaŋŋa Mariẹ			120204973063980479		fb.com	Visit Profile		NONE	image	www.fb.com		http://www.fb.com/61550954904315		1703619241	1.2877502031294E+14	Jọaŋŋa Mariẹ	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415140484_335332929298344_4154157762568050099_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_8o6C-b88HAAX_bB7Gw&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB1xGx3HBl575rAWfw8VHlDjxIR8XI_AIWuxCFQwaYuzw&oe=659211EA	person_profile	0	Jọaŋŋa Mariẹ	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415157729_1780051829100415_7179814277725924209_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=azwh15a0GEIAX8yeK4t&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAwlBgMYznnk3c-dnADp5njZoE0WzuCaFgwYReOD9Fccw&oe=6591CF32			0	3	➰.•••. When We to be〰️to be begun 〰️We did begin〰️to be undone .•••.🗝️		Jọaŋŋa Mariẹ		12	https://facebook.com/2.Jo.2.Jo.2	0		VISIT_PROFILE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66547	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		393251736562901	1	1.4024978273179E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106976629057167		0	FriendlyPop			120205045603430209		friendlypop.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://friendlypop.com/trending/scientists-dug-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-crater-uncover-surprising-find-shai/?utm_campaign=Scientists%20Dug%20Dinosaur%20Killing%20Asteroid%20Crater%20Uncover%20Surprising%20Find%20Shai%20JFernandez%20AICA%202712%20V1%20Dynamic%20PHS614%20CRP%20aa4e%20-%20Unknown%20USA%20FB%20CRP&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=WC&utm_content=DC&network_code=CRP&v=10		1703669317	1.0697662905717E+14	FriendlyPop	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414136390_1078719703478132_5332894775625423224_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tTlnIzu3V0sAX-ghIAE&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCxAAGzh1YjdOj1pEAx0sLDtvf7wXRHkvAIZA0CbZEGDQ&oe=6592BBFD	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		FriendlyPop		0	https://facebook.com/100092445640664	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67046	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		750504677105543	1	1.0438731201752E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	265073586689377		0	Myteez Store 180			120204105209040646		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls7?unisex-sweatshirt%3Fcolor=black&size=&color=black&product=unisex-sweatshirt		1703146969	2.6507358668938E+14	Myteez Store 180	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412485704_2747090608764742_1750566313316147058_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vpJXRJp9GnYAX_I3q2_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDUAM4FsmuwsaDMBpiPfKeWYwSGRj1FyiJWGVLHhzQEuQ&oe=6591B10A	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls7%3Funisex-sweatshirt%253Fcolor%3Dblack%26size%26color%3Dblack%26product%3Dunisex-sweatshirt&amp;h=AT3tS6Mj5g4fl_SCPtv_e8u5qu0DJZ1y20xzQbGsjHQNYdihEbzmeC2BRSz4Gm-WPjklLAqTdP8ygj6m0knVjOIypsfUvWZm7Mnfa1w6lb01Q592ilDF_SSmxNNg1nJ4xxad73fldbSgWFWmrQ4HZg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls7?unisex-sweatshirt%3Fcolor=black&amp;size&amp;color=black&amp;product=unisex-sweatshirt</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0HUjJy7gtltfIpzeXN8LeflVlcpQ2uPtoFhjWOZDYnCQ_Hx2UiliL2De_Cuui_zZlwD0izNH9__Y-Ap_eac-LJQcAWM93gFtI7tWys-TRqeFpfLBCR2oTv--AIvwGfRVvbVpOaIWLbWNNycSjD_p0wSgTshZWeYiw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Myteez Store 180		1	https://facebook.com/61554213578089	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69859	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		822822759593834	1	7.2051077666245E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1042089222535002		0	Los Angeles Local - News Break			120200938039080465		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Los Angeles!	George "Funky" Brown, the co-founder and longtime drummer of Kool & The Gang who helped write such hits as "Too Hot," "Ladies Night," "Joanna" and the party favorite "Celebration," died Thursday in Los Angeles at age 74.Brown died after a battle with cancer, according to a statement released by Univ...	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0pk3bIT1?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1700651822	1.042089222535E+15	Los Angeles Local - News Break	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404426956_901121294735001_4884981762988756783_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U_7qqD-SJFQAX-Mj8JD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBgHwZ6gP5y7clFD3ycnujpI3zeww1GLZLvKo3MJu2neg&oe=6592788C	person_profile	0	Los Angeles Local - News Break	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404444164_356053090418321_8284327218881690306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1WJVlgGSRZYAX_dHEq-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxu0QWg4I9rEoZxPCdbd9SLjGCUFPGhkg_TmbXP9dkeg&oe=659261D0			0	3	Los Angeles News: George Brown, drummer and co-founder of Kool &amp; The Gang, dead at 74.		Los Angeles Local - News Break		11099	https://facebook.com/LALocalNews	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66655	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		1061555668502976	1	2.4707067492951E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	111932287937503		0	He is beginning to believe			120202472506640187		simbaly.com	Learn more		NONE	image	41+ Cursed Comments That Have Us Questioning Everything	Have you heard of the	https://simbaly.com/you-questioning-everything-md/		1703537121	1.119322879375E+14	He is beginning to believe	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412593586_1488314008631969_8900267738873777286_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=evRDcC93JjMAX_GGtOl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3d4P1p5j14IwbXghOX0oVpUzwOnsPX4Q5ihdR2udA-Q&oe=6591FB87	person_profile	0	He is beginning to believe	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412900675_869965101439964_4015692769451606132_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P-yRG-i5jaYAX-S4xx0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBENP6mScy4T6sFtqZuZyKcwxOdPcONZI-2MYSUx-VS-g&oe=6591714C			0	3	Comments that&#039;ll make your mind twist and shout!		He is beginning to believe		434	https://facebook.com/100077402082361	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66374	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054164		67		2208198996053886	1	6.7777518438338E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	505582332845919		0	Joanna Galant Photography			120202630595130378		www.joannagalant.com/woman-and-their-loved-ones	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannagalant.com/woman-and-their-loved-ones		1703025306	5.0558233284592E+14	Joanna Galant Photography	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412593887_1843690812754982_2026822719029080138_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P_4mHhFMDBYAX87vpp9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbGrDCPifppJ1YjqrueuXoIoMPl9PVgvihRzFy7cpURw&oe=6592F2AC	person_profile	0	Joanna Galant | Family and Kids Photographer	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412626705_278959101826758_6069561893348200149_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yF-sUu0j3FwAX_jK9oz&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBcn76wjhvG78LbJeyqwVtJ_AL9oqZS3bqbbD1Tz5V74w&oe=6591E657			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Galant Photography		6759	https://facebook.com/joannagalantphotography	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68521	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054164		67		3096598473809485	3	5.7004512862127E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	308901506171176		0	Luluna Slings			6522365506701			No button		NONE	multi_images					1701774968	3.0890150617118E+14	Luluna Slings	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407116754_891600059186497_8298924628716235419_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UyuLyxQlQvgAX89p8a9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCO4jiyFs_DzTg_NQJ9AF-6doVHIyKXTYJEb6mdzyEoyA&oe=65929364	person_profile	0					0	3	🐺 DRAW TO PURCHASE 🐺 <br /> Saint Nicholas&#039; Day FREE SHIPPING <br /> <br /> GEO WOLF MOONLIGHT<br /> 100% combed cotton, approx. 270 gsm<br /> <br /> Wolves Lovers,<br /> It&#039;s been long time when last Geo Wolf was here! Very long time! So now we want you remind about this beautiful pattern! Please welcome new Geo Wolf Moonlight ♥ It comes from the depths of space and it is looking for a new loving home! Do you know that there is a constellation called the Wolf? From Latin they call it &quot;Lupus&quot; and it is located in the deep Southern Sky! This pattern is simple beautiful. <br /> The Wolf Moonlight is very strong and durable because of high quality combed cotton. It is equally cuddly and soft at the same time. Amazing shades of black looks very magical like black night - just like the sky in the night full of shiny... Wolves! <br /> <br /> Available:<br /> s7 (5,2m) for €119<br /> s6 (4,6m) for €114<br /> s5 (4,2m) for €109<br /> s4 (3,6m) for €104<br /> s3 (3,2m) for €99<br /> scarf (2,0m) for €84<br /> <br /> Everyone who wants to purchase a wrap, please email us at lulunaslings&#064;gmail.com <br /> Remember to include the size of the wrap you’d like to buy and of course your PayPal address! <br /> If you don&#039;t have PayPal please add info that you want to pay via bank transfer / credit card. <br /> The draw lasts until December 6th and we will send a message to happy winners about 10 a.m. CET.<br /> You have 1h to make a payment once you receive invoice from us.<br /> If you are outside Europe please let us know the country. Because of time difference we will give you more time to pay.<br /> Because we celebrate Saint Nicholas&#039; Day 6th December there is free shipping for you as gift ♥<br /> <br /> Luluna <br /> <br /> (c) Luluna Slings (c) Joanna Weyna<br /> <br /> #wolfteam		Luluna Slings		50485	https://facebook.com/lulunaslings	0		NO_BUTTON						1701763200		View Edit Delete
69617	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		327846946650646		1.1104183366128E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105318458419634		0	Fully Delicious - Images			120200721278410167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679319	1.0531845841963E+14	Fully Delicious - Images	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404558025_3293112430978708_5909986734546003458_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tI8-4PNSIbQAX_HcLKP&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfCY5OgHa7sNzwVWbg6ElDiJNma1ubJu_wQWnj0kYeYUpQ&oe=6592C2F9	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Fully Delicious - Images		714	https://facebook.com/100069380589760	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67683	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		1274515427283390	1	3.2925759324627E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	156012997601512		0	Joanna Feldman			120203240748040126		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/feldman_joanna		1702560470	1.5601299760151E+14	Joanna Feldman	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411200736_756341089677240_7212706473278517433_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gJoItY4tM7wAX_LngtE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyD4qeTV6o5fKAh7bFtzC9Njlva366Bgu3OiA8i1uSKg&oe=65919F58	person_profile	0	Joanna Feldman || TOP LIDER • NETWORK • Aloesowe Petardy 📲	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411213261_1924595521275757_3688184455507395293_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bU6JrUGRGCAAX9kN38O&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCixMZhXJZZoLT1lLZAcxBo1wO3ch1yTr880cF1b3ONgw&oe=65931DC5			0	3	Gotowa na najlepszy rok Twojego życia? Dołącz do mojego webinaru i chwyć 2024 za rogi!🗓️🔥<br /> <br /> Niech ten rok będzie całkowicie Twój! 🚀<br /> <br /> To Twoja szansa, by wejść w Nowy Rok z planem, energią i gotowością do działania. <br /> <br /> Dowiedz się, jak możesz zacząć realizować swoje marzenia i cele. Nie pozwól, by kolejny rok minął Ci bez zmian. ❗️<br /> <br /> Zrób pierwszy krok ku lepszemu – zaczynamy razem! <br /> <br /> 👉 Zapraszam Cię na webinar, który da Ci narzędzia i inspirację do tego, aby 2024 był rokiem Twojego sukcesu. <br /> <br /> Dołącz do mnie i razem zrobimy ten rok niezapomnianym!<br /> <br /> ➡️ Zostaw ♥️ lub napisz do mnie wiadomość 📩, a otrzymasz bezpłatne wejściówkę na webinar, po którym już nie będziesz mogła powiedzieć, że nie dostałaś od życia szansy!🥰		Joanna Feldman		0	https://facebook.com/61553286580270	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69767	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		1080859619606164	5	1.4784743894358E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721418430167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679704	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404571232_367729272457304_8979649860983857110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KVAQO10cB04AX-zLRHU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXSYBk01e-Yc_vflACW3hdUzb9ShL24EI9zHNvTkyPtQ&oe=6592A273	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
66565	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		304609868626501	2	9.2016541974207E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	690518987764002		0	Joanna B design			120205199426830411		shop.joannabehar.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Joanna B design		https://shop.joannabehar.com/collections/patches/products/holographic-bo0oty-ghost-patch		1703619325	6.90518987764E+14	Joanna B design	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412841703_7780081212007720_4880831403101293813_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b8-OgQS2jdwAX_PVNIW&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSVISZ6lPQLZTTK95bAcRGsDIJmLZIHFKLm7EIArSmRg&oe=6591AD09	person_profile	0	Joanna Behar - Designer/Illustrator, pins & accessories 🇫🇷 Paris	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412873852_939662074261628_5496885576737538625_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4m5Cr2MRJBsAX8NPF1r&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSNQ5nrD94-2Xmvlihu5cR28Am7S-CUlsqPhmm-SnVDw&oe=65915F19			0	3	Visit our woman-owned shop for fun limited edition pieces that will add a pop of color to your wardrobe! Designed with love in Paris ✨		Joanna B design		242	https://facebook.com/joannabdesign	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67608	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		887829016084010	1	7.3289878971586E+15		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106914145511790		0	Family Unit			120202325849800088		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Renovation Revelations: Former “Fixer Upper” Clients Tell All About Their Experience On The Show By: Lilli Keeve | Last updated: Aug 31, 2022 Originally Published on trendymatter.com and repurposed with permissions During its run from 2013 to 2018, the hit renovation reality show “Fixer Upper....	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702556260	1.0691414551179E+14	Family Unit	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411177872_6699471436831270_1778081237323893792_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QM6J5kgnfmAAX_rZY2j&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2AohXCC0AJzAbgHYgU4At29EEEE6NVHDMuUEVCwlzOw&oe=6592E229	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Family Unit		2099	https://facebook.com/100086268781719	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66907	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		913122633492766	1	3.7481243188625E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	137453879461089		0	Myteez Store 24			120203306096420557		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls18?color=black&size=&product=unisex-sweatshirt		1703231204	1.3745387946109E+14	Myteez Store 24	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411890551_2025855877786082_8706266818282491219_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QCM4Ltz49XQAX_t0z9p&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDLl09WORCow8Df7K2Th-eY3GAYcxiq0oCDma6Gm5Xvjw&oe=6591CBDF	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls18%3Fcolor%3Dblack%26size%26product%3Dunisex-sweatshirt&amp;h=AT2f09OkU7uN9CS4mGY_oh0utoreDQ5nEcoVIQXilpLsWva1FgERZ4rGPeV2fZ2i5QaU8b7tTAVxxmX6WbKAOMMkTybKwnoI_W5tSdMh9kunmcXIDWQBvnkXVcVB-EeMO7rlROhr-kH7ZzvtQpRDnV2PZTB4gbmYvUz8ow" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls18?color=black&amp;size&amp;product=unisex-sweatshirt</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT2b1ZZkXe_8Bxh_9vZbru4zQl2TO1cQxoNvR_dxeS26a1dkZIql1YpeS0tSR4LE-2KHtdEYqa4luXyNM3W_VsIX-mIpo-3FSRjT1giPgwUkZPxVMCMmX06cNCyzvby7axnoNIjz_vCZxfabQJyfBF18ceZsCw6ObP8M8Q" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Myteez Store 24		5	https://facebook.com/61554183969481	0		SHOP_NOW						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67077	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054164		67		1306826243366920	3	3.4606443483918E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	235613043245259		0	Alla's Yummy Food			120204742710060768		allasyummyfood.com	Sign up		NONE	carousel	Alla's Yummy Food		https://www.allasyummyfood.com/online-cake-club		1703108609	2.3561304324526E+14	Alla's Yummy Food	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412951229_272265082509875_6831890545843124709_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lK75TpnloKQAX94QYAg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAoyXS65qUu_Z0rl1mimsuxjwro7ba6f-4blu_r7QOKxA&oe=6592637E	person_profile	0	Alla Driksne | Online Cake Academy	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412877527_883740533397270_538632705858288784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VPHHPtG-kX4AX9QTV-9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBE-3csHg-DYGg22oGrMLzllfbTdUAMayshXW3tK5K4Fw&oe=65921B3D			0	3	Are you looking for a way to elevate your baking skills and your business? Perfect! It’s time for you to join 100+ beginner, home, and professional bakers in my Cake Club! <br /> <br /> When you sign up, you’ll gain access to:<br /> <br /> ☑️ Exclusive recipes for beautiful, high-end cakes<br /> ☑️ How to master taking amazing photos from your smartphone<br /> ☑️ Business strategies to help you baking business grow<br /> ☑️ Access to my must-have Mastermind Sessions<br /> <br /> …and SO much more!<br /> <br /> If you have access to a kitchen and a love for baking, Cake Club is for you. Let’s bake, learn, and grow together. 🎂 Flexible payment options are available!<br /> <br /> Join Now and Transform Your Baking Journey!👇<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.allasyummyfood.com%2Fonline-cake-club&amp;h=AT0M4p9llPiwHebvAVI6GPeZv95tINZhyLH-sY_TDNBo5eNCRmK1r6aUEMS_8HvmHken4nuQRZA51b5X_D8BqJTn0zsbH4osrA3xSuFukY6fPWysdvfT-G6eYIaoJmUtgIG5sN5CS_BYC8lUL8BOVA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.allasyummyfood.com/online-cake-club</a>		Alla's Yummy Food		274053	https://facebook.com/allasyummyfood	0		SIGN_UP						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67323	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054164		67		898758071447296	1	2.6594400142131E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1212315052125863		0	Bloom Yoga			120203919637250152		lucybloomyoga.com	Sign up		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.lucybloomyoga.com/pages/sisters-of-the-moon		1702893349	1.2123150521259E+15	Bloom Yoga	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411080247_887629313072621_5046380190058502155_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wvOJNHMUj04AX9J8YXX&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBe4Zt8mPESznDsfquuTav224dS45N0hQkFFRbK8XWnwA&oe=6591BDE1	person_profile	0	B L O O M by Lucybloom Webb	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411163335_850184440238794_2111505777103038732_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZBxaSeGH7lwAX-fUSHa&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCbSVNnSCfw8NDs5f1Z1HKMD8amOySvUp__Ju5R3UJHWg&oe=65915D23			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Bloom Yoga		579	https://facebook.com/lucybloomyoga	0		SIGN_UP						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68560	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/3/25, 2:05 AM	1703760171	1748934310		67		388744140154538	4	7.6009832261614E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1054880307978117		0	LVNA By Drake Dustin			120201440783500249		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/lunabydrakedustin		1701717856	1.0548803079781E+15	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407653547_7152265941484323_764317271748869274_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rGnkDTWD-PkAX_9Ac-p&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDugEtn-le7X-k5Ru817jU6OYIBxwLxFJ-2vECJ7GJSbQ&oe=6592ED73	person_profile	0	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407650105_1783414292104109_3115948731860778939_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VCys9j4jnA4AX8ooU_M&_nc_oc=AQmMX8Uvh34CbHMU4gsi9j6HNPMorpwNjGeMklNFofOJCCYtuSSAwwTpv5G7uxW4R9s7SBZfQOQGIUY4jlCCmL5F&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHueI4FrAy_ovRGNO6F6ofYnHx2GB4HIhoNj6F7xEgRA&oe=659209C1			0	3	IN HER ELEMENT. For the most-awaited April 2023 issue of #TatlerPhilippines (&#064;tatlerphilippines), #NadineLustre (&#064;nadine) stunned everyone again with her ethereal appearance that is as beautiful as a scenic view. This time, Nadine was really ‘In Her Element’ as she became vocal about the imperative role of everyone to teach the young about environmentalism’s significance in today’s world. Read an article excerpt from Nadine’s cover issue and heed her call to start saving the planet in our simple ways. <br /> <br /> Photographed by BJ Pascual &#064;bjpascual <br /> Styling by Joanna Garcia &#064;joannagee <br /> Hair by Paul Nebres &#064;paulnebres <br /> Makeup by Jelly Eugenio &#064;jellyeugenio <br /> Nadine wearing &#064;ushisato &amp; &#064;lunabydrakedustin<br /> <br /> Grab a copy now of &#064;tatlerphilippines April 2023 featuring #NadineLustre ✨		LVNA By Drake Dustin		273685	https://facebook.com/LunaByDrakeDustin	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68703	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		920878162973354	1	3.0822700544618E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	275758569814605		0	Cooking 4 All			120201119753790383		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Women Who Think They’re ‘Not Like Other Girls	We know that part of growing up means learning how to be your own person. Unfortunately, society often teaches girls that their gender isn’t as cool as the boys, and that they need to be different from the others to be good enough and not get labelled as “basic”. We’ve put together the worst...	https://cooking4all.com/women-who-think-there-md-ext/		1701357554	2.7575856981460E+14	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406089660_1458839411360388_8125909862364587021_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0jTRwP7TXxUAX8yZQiB&_nc_oc=AQmKTGjVbIhFP9f_x_8nAcxHzXNXHMW3jlPEh_1dJ-R_uOl-4OWf0XyrorinGkT2K5xcDRwG9zwk8X2KctS_xpVV&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAU6juZUPYHiIJW4oQsJzjXqC40riEwtb2fZbDTqrslMA&oe=65928AEE	person_profile	0					0	3	25+ Women who think they aren&#039;t like &quot;other girls&quot; until someone proves them wrong.		Cooking 4 All		2127	https://facebook.com/Cooking4AllFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68687	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		340849088542595	1	2.8110386590383E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200871864460773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Chasing Love: The Untouched Dream>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/jkbjam0gbh0sthbqrnksj02p?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701413900	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407381441_692262266368147_6042338204217540513_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q7ExOGULuJcAX8EfHAb&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAtjDHsjB4nGct0kbJmHrnVAucXstcy9GeRK5D-VWfhwQ&oe=6592C9FE	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407378637_330925606312978_2896868250008143577_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7J0M-7oei2kAX-XaXOY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDn_k2seaW5GUW-P3799aIocpP8NDCApGEI7RIlMTZNsQ&oe=6592660D			0	3	❤️‍🔥A car accident, at their engagement party, he decides to marry another woman. She throws the engagement ring he gifted her right back at him, wishing him never to regret his decisions. She assumed she could finally let go of everything and leave, but is pulled into a room by a stranger man. His hot breath ignites the room&#039;s temperature, &quot;Help me, I will take responsibility for you.&quot; After that night, a priceless ring is forcibly adorned on her ring finger.<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Chasing Love: The Untouched Dream&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69361	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054164		67		337689062210484	1	7.0441829164866E+14		1700899200	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343772970404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843456	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405175391_1060958305054281_3175986494341622649_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FAMn8xxAu-8AX8Hh1rF&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDgscPpC2-4rL1lHyrJL-ZSPj0484Kr0qnj47LCxrLWQg&oe=65918C2C	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405170132_1053004245943731_9036527778015854173_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jB6boLcLIvwAX-2Anek&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC6H7pTPx-SENrKw-wsxpnQwIOM3riEpSHw0W_SpoGrcA&oe=65914E74			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67697	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		692715896259301		3.6125688964328E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120202703383350367		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702541360	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411187836_351347074347836_5334243224309784450_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=he3v1txvs3wAX9CpaM5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA8TzcIvRxf4D8N0pu6IeRMBX1jfIQ4obGr2JxCELQkHA&oe=65931ADC	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68683	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		378730514580504	1	3.1893348442181E+14		1701417600	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200735068640540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701419128	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405336116_1545598202924905_3997978781662231756_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_5GxDhmqeAEAX8Lw7uq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxeebMFwooVvb0e_vvl-4KBdnt5yhW214hr2RpXdW53A&oe=65923C3E	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405228890_664727969165239_58690182396371154_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LDWw8YJiNPAAX8VooIi&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAusZow6peIVgUXjI1RPVIYF9geh2mRyrRgE1zSfh-W1g&oe=65926E8A			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69543	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		1073940293775881	1	7.4751433719263E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611907190115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700723098	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403086040_379850004467276_2796809494934962070_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YmYEYDC5Z5cAX9362Di&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAg_Rp31tUCrjxPYksMnH6GQTPspW7GGky101hYfwPxQw&oe=6591B3E5	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403060819_1476259786440155_8075074310770382163_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=R-y28Aoa40gAX-_fgHR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC550-CfdMjEFsUwJ2wNsTHnwSvKooOFyMmFhbUEKbY9g&oe=6593029C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67003	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		1057160138819893	1	6.6533171546646E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109705778305621		0	Kilby Block Party			6504264112689		kilbyblockparty.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Kilby Block Party 2024	May 10 - 12 | Utah State Fairpark	http://kilbyblockparty.com/		1703175509	1.0970577830562E+14	Kilby Block Party	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411442421_733544005355643_8217114453489221035_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YzrsoK6GVNcAX-JS-C7&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDqZqAm8ivohCApl00JlNZU6wy3UjXekXuofvCluofNaw&oe=6591C079	person_profile	0	Kilby Block Party	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412440398_1370164656927147_3432509783964958570_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JmB1rvJT47IAX-GTw_W&_nc_oc=AQmKfCaoTuwC4S9BP5qxs7u9eP15a5IIfhlNLO7RrnFPYeK6U7LNBnl6qi1OKqjs-tg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCTlkvRUNYc-SuiCrkguuAHcSwoB6uxOM0VKLYNjkgLtg&oe=65920F24			0	3			Kilby Block Party		1483	https://facebook.com/KilbyBlockPartySLC	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66607	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		657322849942427	1	1.5099664564912E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204713233410210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/855?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703582781	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414079685_1086629695861378_9090678986745417933_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=la2sCBHinLMAX99-cqf&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAcjo9JtZ977HhRzPIcYOO1U0u1HkCO9R35iGNxoAfFHA&oe=6591B5CC	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414073342_897928671910383_1723928485494584236_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A7g9nCTyyDsAX9dDVmE&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAKKZQAt6JrQR5eBHyjBpf4RN9EBXHasl71QrzcHwr1rQ&oe=659192E3			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68520	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054164		67		1416405115622723	3	5.7004512862127E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	308901506171176		0	Luluna Slings			6522365506701			No button		NONE	multi_images					1701774968	3.0890150617118E+14	Luluna Slings	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407116754_891600059186497_8298924628716235419_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UyuLyxQlQvgAX-c59o6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJ3YOyxRlzkuioj7mDHfx5nj9CQ2KlxHQbdLCg1luYEw&oe=65929364	person_profile	0					0	3	🐺 DRAW TO PURCHASE 🐺 <br /> Saint Nicholas&#039; Day FREE SHIPPING <br /> <br /> GEO WOLF MOONLIGHT<br /> 100% combed cotton, approx. 270 gsm<br /> <br /> Wolves Lovers,<br /> It&#039;s been long time when last Geo Wolf was here! Very long time! So now we want you remind about this beautiful pattern! Please welcome new Geo Wolf Moonlight ♥ It comes from the depths of space and it is looking for a new loving home! Do you know that there is a constellation called the Wolf? From Latin they call it &quot;Lupus&quot; and it is located in the deep Southern Sky! This pattern is simple beautiful. <br /> The Wolf Moonlight is very strong and durable because of high quality combed cotton. It is equally cuddly and soft at the same time. Amazing shades of black looks very magical like black night - just like the sky in the night full of shiny... Wolves! <br /> <br /> Available:<br /> s7 (5,2m) for €119<br /> s6 (4,6m) for €114<br /> s5 (4,2m) for €109<br /> s4 (3,6m) for €104<br /> s3 (3,2m) for €99<br /> scarf (2,0m) for €84<br /> <br /> Everyone who wants to purchase a wrap, please email us at lulunaslings&#064;gmail.com <br /> Remember to include the size of the wrap you’d like to buy and of course your PayPal address! <br /> If you don&#039;t have PayPal please add info that you want to pay via bank transfer / credit card. <br /> The draw lasts until December 6th and we will send a message to happy winners about 10 a.m. CET.<br /> You have 1h to make a payment once you receive invoice from us.<br /> If you are outside Europe please let us know the country. Because of time difference we will give you more time to pay.<br /> Because we celebrate Saint Nicholas&#039; Day 6th December there is free shipping for you as gift ♥<br /> <br /> Luluna <br /> <br /> (c) Luluna Slings (c) Joanna Weyna<br /> <br /> #wolfteam		Luluna Slings		50485	https://facebook.com/lulunaslings	0		NO_BUTTON						1701763200		View Edit Delete
66870	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		6925018114277160		8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202966979040018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299740	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413829067_2524053184430377_6379713230591298950_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kklil2QdljIAX_HM9Jt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfACqFNqIK9q2jXJNoh1GDJn9xbC9sox6IDRbtlzDU1KqQ&oe=659319D0	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413834539_374475051799638_3984368025699301296_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Gu2CdqZvsaEAX_sMxhu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDtP2JvLIGanLMJIPI27agzdNcCPFtxUP9-ZopLtxMcYA&oe=65928600			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68289	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054164		67		310816681850566	1	2.9991693302574E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074063130476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016100	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408996732_1099998791379940_4760077075041094286_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b5256CtpJ7sAX9AKtGH&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCe6oM5JVBSzhu872Iuah1GAokP0q_F7Y3WFw5UwwmJEw&oe=65916918	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408993385_892885685361805_8844344689673814632_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3RTlWrlRfUgAX_jaz-V&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAuzDF5uTIfJKA33JGEiCpeSyPDkiMAjr5FRFb5Skm4vA&oe=659274D6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69669	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		361902263169099	5	8.6183418227823E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779111620250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678187	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619723_1061366564892535_5544603005193099836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AeSr85PiixUAX-7KsJM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBuGsUc0etdJzt7c4OReVb6y_qBci54Ubk72I2eiIYEWA&oe=65925A04	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68175	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054164		67		3641491129507538	1	1.5740195031524E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	624558840915236		0	Birdy Boutique & Fundraiser Blankets			120202185581710504					NONE	video					1702266501	6.2455884091524E+14	Birdy Boutique & Fundraiser Blankets	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408902656_2213236802401367_18785751668118862_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HyvX6ERiquwAX9LqliU&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8uby5kkjl1eXhnmfM5jRZI-rTWT8th4rZxxoxz-Zstw&oe=65931315	person_profile	0	Birdy Boutique | Fundraiser Blankets	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408869674_735588541844715_8599280463705592748_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9FLACvkUZnwAX-lGAJu&_nc_oc=AQmY3cYWXRinDsTXxiFA2aPCxhKkOEFwTtfUBKL_LeSdD5e4flxMbZ6HRqvYsdKyiK4&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB93SJWeA-f9CqoAGB56XjRouoof-N-aLkkAfItggcROQ&oe=65919F51			0	3	💥🎥💥 We are stepping into the spotlight on Season 11 of START UP on PBS, a four-time Emmy-nominated show! Our Fundraiser Blankets team has worked tirelessly to impact thousands of students nationwide!! We are grateful and proud of what us sisters have built, with the support of our community, and excited to share our little story of how we started with the world.<br /> <br /> If you haven&#039;t tuned in to StartUpUSA yet, you will be hooked as every business tale narrates a profound journey of challenges, triumphs, and a unique peek behind the scenes of what it takes to spark an idea and transform it into a business! It&#039;s the daily dose of inspiration that keeps entrepreneurs like us going strong.<br /> <br /> Full episode link in the comments!<br /> <br /> #fundraiserblankets #schoolfundraiser #FundraisingIdeas #schoolfundraiserideas #womenfounders #startupusa		Birdy Boutique & Fundraiser Blankets		6980	https://facebook.com/ShopBirdyBoutique	0								1702195200		View Edit Delete
67502	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054164		67		375576158332983	1	1.9704949673688E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011752820506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636938	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410911770_380019374548143_6094981563395204564_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CojM6K1IPFwAX_FE7IL&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA0_kQJ6KTixzNwEbBPwf23FboVEhdHJTcNcScIGNQyWw&oe=65923633	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411006020_339856275350653_2089274983909483176_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gpgZoaWst-sAX8ccdFK&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD2d-FQx7Uvlqkog69vJ9_dNONO3H9_axbVEgcNXU-iBg&oe=65931EB6			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68350	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054164		67		2518426121659042	1	3.9826180610668E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6585777582609		joannavargas.com/booking	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/collections/los-angeles-spa/products/triple-crown-facial-1		1701966856	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/392822008_359342046611240_5122394881418210686_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9euYZ56l9YcAX-yq2DW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBHrpNBFceVeYJp3xkbDcT7ajynFXu5RMyqjJtUuI1s-g&oe=6592B340	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409125405_1144787960233558_6968571215305993227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k7PY9q2tsIYAX-8adHW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCvxF3H1PGeCxnXF_Wid2davUe0i4orGD-sDjn2WMW56g&oe=6591C0DF			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66828	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		668527155361485	2	3.038655286917E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106809038380343		0	Joanna Gabrielle			120205742584360174		joannagabrielle.com.br	Learn more		NONE	video			https://joannagabrielle.com.br/ceb/		1703201337	1.0680903838034E+14	Joanna Gabrielle	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413838901_6996677930386826_4812548215316317568_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PFROYDcnJ6wAX_mFhbO&_nc_oc=AQkdtNfXbghqCdPDxGbDBiygSCeSuY2ikrEwvIlDwXKhlxhW7oDaQ5mFgoFRIa4lZs0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBPYolFj4FY-fMbC40x35QlLLadeCEFh33fadyL5wTlrg&oe=6592C4F5	person_profile	0	Joanna gabrielle | Aprenda inglês	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412871453_1436237880313769_6831549534579655614_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aTurb4BR7zIAX9HvXMj&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDaM37JFIRLQKE1Q_rdwnWLprn70do0Y2T-6zZ_6b7yYg&oe=65931200			0	3	Entender e falar Inglês Fluente seria bom pra você?<br /> (mesmo começando do zero)<br /> <br /> Olha, eu aprendi 5 idiomas antes dos 25 anos, ensinei a Jessie (filha de 4 anos) e outras centenas de alunos, usando uma Metodologia própria. <br /> <br /> Agora, eu quero te levar do Zero à Fluência, mesmo que você:<br /> <br /> - sinta dificuldade de memorizar<br /> - não entenda bem o que escuta no inglês<br /> - não consegue formar frases corretamente<br /> - não faça ideia de por onde iniciar<br /> <br /> Clique no SAIBA MAIS e descubra a minha proposta irrecusável de final de ano!		Joanna Gabrielle		184	https://facebook.com/joannagabriellei	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
67204	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054164		67		355446423779749		2.5809983036598E+14		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
66814	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		376543715048342	1	7.3635137861316E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	136560499545717		0	ForFun-105			120203150267300019		a.read4funs.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.read4funs.com/ad/a29hbGFub3ZlbC82NDQ3OC8yMDIzMTIyMzE3NDM1Mi9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703324928	1.3656049954572E+14	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412275081_1041484147127762_8511568690584605880_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AAvcmlWbJCoAX9JLVVj&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVVyfH05pMs9H8Wgsh9UD9dRe0v9DGamwmgEkUjxuRaQ&oe=659318E8	person_profile	0	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411647292_744213224264107_5018800635319828456_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HVgFvFj8OTwAX_0D8Ia&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7aldtICzjuOk0F6Kg2FKN8J-hlsRncQQwCsNY7k8_Uw&oe=6591AC79			0	3	“As of today, you Joanna Tyree are Cancer free! The scans were clear, your labs have been improving daily. Jo, you&#039;re in remission.” Rachel&#039;s hand froze, and I froze.<br /> What did he just say? Is he shitting me right now?<br /> “You better not be lying to me right now Brian. I can&#039;t take a joke right now.” I said timidly.<br /> I know he would never joke about that, but I had to ask. <br /> “We&#039;ll go over what to look out for and statistics and what not but as of today, you&#039;re in remission. You did it, you beat it.”<br /> “I beat it…” I whispered in near shock.<br /> ————————<br /> Joanna<br /> “Today was my mammogram…” I whispered and her face softened. She didn&#039;t probe, she didn&#039;t nudge me to continue. She waited for me to gather my strength to continue and I was so thankful. “It&#039;s stage 3…”<br /> “Oh Jo!” she wrapped me in her arms and I sobbed. “That&#039;s not all….” She pulled back but kept her arms around me. She raised a brow at me waiting for my answer.<br /> “I went to Brian today. He&#039;s the one who gave me the results. I figured since Mike&#039;s office was right down the hall that I would just go ahead and tell him. He was on his lunch break, so he didn&#039;t have any patients…”<br /> I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. “I caught him mid thrust in another woman...” I don&#039;t think she meant it but her grip on my shoulder got dangerously tight.<br /> “I&#039;m sorry, what? Where is he? I know how to hide a body without being caught. Who is the tramp? Do I need to kill her too?”<br /> I held my hand up with wide eyes. “You know you are pretty scary when you&#039;re angry. But that&#039;s not even the worst part…”<br /> “What do you mean that&#039;s not the worst part? Your husband is having an affair with another woman. What is worse than that?”<br /> I let out a breath and rested my elbows on my knees and bowed my head. My golden waves covering my face. “It was Lisa….”<br /> Her spirit glass dropped to the floor and shattered. When I met her gaze she looked frozen in shock. Her brown eyes that usually reminded me of molten chocolate were nearly black with rage. She didn&#039;t say anything. She didn&#039;t even look like she was breathing.<br /> ”Rach…?” I probed and she shook her head.<br /> “I&#039;m going to kill her. Lisa? Our friend Lisa was sleeping with your husband on his desk at his work? Lisa that&#039;s also Married to his best friend that also works in the same office? That Lisa?” I couldn&#039;t formulate words, so I settled for nodding my head. Rachel was silent and usually when she was this mad and silent, it was bad.<br /> “Rachel, what am I going to do? I&#039;ve been with Mike for 17 years. Since the day I found out I was pregnant with Gage... I don&#039;t know any other life. I have never lived alone. You know how much family means to me... I was a foster kid. My own parents didn&#039;t even want me. I don&#039;t want Gage to grow up in a broken home too.”<br /> “Joanna. First of all, just because you have a kid with someone doesn&#039;t mean you need to stay with them. Second of all, Gage is already grown up. He&#039;s a young man. Thirdly, you are never going to be alone. You are my family. And lastly, how long has this been going on?”<br /> I shrugged. “Truthfully I don&#039;t know. I ran out of there as fast as I could. He tried to get me out of the car, but I threw my ring at him and drove off. I just couldn&#039;t stick around. After the news I got this morning and then that. I was pretty stretched thin on what I could handle.”<br /> She nodded and took a few deep breaths before taking me into her arms again. “Here&#039;s what we&#039;re going to do. We&#039;re going to finish off this bottle of spirit, we’re going to watch a bunch of chick flicks, we’re going to eat to our stomach&#039;s desire and get a good night&#039;s rest. And tomorrow, we&#039;re going to go to your house. I&#039;m going with you, that&#039;s not up for negotiation. You&#039;re going to talk to Mike, and we&#039;re going to pack you a bag and you&#039;re going to stay with me. After you&#039;ve given it some clear thought without pressure from anyone and you&#039;re ready to make a decision then okay. But you can&#039;t make any decisions while you&#039;re living with him because he will cloud your judgement. Now chop chop. Pick out a movie, I&#039;ll get the snacks. You can change into a pair of my Pjs too.”<br /> With Rachel growing up an Army brat, you could hear the authoritarian in her coming out. She marched off to the kitchen while I changed my clothes and picked out a movie. Hours later she was passed out on the sofa with a line of drool coming out of her mouth. However, I couldn&#039;t sleep. I just couldn&#039;t shut my mind off.<br /> I debated on waking Rachel up to let her know we were adding one more to the party, but she was snoozing hard. You definitely didn&#039;t want to wake Rachel when she hasn&#039;t gotten enough rest. She turns into an instant bimbo and I don&#039;t have the capacity to deal with that right now.<br /> I made sure to cut on the porch light and unlock the door and go into the kitchen to heat him up something to eat, knowing he&#039;s going to be hungry. Yes, I may have been trying to bribe my child into not hating me with food, but it&#039;s a risk I&#039;m willing to take.<br /> I heard some shuffling in the foyer and a few curses and then silence. Going to check it out, I peeked around the corner to see Gage kneeling down to pick up my purse that he had knocked over, but all of the contents had spilled. Including all of the brochures from Brian&#039;s office and the paperwork with my test results on it. His face was pale and he wasn&#039;t moving.<br /> “Mom…?” his eyes raised to mine. His bright blue eyes that matched his fathers and they were starting to blur with unshed tears. “Mom, what is this?”<br /> I sighed, something I&#039;ve been doing a lot of today and knelt next to him. “Gage, son, look at me” he did and I could see the tremble in his body.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want to tell you about that yet... I wanted to wait until after SAT’s and until you picked a good school.”<br /> He shook his head. “No!” I gave him a look and he mumbled sorry. “You know what, I&#039;m not sorry! You&#039;re sick! You need me! I can go to a school closer to home! I can still achieve my goals and dreams while being here for you.”<br /> This is what I was afraid of.<br /> “Baby, I don&#039;t want you to put your life on hold for me. I will be okay. I&#039;m a fighter. I&#039;m strong. I can handle anything. I want you to live your life for you, I want you to make choices because you want to do them. Not because you feel obligated.”<br /> “I&#039;m not obligated to do anything. You&#039;re my mother. You gave me life. If you think I would for a second abandon you in your time of need then you&#039;re sadly mistaken. You raised me better than that.” I took him in my arms and he bussed the top of my head. Now that he was nearly an adult, he was almost a foot taller than me.<br /> “I just want you to have every change you can possibly have in life. A better life than what I had growing up.”<br /> His hug got tighter. “You&#039;ve given me an amazing life mom. Let me help you. No wonder dad drank himself into a stupor.”<br /> I couldn&#039;t help it. I tensed at the mention of Mike and Gage unfortunately noticed.<br /> “Mom?” he asked, raising a brow.<br /> I attempted to brush it off because this was an adult matter. It&#039;s not something a teenager. He wasn&#039;t having it.<br /> “I know you told, Rachel about it or else you wouldn&#039;t have come here. So you have two choices. Either tell me what I want to know, or I will wake up aunt Rachel and we both know that won&#039;t end well.”<br /> “Just tell the boy!” Rachel said, peeking her head above the sofa. I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged and shrunk down further waiting for the explosion of what I&#039;m about to tell my son.<br /> “Please don&#039;t hate me…” I whispered to him not expecting him to hear me but knowing that he did. “Your dad and I….I will be staying here for a few days.”<br /> His face scrunched up in confusion. “Why… you and dad..you&#039;re my idol couple. You&#039;re so in love. I...What happened?”<br /> “I thought we were in love too…” I sobbed a bit knowing full well that that was the truth. I thought we did love each other. It was great, frequent, we hardly ever fought, we spent time together. I don&#039;t understand what happened.<br /> “Your dad is having an affair and I found out about it today.” I couldn&#039;t meet his eyes. I was filled with shame. Shame that I failed my marriage, that I failed my family, and that I wasn&#039;t enough to keep my family together. I felt like there was no way out of this dark place. I can&#039;t face him knowing that I failed him.<br /> “Who?” was all he said. I looked up and his face was turning red and the tips of his ears even redder. A trait he inherited from his father.<br /> “It&#039;s not important…”<br /> “God, mom! Tell me who!” I trembled at the anger he released.<br /> “Gage, just calm down…”<br /> He shook his head. “No. Not this time. I&#039;m not going to calm down. Tell me who dad decided to throw his family away for. Tell me who dad thought was so important that he would chose to break up his own family for.”<br /> Wait, he wasn&#039;t mad at me?<br /> “You&#039;re not mad at me?” I asked stupidly.<br /> He took three giant steps towards me and engulfed me in a hug. I could feel his own tears hitting my forehead. “Why would I ever be mad at you over this? You&#039;re not the one who stuck a body part in another person that wasn&#039;t your spouse. You&#039;ve never been anything short of amazing Mom. But please. Tell me who”.<br /> “It was Lisa…” I muttered knowing he deserved to know, but hating that I was thrusting all of this on my child.<br /> “You&#039;ve got to be kidding me!” was all he said before he stormed out of the door, got in his truck and sped off.<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> “Go after him before he does something he&#039;ll regret. He may be mad now, but he&#039;s reacting to emotional overdrive” Rachel&#039;s voice was sad but firm. I knew I would need to go after him. After that were dropped on him in the past hour, it&#039;s a wonder he&#039;s still standing. It&#039;s a miracle that I&#039;m still standing, but I&#039;ve also had spirit to help drown my sorrows in.<br /> There&#039;s only one place he would have gone. He would have gone home to confront Mike. Rachel trailed behind me as we all climbed in my car.<br /> “You don&#039;t think he’ll do anything stupid do you?” she was silent, but I knew the answer myself. We drove the short 15 minutes it took to get to my house, well my old house, and sure enough his truck was parked in the driveway still running.<br /> I could hear the yelling from outside. Shouting from both Gage and Mike. When I got through the door it was clear that I needed to calm one if not both of them down. Pictures were smashed, there was glass everywhere. I rounded the corner to the living room to see Mike pinned to the wall by Gage. Both of them were nearing 6 foot tall and well built but seeing our 17 year old holding such an advantage over him was shocking.<br /> Mike&#039;s eyes met mine and they bugged out.<br /> “Why?” Gage shouted.<br /> “Why would you do this? I thought you cared about us? Was it worth it you prick!” his voice cracked with emotion the more that he spoke. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder causing him to jerk before turning to meet my gaze.<br /> “Let him go sweetie…” he shook his head in refusal. “Gage, let him go…” My voice was soft and he slowly released his grip on his dad and Mike sagged against the wall while Gage fell into my arms.<br /> “It&#039;s okay sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. Rachel is in the car. Grab a bag of clothes and go to the car.” he nodded and walked away.<br /> “Jo…” I held up my hand to him.<br /> “Save it…I&#039;m grabbing a bag myself and staying with Rachel for a few days.” he stepped towards me causing me to step back. The hurt in his eyes was evident, but it was his own fault.<br /> “Can we please just talk about this? I made a mistake, yes, but we can fix this!”<br /> I scoffed. “A mistake? An accident? What did you accidentally fall and land in her hip?” he hung his head. “And the worst part about all of this is, it wasn&#039;t even a complete stranger. Lisa. My best friend. How long has this been going on?”<br /> “Well?” I probed when he didn&#039;t answer.<br /> “This was the first time in years that I&#039;ve been with her…” he wasn&#039;t looking at me, he refused to look me in the eye.<br /> “Wait….you said in years. What did you mean?”<br /> When he raised his head he had tears in his bloodshot eyes. “We called it off when Brian proposed to her. I&#039;m telling you all of this so we can air it all out. So we can move past it. We had been seeing each other since highschool.”<br /> I felt a pressure in my head and my heart sinking to my stomach. I looked to the stairwell and saw Gage sitting on the stairs listening intently.<br /> “Why then? Why continue to be with me? Why even see me at all if you were with her too? That means you had been having a whole other life for 10 years. I-I can&#039;t… I don&#039;t understand. Why did you marry me, lead me on, continue to sleep with me, frequently by the way, if you were with her?”<br /> He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. I was way past angry at this point. I picked up a vase of flowers that he had gotten me two weeks ago. Now that I think about it, those flowers were probably an apology for everything. Gripping the vase hard enough I was sure it would shatter. I chucked it. It hit the wall next to him shattering to pieces.<br /> He didn&#039;t flinch, he didn&#039;t move, he didn&#039;t even bat an eyelash. He was taking my temper tantrum and letting me get it all out.<br /> “ANSWER ME.”<br /> “Because I love you. I still do.”<br /> I cut him off. “Nonsense. If you loved me you wouldn&#039;t have strayed. You wouldn&#039;t have kept it up for 10 years. So try again.”<br /> “I do love you. But it&#039;s possible to love more than one person. I thought I was in love with her too, but I was wrong. I didn&#039;t know she was seeing Brian until 6 months before the proposal. It felt so wrong. I felt used. She was seeing both of us, using both of us for money, she was getting a high off the rush of getting caught. She was vindictive, so I cut it off. I broke up with her.”<br /> A half choked cob and laugh left my lips. “Then how did I catch you balls deep in her this afternoon?”<br /> He let out a deep breath. “I truly don&#039;t know. She had been there to see Brian but he was in with a patient. She had waited in my office for him and one thing led to another. I don&#039;t want to be that prick and say she came onto me but she did.”<br /> I walked up to him and slapped him so hard that his head whipped to the side. “You should have said no. You should have called security. You had so many opportunities. I don&#039;t know if we can fix this Michael. 10 years of infidelity out of a 17 year marriage. Do you know how many people Lisa was sleeping with in college? You could have given me a STD! Even when I was pregnant! All of those appointments you missed because you were busy were you out with her? All those conferences out of town, was it her? I don&#039;t understand it. You just shattered every bit of trust and faith I had in us. What was so wrong with me that you couldn&#039;t be faithful to me? You know how hard my life was before I met you. You know how important family is to me! Growing up in the foster care system, I didn&#039;t have a family! You were my family. Lisa was my family. I hope it was worth it. I hope she was worth it.”<br /> He put his hands on my shoulders trying to calm down my ranting. Gage stood up from the stairs and started towards us. “Take your hands off of her. Or I will...” I had never heard that authority in his voice. Mike stood back and held his hands up.<br /> “We can fix this...I&#039;ve been faithful for 10 years. Not once have I strayed in that time. Well, except today. But it&#039;s not you. It&#039;s never been your fault. I could break up with you or leave you because I loved you. I couldn&#039;t bear to lose you. I didn&#039;t want to live without you. I was going to call it off when you got pregnant but she convinced me to stay. She tried many times to get me to divorce you, but I just couldn&#039;t. I won&#039;t. And don&#039;t say we were your family like it was past tense. We are family. I can fix this. I can&#039;t live without you…”<br /> “Well, it looks like you&#039;re going to have to figure out how to. I don&#039;t know if I can ever forgive you for this. I am going to leave now. I&#039;m staying with Rachel. Goodbye, Mike.” I whispered and walked away.<br /> Gage had two bags in his hand. “I packed your bag too…” he had a far away look in his eyes.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want you to hear any of that...I&#039;m sorry, son.”<br /> “Gage!” Mike called out. He stopped walking but didn&#039;t turn around. “Please...just take care of your mother… I love you. Both of you.”<br /> “Save it, dad. If you loved us, you wouldn&#039;t have destroyed our family.”<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> The weekend had come and gone and I had a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed this morning. The amount of spirit I had drank this weekend was catching up with me and I was highly considering calling out of work. The sun had barely risen in the sky, the remaining bits of darkness still lingering on the horizon.<br /> My phone was continuing to blow up with message and message, voicemail after voicemail, and countless emails all from Mike trying to get me to come home, to work this out. Lisa had sent me a few messages both asking to talk and to apologize.<br /> Brian had sent 2 messages. One checking on me, and one apologizing. I don&#039;t know what he had to apologize for. Nothing was his fault. He and I were in the same boat. Both the people we thought we loved betrayed us. If anything I should be the one apologizing to him. If only I had caught on sooner.<br /> I had thought everything was perfect. I had thought that our love was strong and powerful. I thought nothing could come in between us. I thought that we were invincible. I now know that all of that was a charade. I knew that none of that was real. He used me, he lied to me, he betrayed me. He destroyed every little piece of me that I thought that I had.<br /> I knew once all of this was said and done that I would never trust again. I would never fall in love again. It wasn&#039;t worth it. Besides, no one would want a washed up, jaded, 33 year old woman with a 17 year old child, a cheating ex-husband, and a list of trust issues a mile long. Not to mention cancer. <br /> The cancer alone would be enough to scare the strongest of suitors away. What am I even thinking about. It&#039;s been 3 days since I caught my husband, deep inside of that woman and I&#039;m over here thinking about future relationships.<br /> I shouldn&#039;t be thinking of these things. Especially things that will never happen. I knew that my walls were being built up as high and as strong as they possibly could be and I would make sure that no one would ever be able to tear them down.<br /> Dressed in my mint green scrubs, white lab coat, and a stethoscope around my neck, I looked in the mirror. I looked tired, my face was puffy like I had been crying for days, which I had. My green eyes were dulled out to almost grey. My golden hair was flat and lifeless.<br /> I looked haggard but Rachel peeked her head in and whispered “You are the most beautiful woman I know. You&#039;re going to get through this.” her hot pink scrubs with paw prints on them only flattered her every curve.<br /> I narrowed my eyes at her lying hip. “Don&#039;t even give me that look. You are veterinarian. If only I swung that way.” She whistled and swatted at my hip and I couldn&#039;t help but chuckle. She always knew how to cheer me up.<br /> “So let&#039;s go out for drinks tonight. We never really got to celebrate you getting this job, and we need some spirit therapy. After all spirit always listens.”<br /> “Gage has football practice, and Mondays are slow anyways. Please.” She poked out her bottom lip and widened her eyes.<br /> “Fine. Just a couple of drinks. I start Chemo this week and can&#039;t drink a lot. Brian said that if I am going to drink, I will need to limit it to one glass of spirit a day.” she lowered her eyes and nodded.<br /> “I almost forgot about that. It just doesn&#039;t seem real. You know I&#039;m behind you every step of the way, right?” I nodded and hugged her. It was true she was an amazing friend. I trusted her wholly.<br /> I peeked in on Gage and saw him sleeping. I went over to him and rubbed his head like I used to do when he was a toddler. Oh, how I wish they could stay small forever. This world is too unkind sometimes. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that I would be there for him for everything. I wouldn&#039;t let him go through life alone like I had. I wanted him to know that he always had me, no matter what.<br /> “Don&#039;t be late for school. I&#039;m going to work.” the guest bedroom he was sleeping in was almost too small for him and it made me chuckle a bit seeing this growing boy nearly falling out of the bed. He groaned and gave me a thumbs up.<br /> “I love you, Son.”<br /> At work I had to sit down with the head veterinarian and explain to him my chemo schedule, which meant telling yet another person about it. In reality I just wanted to keep it to myself. I didn&#039;t need anyone taking pity on me or treating me differently.<br /> He patted me on the back and told me if I needed anything I just needed to ask. But at the moment I was currently trying to wrangle in a group of hyperactive puppies coming in for their checkups.<br /> “Oh, aren&#039;t you just the cutest little thing.” I squeaked, picking up one of the fluff balls. They were little husky puppies and boy were they working on those vocal chords.<br /> “Alright, so all of these little beauties are perfectly healthy. I recommend deworming them today and we can go ahead and give them their first rounds of shots. Also, would you like to have them microchipped for when they go to their new homes?” I looked at Mrs. Thompson, she was a spritely woman, so full of enthusiasm.<br /> “Of course, yes. Only 3 of the 4 are spoken for. This little guy is the only one who hasn&#039;t found his forever home yet.&quot; The pup in question was the red and white fluffer I was holding a bit ago.<br /> “Oh?” I asked. I knew it was wrong to interject into patients&#039; plans, but this little guy was just the cuddliest boy ever. She gave me a knowing smile.<br /> “You know, I think he likes you. I&#039;ve always called that one Finn.”<br /> It was so tempting, something I just didn&#039;t want to turn down. In a moment of weakness I thought about how every man has left me. My father, my husband, friends, and I thought, dogs are loyal, right? This little guy surely won&#039;t leave me.<br /> “I suppose he does need a home. And you are right, he does seem to like me…” she smirked and we finalized the rest of the details. I had somehow acquired a puppy. What just happened?<br /> Several patients, and layers of dog and cat hairs later and I was exhausted. The day was ending and Rachel had popped in my office several times to remind me of my promise for tonight.<br /> “Have you spoken to Lisa?” Rachel asked me when she walked into the room.<br /> “No, and I don&#039;t plan on it. She needs to forget that I exist. I have nothing nice to say to her and it would be better if I didn&#039;t say anything at all.” she nodded.<br /> “I know. I only ask because she&#039;s reaching out to me now trying to get to you. Want me to throat punch her? You know I will.” I snorted because she was being honest. I knew she would in a heartbeat. She was the brawler of the group and I was always the level headed.<br /> “Let me finish these charts and you can punch throats to your heart&#039;s content.”<br /> “So, you&#039;re going through with the divorce, yes?” she asked curiously. I nodded.<br /> “I think so. I just can&#039;t forgive it. 10 years. He had been sleeping with her for 10 years. He said he had been faithful since her and Brian got married but apparently she seduced him and he fell for it. I don&#039;t believe it. I don&#039;t believe one word of it. Even if it had been just one time... I couldn&#039;t forgive it. Unfaithfulness is where I draw the line.”		ForFun-105		18	https://facebook.com/61552095643555	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68963	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054164		67		1063009984786729	1	6.8636476658746E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300673880596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151759	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406045314_245765101850790_7109333137029915927_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XcKOnxWRag8AX8BzFvY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAiD9Y11OAPtW0C4oN9Fzmz7PorKNS8ZgE6m3_5JwMnsw&oe=6591B7B6	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406043636_1635602820180539_6111146972643432848_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Nbdh9n4UqdsAX8QbOhd&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAD0T-w7xMHiWqxmLMp0BcwFu97L2Nxk5_1N2wm0qPK7Q&oe=65927844			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69897	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		379924327704010	1	1.1033523639873E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158874030403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632994	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404975511_851062720055119_610811769049223467_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C8N2LZyEBrUAX98ocoP&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAMKhyDiqrQr-qUSBYplz64e5AkVqUkrru7XhaozclcVA&oe=65920120	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404949398_1060794115104059_6772338710156616405_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6rWB9Qtdy0YAX9Hdsz6&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB6B7VLqrNjUD4f6_FFsMSswfdoei-59LjvqZhAyVhEyA&oe=65926CA1			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67142	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054164		67		1126635684987173		1.5236034117624E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	43095243080		0	Higher Ground			6585507646480		solidsound.frontgatetickets.com	Buy tickets		NONE	image	🎫 Solid Sound Festival, June 28 - 30	Tickets on sale now!	https://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/?aff=ebpredboostfbandigads&td_campaign_id=611035		1703014847	43095243080	Higher Ground	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412714587_205779662587649_642965519958678629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Beyv6EOtbZEAX_T6ZHI&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbHx2vCPKjtU_MbSwpraLrg_CdnRyoiD_wAOq9qBRe9Q&oe=659212AB	person_profile	0	Higher Ground • VT Music Venue	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236609_1046256759823512_1769635639596446298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EnSn3EZmu6AAX_BSbLL&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCLG9Mpoas4OxiCCs7DbhQFGqVl2RdL86xyUQDVEBobpA&oe=6591E2BA			0	3	We&#039;re thrilled to announce that your 2024 Solid Sound Festival Lineup is here! ✨<br /> ⁣<br /> Tickets are on sale now for June 28 - 30, 2024 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. <br /> <br /> 🎫<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsolidsoundfestival.com%2F&amp;h=AT05hiQo68nuz5k2Ea83h1wgLmwHARN14oaJLl0oECzEs3rdjm-zIBH3BjTi9Z7V3alTQhLfKmNJh8JOtulnpqOEdmiSrHPb0C6lIUoPOdJTm9HljxaKhzhGXvVm3LHQS1TDLRDkdxFbiOwSJgjaaUm0LkglAQyIA8swbA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">solidsoundfestival.com</a> <br /> <br /> See you in June!		Higher Ground		82337	https://facebook.com/highergroundmusic	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702972800		View Edit Delete
69461	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		324733450329003	1	3.1937850762292E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200341096280122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/n2ubobd0mpzo0eypph03lps0?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700807877	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404717549_318424714452186_7421900292482255241_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_Qj-go0e60AX_YWDCX&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCwtbtn2ZM2v9jgM2oyq27PERCxSL6iTlqZPjMRAc9YqQ&oe=6592F39B	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405623125_2564188933757531_9136352234522434470_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BKdrJ-kModoAX8riDTb&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfBmnaHLb-i1EcbA-jAYs89WYEFRKH12PCuP20kLqBvxGw&oe=6592EE99			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67222	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054164		67		858305856040763		2.5809983036598E+14		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951492540043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O'Neal y Joanna Moore. "He pasado por mucho", dijo Tatum....		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963157	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412365227_355615213720484_3900075498115094981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUEk-BE1_FgAX9gUwsd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD062exZWqV8qysh5eguaVHZmf_-xDn5tqMxuRKqswKGQ&oe=6591AC6B	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 años, está sufriendo actualmente de varias enfermedades después de años de ser maltratada y de hábitos mortales que aprendió de sus propios padres, el difunto Ryan O&#039;Neal y Joanna Moore. &quot;He pasado por mucho&quot;, dijo Tatum. Aquí hay más información sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68168	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		590738843194003	2	8.5982685230466E+14		1702368000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100662392307897		0	joannapegier.art			120202038665570431		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapegier.art		1702285392	1.006623923079E+14	joannapegier.art	https://scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/343572976_3489330761282565_5896789005078121418_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Hb_BVhIQewwAX9MQ14h&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBYs0e5SZ1L4_uKk_uwplYKG94XDw5Li-CBNGNfBdVDDQ&oe=6593108D	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Pęgier	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408152812_386380160494544_1403195698978583350_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g8l4dFwFf88AX9FvTnU&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCnWLdrYRnc2rRGLiGYQ8yVpTo1rQiiUoKMfm9DrC_JIQ&oe=6591673C			0	3	🇺🇸Greetings from Miami Beach 🇺🇸<br /> 😍 My latest artwork &quot;Scream&quot; from the series &quot;Into Myself&quot;, digital art technique, has qualified for one of the most important art events in the world! Art Week Miami Beach!<br /> <br /> 👉In my series of paintings &quot;Into Myself&quot;, I portray our bodies as sacred in moments of intimacy and honesty with ourselves.<br /> <br /> I am there only in spirit and represented by my work, showcased by a Swiss gallery - next time together😉😀<br /> ❗️Attention, I have tickets available if any of you happen to be in Miami, let me know. 😍😀!<br /> <br /> #artcurator #modernart #contemporaryart #abstraction #contemporaryartist #polishart #polishartist #exhibition #artforsale #malarstwopolskie #artgallery #artcollector #artweekmiamibeach #galeriasztukiwspółczesnej #galleryofart		joannapegier.art		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joannapegier.art	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68977	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054165		67		723691265923461		9.5288120640458E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119816401108725		0	Complete Day Magazine			120201294380230716		foodisinthehouse.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Los productores intentaron ocultar esto al público durante mucho tiempo, pero ahora, Joanna no solo rompió el silencio sobre su esposo, sino que también supimos lo que sucedió detrás de escena que terminó el programa.	Fixer Upper de HGTV es uno de los reality shows inmobiliarios más populares de todos los tiempos. Chip y Joanna Gaines se han vuelto súper famosos gracias a sus papeles en la presentación del programa súper popular y a las celebridades por derecho propio. Pero cuando su matrimonio comenzó a des...	https://foodisinthehouse.com/desarrollarse-verdad-j5-ext/		1701108972	1.1981640110872E+14	Complete Day Magazine	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404815982_726488308920395_7638508549787767222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i6RyMMbfKQIAX8n8yzy&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfByf7Mwkdsjzsd-cV_JBkrIgiD31wL2BSUB8eGYQpWOEA&oe=65917E79	person_profile	0					0	3	Fixer Upper&#039;s Dark Downers: Los secretos ocultos detrás del exitoso programa de televisión.		Complete Day Magazine		48	https://facebook.com/100092596243928	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66720	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054165		67		2441236126085058	1	2.6860788922775E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204697296780210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/817?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703499016	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414615265_1747402622435296_1579199041314409591_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ktg07MMLCmQAX_z8XNN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCIT9gTZP-kunnir9emrMJCUigzaWFaHSVNSHe2L5ptRw&oe=6592AB96	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414604822_1025343188699810_4965647101477199424_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MUv25mWF5ygAX9AW_Ir&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgkAvDXW48r0ONZII890D6f2f0Sj-sRCHHhl9PgYQxrQ&oe=65930068			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66768	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054165		67		3503382759901847	1	7.3919833809471E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1764424617183891		0	Flipping Bricks University			120203962936230640		Mortgageb4marriage.com	Shop now		NONE	video			http://Mortgageb4marriage.com/		1703451056	1.7644246171839E+15	Flipping Bricks University	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412737997_2228044670718762_786091656542814551_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rwJ8XOHMbN8AX_ulIiD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7qFA56-eHbjLmXLddYUFSomZnVOLBp_w-QpaB7XwW0g&oe=6592F11F	person_profile	0	ALEX E. EDWARDS	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412347025_661277689266304_1079494598876135049_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5jW87wHlKqwAX8aWd8E&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC4PGlUBYwJG_NutzfJqLlMngyH74HyMOgsIT9T1H4JCQ&oe=659321C7			0	3	Marry the woman you want your daughter to be and become the man you want your daughter to bring home. <br /> <br /> Marry the man you want your son to be and become the woman you want your son to bring home. <br /> <br /> Action speaks louder than words. Your kid will do what you do, not what you say.<br /> Lead by example because your children will follow in your footsteps. <br /> <br /> If you&#039;re looking for practical advice on how to improve your family&#039;s integrity, finances, and lifestyle, check out Mortgage Before Marriage. Get your copy today at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmortgageb4marriage.com%2F&amp;h=AT0M6CJTcz_lppj3Vu9KmXp_AGrqJck1OKEhzmxyrfkgJzSnH6_sJZiWM12x3mgDTQKC2j5peNFoCmJHPUFaxHDHA3-2cNagTer55SGnrzwcDv97QzmG13dev_RE-VFuWV6_SGTv9wkT97dERm4li7xUxZM" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">mortgageb4marriage.com.</a> #MortgageBeforeMarriage #FamilyFinance #LeadByExample #woman #womenownedbusiness #womenpowerment #womeninbusiness #womenshealth #realestateagentlifestyle #relationshipadvice		Flipping Bricks University		148	https://facebook.com/100063524592373	0		SHOP_NOW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
66989	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054165		67		202045076314910		1.4371639972232E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	91318443534		0	MCC Theater			6518629716192		mcctheater.org	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://mcctheater.org/tix/the-connector/#book?Social_Media&Meta_Display&THE_CONNECTOR		1703194230	91318443534	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412862302_1015628442846182_1957371494022051846_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NJk4WqI_WI0AX93b8zE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0esQELpZ2gjhaOTD98iGpgwzC4r4q43mQ3aEfEBvbjg&oe=6591D7C5	person_profile	0	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412696356_906579731126298_4516963537440482621_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OvVe50VSBbEAX-bVQrZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBEEuj4LnSitrLjATX-wezGjifaR28ECqSKkmf2Bys0ig&oe=65921BDB			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		MCC Theater		19795	https://facebook.com/mccnyc	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
70013	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054165		67		1428674591395398		1.3650113674381E+15		1700640000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120202808767760064		luxandlush.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://luxandlush.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628601	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403736297_174197099047783_2260136793612863499_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wrn0-kApDz4AX-Um_N0&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDgT-G_pwxBWUKwMtoq60otHLjf8YjmpLtBefCY9KEIpg&oe=65932F57	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68840	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054165		67		1805163423276160	1	6.6362238929275E+14		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201240371970123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701259552	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406696326_877063437487869_2054719618977234961_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RLSVJFmAIboAX-3I3tM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyEaNm_LVoFINsh9S1pGjIjFbsZq4oDdLmPGQ4y-X-Fw&oe=65915E26	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406652069_676660320933204_5655435774568001342_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8GntzR4ttGMAX834lYv&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDdRivjtclh3qkkPHXqzUcRS6RK0jtIFvkRl_GMt6hXpA&oe=65929C03			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67689	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		639775268122098	1	1.8633287341266E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1827269397536091		0	Lifepro			120202483559960133		lifeprofitness.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Boost Serotonin, Burn Fat & Detox 🤯	Sweat out toxins & heavy metals with our premium infrared sauna blanket. Rejuvenate your body & mind today.	https://lifeprofitness.com/products/bioremedy-infrared-sauna-blanket		1702549764	1.8272693975361E+15	Lifepro	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411200397_735982724620931_3108611031195595516_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EqehTfuZ9EIAX-5Bhu6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDtvFNLUjJsKRISI3yL2PElDzFfY3XKNeRBiAJrMHH92g&oe=6591BE25	person_profile	0	Lifepro | Wellness, Fitness, Recovery	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411174111_1407393376852932_2466372305342434123_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=czZlIpqwyCIAX8XaWqf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBzndQEYdOxzrDc62pF37P2j8ld9PnH-HXRmljPW7ms0w&oe=659201B5			0	3	Burn up to 600 calories with our BioRemedy Infrared Sauna Blanket! 🔥<br /> ✅ Boost detox and fat loss<br /> ✅ Slow signs of aging<br /> ✅ Reduce inflammation<br /> Feel the effects of our BioRemedy Infrared Sauna Blanket and better your quality of life today.		Lifepro		48473	https://facebook.com/lifeprousa	0		SHOP_NOW						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68183	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		283970614642136	2	6.7668274464497E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204870538330427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702210344	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409515072_1703857420124398_2271300200218405456_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Lw_Q17fFxWkAX9WbK2h&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBRshAg8mkKj6ALK69GRp9icGGclo9er0RxnUGd-vVrwg&oe=659234BF	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409902574_1355906835031049_3480484119005154995_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SRaYRZZxos0AX-Qs5p1&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBLszZgSj9M1f8JZ6ewSPvgSXs501SuDRhs6r1XazWLdg&oe=6591F1E6			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68333	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054165		67		714530180626455		3.6807866254761E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202409468350520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	37 Photos Of The Place Joanna Gaines Lives In With Her Partner	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702008110	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406754795_319849970814030_4249998885158149674_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z9nnMyESaGUAX_4ZBun&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzPXL1M6fc-LJ_2KaJhbS7g_flhuxyeWDqm9aefldVMA&oe=65932B89	person_profile	0					0	3	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68243	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054165		67		1279266349703200	6	1.7169165788042E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155242000476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094421	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406754805_2309723275890228_5495855896365724859_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yQOIbeycKhMAX-750fm&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDaAJ7GM_B3OGFP3BN4-Fyre6N5urpTuEIY7A0b3rgutg&oe=6592D072	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406824141_726428422692477_5695838167801331955_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hVzjTHSvcT4AX9slSpJ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDs1bdaHN8nhbyGeMJmsMODpFnVC6gVhVj9LS7DPfoWQQ&oe=659322AE			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
67786	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		378198814766652	4	7.013065186452E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548084609		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494400	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410639124_663701395967789_1873052319786749195_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JeYLWbM1xGsAX9ebaAU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDaaT13ge98QYLcpzqoRv27eoicPtoXFZ-54MsEOGC-Fg&oe=65927F24	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410669833_1592366088174698_3540121230921619589_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HDjhdbaqRXkAX_5FMUK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB3i2A26hhCyfYpqJv20oARETAy2sJTTYrULgEJmLQLFw&oe=6591C059			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66388	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054165		67		783718963564113	1	1.6894674149116E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	130264507048538		0	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store			120205095083120651		joannadahdah.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Joanna Dahdah's Tarbouche Charms	Discover More	https://joannadahdah.com/tarbouche/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}		1703252000	1.3026450704854E+14	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414006782_1049467969603852_2159117362442065663_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yrBlk2wGaHsAX9HsMsa&_nc_oc=AQnSyE0ViONUBqSWYAsCDRJvyym_PxhsChgK2JnYsqcgf-aRVZNkQ3j28gQIfhQDDFI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCWPTtTTLOXvg5ZMAUZR_YZamdZgCJ-WM7jePGzfFkNOQ&oe=659246A9	person_profile	0	JOANNA DAHDAH - Fine Jewellery	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413977391_888574156053789_3928843485742663179_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FA3CfSXcxmwAX_MxVMq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDJe2ZdwIZROqRaF5zlbRLkFGsCEVFAfcX9SL5vKMEQEg&oe=659174CF			0	3	🌟 Add a touch of timeless elegance to your holiday season with Joanna Dahdah&#039;s Tarbouche Charms Collection!		Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store		2428	https://facebook.com/joannadahdah	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
67702	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		663772695950901				1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108943524798123		0	Family & Pets			120203606882060707		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702473314	1.0894352479812E+14	Family & Pets	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409798083_370508155367896_1282192082233539870_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EENY1Y7tXHkAX8xeZSx&_nc_oc=AQn53qN-A4Jm-49udPiaygWtmXFje8RSt1HWXn3_B_UVpRHumZgL7hNQyEzLBdoofeI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDCM73kcEgeZCJjr8W2tf7tdNIV45wUgfaQWA4hrB3ehw&oe=6592F3F3	person_profile	0	Family and Pets	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409756621_3696673540657354_5631157214845726331_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IAhlW_YHewIAX992JRd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAUbgRACgjKPqrS5yBiNi2CmwWYLrv-rgcE71wuxwMWXw&oe=65926DA8			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Family & Pets		9640	https://facebook.com/FamilyandPetsMagazine	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68477	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054165		67		325154623655160	6	3.3839384883275E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201882177430476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856341	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406772759_280354034537377_3707629111183943197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=l8Z3n1Zd5H4AX9MptxZ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCYHsJbdpUzcNKwqHm_2tE7PqxdeIl0iMIGXZcXzZVG0w&oe=65930086	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406772368_326084377021140_6122905218859960577_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G_nmS7Ue3JkAX_wyFUv&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmufxxabZgpL4Ga5PAmhwKUTYFu8xoCiCOV6GT6d_z7g&oe=6592D034			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
67912	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		328562119952305	1	1.1392542008183E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411471860044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458276	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410729877_1032756504444658_142985976787177294_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Dnan7VFfgwAAX-00Ret&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBCPTmu2RFuvmHI4-CzFf50zsEadrTeB94Tle_tenYEpA&oe=65930D66	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410722994_889297919441282_2601534862225163019_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ElOey_nJ94EAX-To85F&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCf-21sBRfp-bNCKZjRJWilNr5gB_o0NfZiMR6KtteHwQ&oe=6591E3B9			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67749	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 5:28 AM	1703760164	1749637729		67		384361913970004	3	3.085052154829E+14		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410754282_352231440839723_2853545386772029049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h67bNGBt8dwAX82-TTi&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAV0IE2D_A11WTW6Er8QIrhkBvjXNJLV0QY7WuMgCz7oQ&oe=65918001	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
68198	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		872377534620906	1	8.9805479858063E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259872480476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180980	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409415332_2482541048600813_2220596155296607806_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9mDxtRhcy9QAX8Igi-Z&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBo7HwHKOo1FVM6a5GYUezQfRUutrnsSTJZopmyOV_4Xw&oe=659151CE	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409586259_892794372256027_7208084310774528573_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F1ADFxeS-LcAX8_Ej3K&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBY8AsYWGhPQQPBL2MHAsu4SF6XjHSxU-_6mX9hUECERw&oe=6591C22E			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68685	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054165		67		285023754006704	1	3.2095685412808E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200871747310773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Chasing Love: The Untouched Dream>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/jkbjam0gbh0sthbqrnksj02p?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701413667	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406757059_1650929288770099_6388247781623058401_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=prx6LpUkaeYAX9B2euK&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqeZB27135TYFH9mzeruJsMjpb2UWDXTju8BefVclyEg&oe=65932F28	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406428378_630109502666323_1544374102668484668_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WjwCToqwn34AX-79xva&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD5o5cx5EtSAADAFvT3SltYRwQH1TposV2xgBzKeW-iUw&oe=65930D5E			0	3	❤️‍🔥A car accident, at their engagement party, he decides to marry another woman. She throws the engagement ring he gifted her right back at him, wishing him never to regret his decisions. She assumed she could finally let go of everything and leave, but is pulled into a room by a stranger man. His hot breath ignites the room&#039;s temperature, &quot;Help me, I will take responsibility for you.&quot; After that night, a priceless ring is forcibly adorned on her ring finger.<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Chasing Love: The Untouched Dream&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
67510	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		381465321056660	2	8.9130955916893E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011748020506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636971	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411480235_672388051631386_8813377203693408339_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c4TfhARwNHUAX_WwW7N&_nc_oc=AQlqOLdc8XxcrLQEsZMM3XDzQayVFtWS2oBpR9SoBsIpyNlkadzeR41EqfWbgd9hzKs&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjYn79K-TB68da1UZ3QIPgYV6uXzTbdsBDlZB4JfORpg&oe=6591888F	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410122293_870156414561373_7803393444665979625_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e3cy-Xm0M8IAX9WDbvQ&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6uVfX89VWfs3_ki12CRiEzNqLxGPz4RV0HVDrPSQB8Q&oe=65922118			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68509	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054165		67		1695405974302978	1	8.8794610606187E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104524871533020		0	Motivo Scar Care			120201961781600382		motivoscarcare.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Get Rid Of Your C-Section Scar For Just $25.99!	Elevate Your Skin's Renewal with Premium Scar Care Products. Discover our exclusive range of advanced solutions, specially crafted to diminish scars, nourish your skin, and restore its natural beauty. Unlock the secret to confident, scar-free skin with Motivo's premium offerings. Shop now for transf...	https://www.motivoscarcare.com/		1701798720	1.0452487153302E+14	Motivo Scar Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405467668_634544058662152_6503397506804504367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kVcloVS6Q4QAX9PD0AM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAZpegm4z3celvX5b5LbVmpt13NewKt9EXncVp6ELefEg&oe=65931840	person_profile	0	Motivo Scar Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405477650_1560902998010674_5008299949655367404_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S_kUR_Lk0JIAX8HOx3t&_nc_oc=AQlqEPgUbBE2UwBT-9JPPc3UFSMj3YdxIlSEZVsghsOL_gqhHBEBFUcDQtkcifa4EjA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHiiWjAh0oyoqMMAnDmepQKEXtddfrNTgQoiDepOa0GA&oe=6591AEFC			0	3	From the Challenges of a C-section to the Rewarding Moments of Motherhood. Motivo Scar Care understands the pain and joy that come with this unique experience. <br /> <br /> Our Premium Products are here to help heal and nurture your C-section scar. Because every scar tells a beautiful story. Choose Motivo Scar Care for a scar that reflects your strength and resilience.<br /> <br /> Start Your Healing Journey Today, Visit Us At <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.motivoscarcare.com%2F&amp;h=AT1MnSedUEmdYoj0a34B6_sptCzafYnx9B_NXVSKziDRRS9secYhijyMyGwVeeh5-TZBgPI6DclndkNoeM58PrsNs0EBywwnCO-rHd1D2skLancQVDr_6iV-q33jzwLh2FfOHOsRy9k0DCyrDK7LAg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.motivoscarcare.com</a>		Motivo Scar Care		208	https://facebook.com/MotivoScarCare	0		SHOP_NOW						1701763200		View Edit Delete
68799	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054165		67		1035288317707614	1	1.4238229550135E+15		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108626568688702		0	Diana Stevan			120201947267880512		dianastevan.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Author Diana Stevan writes novels about relationships, love and family.	Official site of Canadian Author Diana Stevan, whose books cross genres. She blogs about writing, books, love, family, and relationships.	http://www.dianastevan.com/		1701302792	1.086265686887E+14	Diana Stevan	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406228079_657452549882380_418231487016585413_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nUYg33VttRgAX_4vXdk&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCkLo6V4yKaRf7WuSV-vIcUefkRiHZW036X5sannCbc8A&oe=65929CB6	person_profile	0	Diana Stevan	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406234951_677525967800924_8678324609042770177_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zTibKuKtu9YAX-v4cd3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCW1LHHf41eXh_rrAwAJjE5TDJea-a6H3qC_yzE_Uc98Q&oe=65916B6E			0	3	Written by a former family therapist, a story of love and betrayal, of heartache and hope, featuring three troubled women on a psychiatric ward. <br /> <br /> Dr. Joanna Bereza risks her career and the love of her life when she tries to stop an arrogant psychiatrist from shocking her patients. <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3r3jIkQ&amp;h=AT1mNR7e4AKbdOqIQnl1R9FWG1Qne6TdvBKJuxcX-pZT7Nedv5ncql8RQ9De7qMijRPnBfXxghQXx4moD0ge7V-EfNvmjKA_JfpH0fITLwYxblAH08tQv4KLBvQdB-TFlaNLRSsQ43RY0zOggj5dgg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://amzn.to/3r3jIkQ</a>		Diana Stevan		176	https://facebook.com/diana.stevan	0		SHOP_NOW						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67288	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054165		67		1325927385471712		1.7640580406882E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX-tleQa&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoF8zn4N5YcU0EVpq_VM3OmgaJTRo9jqLbMijbAyE_tw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
70094	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054165		67		213686128346938	1	1.0773242934381E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201626252340439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700552206	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402990558_888800099499373_940260331430496687_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5TMhxTFysKIAX9_H40q&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAkqOtpaqrRcb6SEQnddtSIqG82SGcHHatzPSo8NJ_nQA&oe=65928AD2	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402933472_1965353353844350_7414213222143967287_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oJyCoX9iSjEAX_-A2vW&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDdk1Em50RsvN-rpxGwAT60T03GbQZltDu8zwNTXhVlyA&oe=659337B2			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67280	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/26/25, 5:42 AM	1703760162	1745664171		67		895624972103392		1.7640580406882E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX-tleQa&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoF8zn4N5YcU0EVpq_VM3OmgaJTRo9jqLbMijbAyE_tw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67763	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760164	1742988619		67		716795677060173	5	1.3989916943323E+15		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409937154_3524494957763200_342375175847605232_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2t2zVUsWlvsAX962X8s&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC0D9wKYfrSBXWce04b5nuQWPnTCuglLi3GgbyyaTKbvQ&oe=65924822	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
67792	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760165	1742988630		67		1070308977457427		5.891996700146E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548023609		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494395	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410776859_278743451419808_943957753840850983_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HMxQ5Uh9R9MAX-l00Ei&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBYnUZNFlHWmr48NPjHSQoWkyc07mjiqFuvApzn5sy0zQ&oe=6592B281	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410784908_1103829064314564_7068715022472681283_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LvVTijNdV2cAX9xCtuq&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfARJPaYV0zEy1o4wG4t6DkFcyIiczLqOdFb0xCPRXFvQg&oe=65931493			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66990	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760160	1742988498		67		344585584991418		1.4371639972232E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	91318443534		0	MCC Theater			6518629721992		mcctheater.org	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://mcctheater.org/tix/the-connector/#book?Social_Media&Meta_Display&THE_CONNECTOR		1703194229	91318443534	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412955772_320361677580858_8857895091355041754_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cgRjORgJA1sAX-p0wxD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC4DBUxhKEyNT5YCSQoimit-BOlldhUUAUJO5F4oNXVIg&oe=65916B9E	person_profile	0	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412974440_7125760997480593_6436692995205934410_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LvAUez5U05AAX_NTsKS&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDlIX45Z4MsI8Q0Nqdgn5C9bCeFwc3nejq65qsznEa-rw&oe=6591905B			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		MCC Theater		19795	https://facebook.com/mccnyc	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67032	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760160	1742988503		67		859271499318214		2.8484499086294E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202910132900160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703138524	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412695517_345059458268105_8680436020744101224_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5BKIsJR9xk8AX-Bwhdg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-mETTFOhX2v0jjgf6zqTJ4jFXKvcD6209KXFug1UzVA&oe=65929473	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66552	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/3/25, 3:30 AM	1703760158	1751531427		67		1484395745742680	1	7.2541671925825E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120201972488060590		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	click and read more		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703664072	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415003855_1064201991570986_3992671460560665121_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1wqP9wUkYKcAX_ElMoe&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2K0kMEWGn6jDrR0gt2lZAZX4GnrHYWhX-ualrg9vgNw&oe=6591FDB6	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414997732_189317050874006_7881418516059271114_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vSUWVjQFaO4AX8vQ8GX&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjiK0ctbPzLIbfwmphHvt9d6b-dNRkePnRNJ65Z1t-cQ&oe=6592D144			0	3	It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna unconcious. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She stole her brother-in-law from her sister six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68149	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760167	1742988712		67		1017712759308299	1	8.7341269447679E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498181110278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287792	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409533939_711165974439625_6347242218013050349_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HoTUIZzKHPIAX_K1HIt&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCZ7FVIKmXVmlqiWiNL6pkIghvZePQOqlx8DVFRyM9hFQ&oe=6591AAFF	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409646761_1746319202506986_7893180921152640607_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rNzwcEWfVN4AX_s1I2E&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHNFzGX_tSVS59Vtlc4qq4v-Z1BfM3p2POt2NdcZrrDw&oe=6592A16C			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68240	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054165		67		1014699779759112	1	1.3389987833941E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155245990476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094661	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408797473_3152658535042194_4833859309080543615_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QXzwPo4jqO4AX_QXifd&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDq-KznqCMR0GYHt5_9qiouBvfwGjziwFG1MHv5zcHTWg&oe=659195FC	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408880893_334317096003431_2686725523859032184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QYlWZgZthwYAX8dgnnL&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfARBmyXhn4XFTqnCg2ZWohahcVeAEBbl9voq5GgjpBp8w&oe=6592987C			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68601	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760171	1742988794		67		178297528641069	3	7.1898332648333E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103687719211673		0	Science A2Z Español			120202285903870275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667599	1.0368771921167E+14	Science A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407643402_247045254851234_1405510184421906957_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xv7XScThwwwAX_fc24C&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDHj8DqJnaksPPDGJoOU-phBFmEYuGTJ91h-Fbgy6zIDw&oe=65916CB9	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Science A2Z Español		349	https://facebook.com/sciencea2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
67298	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/4/24, 2:31 PM	1703760162	1725478303		67		324086443807288	1	2.3496609319099E+15		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104322899043045		0	Sukur entertainment			120202972374050549		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	You know how sometimes a cartoon perfectly captures a complicated feeling? That's exactly what these talented female comic artists do. We found them all on Instagram, and they immediately made us hit the Follow Button. Take the Illustrator of Curves, who celebrates the diversity of women's bodies, J...	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1702932147	1.0432289904304E+14	Sukur entertainment	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412374718_690466559897163_5061075314645227623_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1QMoguDtfRwAX-ucrlz&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbjZx1DGusbjJ-C1IcFIo09E3tqEPigIvfJMYLtC39wg&oe=65924473	person_profile	0	Sukur entertainment	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412377620_1353840528607896_3041939235737682208_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hkwHwpWHmWsAX8q005J&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBVOAL2hoCrlouL5DoX5i4OdRG98337KPDCDj-Vfo6bJQ&oe=6591C830			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Sukur entertainment		75	https://facebook.com/100083816873781	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68531	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/17/24, 2:49 PM	1703760170	1726602553		67		190180930840061	2	3.0279269924299E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	250649795610429		0	Dermal Repair Complex			120202142340550412		rebrand.ly	Learn more		NONE	video	"Its Like Someone Hit PAUSE On My Aging"		https://rebrand.ly/dqj5si7		1701738677	2.5064979561043E+14	Dermal Repair Complex	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406499355_362561799701028_5070674461475685557_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pzT8odkkUk0AX9abv7p&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBUmeEocoQiIvL8_QB1RDMC4fZGr-8vFtHHrPAFGii07w&oe=65925271	person_profile	0	Beverly Hills MD	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406521110_1100530771308967_7880731546348673674_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i-W1d2JIZMIAX8GcMUh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAsm3IPBcRQ8NVKRh_Xx6ALxn6UI35CfweW9tdpaV0Wkw&oe=659178E9			0	3	As a skin doctor, I’ll let you in on a little secret 😱 <br /> <br /> Botox is not the only answer for deep wrinkles or saggy skin.<br /> <br /> You can unlock the same benefits from home by adding one thing to your <br /> skincare routine<br /> <br /> Let me explain 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Frebrand.ly%2Fdqj5si7&amp;h=AT34q6E6NCi3cXR_5RDKTrTNwN8_Yuru6KcpXmM0_INWWEZFGQsSUD_VZM-QNDlWKTlOV2SO5PV1z0QwArQtPj_hXJVC9p8Wv1b1KeqLhWgDAYXt7SZAezwET4sYyzCOAJfPdtCqAcDAvaf5xoArjhe38foGfD9sMRPsoPuqeEM" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://rebrand.ly/dqj5si7</a>		Dermal Repair Complex		60814	https://facebook.com/DRCxMD	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
67017	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/17/24, 3:58 PM	1703760160	1726606724		67		377935401436479	1	1.2910448781481E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1579299099010098		0	Forest Hill Presbyterian Church			6541042581959			Send message		NONE	video	WalkDevo#720 - Luke 24 Devotional.mp4				1703160477	1.5792990990101E+15	Forest Hill Presbyterian Church	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412294500_7498069196921829_4212027996760745940_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jifaEp4NEMgAX91pa4f&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBCZh3nakKscrIUZQE-Kkx64al3th-gjZVW7mSOQa9efQ&oe=65920C46	person_profile	0	Forest Hill Presbyterian Churc	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412729548_222515670890919_5299554045618933159_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ys4K_s-a0FwAX9_UXsQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDikICjJmwwalI90r3-W3vOBYcOEcsx863PBxhsx2Q1PQ&oe=6592C10C			0	3	The Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation for our eternal hope! As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, consider the impact His resurrection makes! <br /> <br /> Luke 24 Devotional - Day #720 of our three-year journey through the Bible. <br /> <br /> More about our church: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foresthillpca.org%2F&amp;h=AT3OIQdlZ6ejR6uACJ3gGa9B18KOwVABdp5_VUwiTnmjGN__iUhqcVYsrrfXQBD8H3NYzpDYhnFt6tanszDfZ_2k3ntJWIz1LASaMTl0fK38MG6CLtCXEkjFi4uXyUn2A0y_79fL4Eo_7DSa_edr_Q" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">http://www.foresthillpca.org/</a> <br /> <br /> Acoustic Guitar by Josh Snodgrass: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fc%2FJoshSnodgrassGuitar&amp;h=AT0pua0dGbbaphZhx6H5qkB-VkgyvXJa8gjG3uPOBjalyx3g-GKlmuRiV5WRrqnCP2MCK9RsFYW0iB9Xjq221gdhVh46ZodNWncqoAPevLtA3mDk743ePxcE0gz1Qz_d2BWU2nLNKil_57Bb4J2CSA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.youtube.com/c/JoshSnodgrassGuitar</a>		Forest Hill Presbyterian Church		1085	https://facebook.com/foresthillpca	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67382	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/17/25, 8:03 PM	1703760162	1747530185		67		231558683219543	1	3.4709631031621E+15		1694415600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23859211149290562		https://joannagrabska.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	🟠Jak zadziała Uwolniona Do Miłości dla Ciebie?	Dla kobiet, które miłości kiedykolwiek bolała. Zupełna Nowość  "U-WOLNIONA DO MIŁOŚCI"Bo dobra miłość zaczyna się w Twoich wewnętrznych emocjach.Uwolnij się raz na zawsze od uwięzionych emocji  tęsknoty, goryczy, bólu, żalu, rozczarowania, natrętnych&nbsp...	https://joannagrabska.pl/		1694332617	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/376021730_682090310156122_229353354574402066_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qwMQ6pSV2W0AX9nLaas&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDU4qV0u6QQb8IS2PpzODAz3H6A_5p13DwwtLEufkmDBw&oe=6591ECD5	person_profile	0					0	3	🟠 Co oddziela Cię i blokuje dostęp do dobrej miłości? <br /> Bo dobra miłość zaczyna się....<br /> <br /> w Twoich wewnętrznych emocjach.<br /> <br /> Ale o co dokładnie chodzi?<br /> O Twoje uwięzione emocje.<br /> Te w relacjach.<br /> <br /> Codziennie to słyszę, codziennie widzę w Waszych komentarzach. <br /> <br /> • TĘSKNOTA<br /> • NAWRACAJĄCE MYŚLI O NIM CAŁY CZAS<br /> • ZŁOŚĆ<br /> • DEZORIENTACJA<br /> • BEZRADNOŚĆ<br /> • BÓL<br /> • GORYCZ<br /> <br /> Nazwij to co sama czujesz.<br /> <br /> W trakcie relacji.<br /> po zakończeniu. <br /> Cały czas.<br /> <br /> 🟠<br /> <br /> A wiesz co jest &quot;gorszego” w tym odczuwaniu niż same bolesne emocje?<br /> <br /> # To, że blokują Ci dostęp do bycia kochaną, szanowaną, atrakcyjną przez dłuższy czas. <br /> <br /> # To, że cała Twoja uwaga i energia idzie na zajmowanie się tym wszystkim.<br /> <br /> # To, że słabniesz i nikniesz w oczach.<br /> <br /> # A im bardziej jesteś utopiona w tych emocjach, tym trudniej Ci się uzdrowić.<br /> <br /> Bo już przywykłaś do tego stanu.<br /> <br /> Bo znasz to , przez co &quot;paradoksalnie twoja podświadomość czuje się bezpiecznie&quot;. <br /> <br /> Bo nie widzisz wyjścia z tej sytuacji.<br /> <br /> Bo nie wiesz, czego dokładnie chcesz w zamian.<br /> <br /> Bo przez to zatopienie w trudnych emocjach nie czujesz swojej kobiecej mocy, piękna, miłości w sobie. <br /> <br /> 🟠<br /> <br /> Ale to nie musi trwać wiecznie. <br /> Tylko, to co jest do zrobienia po twojej stronie to <br /> DECYZJA że chcesz już inaczej. <br /> <br /> Jeśli: <br /> 1. Jesteś po rozstaniu, ale ból, tęsknota, natrętne myśli o nim są Twoim udziałem.<br /> 2. Jesteś w tej relacji, czujesz, że powinnaś to zakończyć, ale nie robisz tego.<br /> 3. Jesteś w cyklu rozstanie-powroty-rozstanie.<br /> 4. Niby jesteście osobno, ale co jakiś czas spotykacie się, ale dalej nic się nie dzieje.<br /> 5. Jesteś zaangażowana, a on nie określa się, co dalej. Unika tematu.<br /> 6. Czujesz, że dajesz z siebie więcej w tej relacji.<br /> 7. To, co czujesz przez większość czasu?<br /> Ból, tęsknotę, gorycz, złość, bezsilność, odrzucenie, lęk?<br /> <br /> Formuła <br /> <br /> 5 U - UJRZYSZ, USZANUJ, UWOLNIJ, UKIERUNKUJ, UGRUNTUJ, <br /> czyli uwolnij uwięzione emocje do miłości, której jesteś warta. <br /> <br /> SPRAWDŹ <br /> Tutaj:<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fjoannagrabska.pl%2F&amp;h=AT0x6jy-AOlZg4CMOvraSNdyzbg_zi-R105dPhPcVDcKC50ZmgaClbFA9hOZxbqodx0Fv6xoZ5SFjQvqnuHZ7kZ4MSHxcsNDFb-FUm6zSlk46jB7fxWagOiNNiGz0-8dhGl9GzYhknG-Afy1-KSJJkHxF6c" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://joannagrabska.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694329200		View Edit Delete
66524	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054165		67		383752230813802	1	1.0611147982627E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361675130579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657253	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415218920_3636877703227792_7978301216359368591_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JWDqvi0PlFMAX81aQNG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD5bTmvmribcirWIrV_ad4SIvG3N706Mp5_Gq6MRqXL3A&oe=659153BB	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415215488_275522975513821_6318052259927618021_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D-__p8y4utMAX-pKtxJ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD7dn7VvUKqPowO8dyNP_OLdkSwipbGMu084fFvol1WnA&oe=65921118			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
69283	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/9/25, 6:38 PM	1703760175	1746833894		67		359786343304568	1	8.8474007637601E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632192620115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796936	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405759428_304732045856402_1439801075976731253_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GtgB9xrWdDwAX94cJfi&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCSoNZJLSm7IV3Mo4eCVIItLnOp2YVlytBWlHAfBwYg-A&oe=659270FE	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405092236_364856099253940_3742352005342216588_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9oVI-SZsMDcAX_93fp-&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCnoa7CCo0J8HyLvnL2lJW-oInzmb7pYdE6aapZpvd_Eg&oe=6593372D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67929	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		929764845390439	1	2.0475378556234E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411462240044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458224	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410798793_364514356127995_6023408150840240252_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dIxXuxpvpeoAX-DOqJO&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAqvvzFNgirhlEBav1GY53dMFgsm5dE9tS6dTiWWEKzbA&oe=65921076	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410507940_320719434127907_2312588346557258996_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lDThjrbxN5wAX9UmcEh&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfB_7aMbSryjeMC1EGSOss710anRb70o4GS-ZjrDhN1Obw&oe=6591B7A8			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67949	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/21/25, 2:53 AM	1703760166	1747813989		67		714620643964050	1	8.5231254992804E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434458040465		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447453	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410782863_3460028467570174_4155585185709017371_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UzGWNKHQOQcAX9ddTiU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDMM3uDFQoSV1aA1EvHOY05AtTY2AtY433NO_hunzl9cQ&oe=65917EA1	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410795177_3783891231846721_1911942128729633936_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1zJGxReUHmEAX-saj3k&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCYXWMqDpDB_-TyzhCtiCzXtUhPBbvxu7dU_wDZ3kY2lQ&oe=6591BEB4			0	3	🔞🔥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66626	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/17/24, 11:38 PM	1703760158	1726634313		67		1731614394001344	1	2.0412590269107E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204137178560102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1703580770	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413889425_1118656489208306_6739496186945168491_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N7Nmey0_YKEAX8fTZ7m&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAzshfqJOKorQO8P4VJzfIIlYGYaIBASMPkSUcWfiehVQ&oe=6591D6E9	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412695540_6674384146023143_2701839081768473561_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QCshjgjtiO0AX-iEXqs&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCFNAzelglnc-uydke8X8BJOCrN7mMbLzBlnJb4TLtEeQ&oe=65926606			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4993	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68816	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/18/24, 12:43 AM	1703760172	1726638234		67		760779362623160	1	6.6291323601784E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203115909990294		dreame.onelink.me	Download		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		https://m.dreame.com/novel/1800871680?auto_jump=true&utm_source=facebook_ads&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&af_prt=risingtechnolog&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701257139	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405372357_1384637925510372_1614277024927543971_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OroLH6vEERoAX-2QhBH&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAH_CGKpl_umKh2wEBL7P2dQji1E9WK767ailqRy2S6oA&oe=65916E7F	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405222696_1528635891292036_3420862368355239083_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pNptyK7I0m4AX_8aWKt&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrLTID6F2ExhuU6cXNZDYK6CGikuNbHQZHAkH11udxRA&oe=6591F29E			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
66434	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/5/24, 4:13 PM	1703760157	1725570838		67		147454865083647		1.1621258614114E+15		1694415600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23859053005670562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości	Dla kobiet kochających, czułych, z sercem, dających z siebie za dużo które powtarzają te same niechciane historie w relacjach ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI Natychmiastowy i trwały sposób, aby ODKRYĆ I NA ZAWSZE POZBYĆ SIĘ bolesnych, trudnych, nieuświadomionych wzorców i schematów, ...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1694111919	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/376747118_3369985706665473_2680235884606967382_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NCHUzAfg45AAX_FeK3g&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBFd5yB3oef7kn7knfEHrraRkSwWD57U2kx33DMSS991A&oe=6592B011	person_profile	0					0	3	❤Jak rozpoznasz kiedy KOBIETA daje z siebie za dużo w relacji i brakuje jej miłości do siebie?<br /> Poznasz PO ZACHOWANIACH:<br /> <br /> 1. Z sercem i czująca dopasowuje swój czas i plany do jego preferencji.<br /> <br /> A te preferencje to często inne rzeczy ważniejsze niż ona.<br /> Ona, na ostatnim miejscu w kolejce.<br /> <br /> 2. Godzi się na jego zachowania, które są dla niej w rezultacie bolesne.<br /> I nie pasują jej do końca.<br /> <br /> Ale robi to, bo ma po prostu uczucia, zależy jej, chce dobrze.<br /> Do tego usprawiedliwia je, uzasadnia, aż kipi empatią. <br /> SWOIM KOSZTEM. W jej wyniku bardziej cierpi, czuje się wydrenowana z energii, zamiast spełniona i kochana. <br /> <br /> 3. Wydziera zdrowe i dobre zachowania prawie siłą.<br /> <br /> Czuje się, jakby stąpała po ruchomych piaskach.<br /> Im bardziej chce coś opanować, doprowadzić do normy, tym bardziej się zapada.<br /> <br /> 4. W większości ona bardziej chce, organizuje, myśli, wkłada wysiłek.<br /> <br /> A on bierze. Przyjmuje. Korzysta.<br /> <br /> 5. Świetnie potrafi go zrozumieć , dlaczego ON czegoś nie może, współczuje mu, ale siebie w tym nie widzi.<br /> A on nie podejmuje wyzwań, osiada na &quot;laurach” i nic nie zmienia w sobie. <br /> <br /> 6. A do tego myśli o sobie “co ze mną jest nie tak “i stara się zmieniać,<br /> aby On ją chciał.<br /> <br /> 7. Tłumi swoje emocje, kiedy dociera do niej, że coś tu nie gra. Nie mówi wprost, co jej nie odpowiada. <br /> <br /> Czasem dlatego, że obawia się utraty tego co jest, czasem dlatego, że obawia się , że swoje oczekiwania uważa “ za zbyt… wygórowane, nierzeczywiste…<br /> <br /> 8. Analizuje co on mówi, przywiązuje się do słów. A nie widzi przepaści pomiędzy słowem a czynem. <br /> <br /> Robisz tak? <br /> Twoja to wina? <br /> Nie. <br /> I możesz to w sobie zrównoważyć, bez lęku, że wszystko co dobre będzie stracone. <br /> Zacznij tutaj, jeśli tego nie zrobiłaś. <br /> Dołącz do mini kursu z maxi efektami ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI. <br /> <br /> Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT097LsDHbc57x7S_-vH0_DQLSpOy1SS2pyxzGF2Y5DSDI96aOrDRZ5jMEKamydwuaq5nQOptL3Hc5zIBgpuAQ6ugfc0wKD0bITUK4zIqbDc7ZRqfdhZXLnmwH-NfWiiUNuAUy8wI5U0OjzH0VcY7A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694156400		View Edit Delete
67605	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/17/24, 8:51 AM	1703760164	1729173085		67		758649866103964				1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101538409405008		0	Savvy Saver			120204553640700170		savvydime.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.savvydime.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702565490	1.0153840940501E+14	Savvy Saver	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410640854_3648399362040771_4374012357822754338_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HfOANPvkQ9QAX-m-KFV&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrUe112GlbajQNXZcudTQPVxZoAeiO9-uTYArN-hyOSw&oe=6592B1E9	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Savvy Saver		1066	https://facebook.com/100086035737104	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66496	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054165		67		1277571652940177	1	1.3953490047335E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868934450268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_1497B5B75D743EBE80025E7DFE8BF324_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699162	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414159413_892642152169302_6883010391392222320_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UJPzjfqdORgAX_lsWsO&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDElw51KTfu2lrd5jF3ngmklG-mtXLQ7LZfSu1pdP_g6A&oe=65930CC9	person_profile	0					0	3	He’s on a self-imposed celibacy vow. She&#039;s sworn off jocks forever. When Knox and Joanna cross paths, their unexpected chemistry ignites a romance they never saw coming		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68613	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054165		67		1103771454137962		1.5123013262127E+15		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202284846370275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666334	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407961813_1769768056796972_5471958027358502366_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JN3bppTPQmgAX9mchZ5&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBFwwOGwuwExggfckqryMWOtSnZfgLFTFZE494RfbHAfg&oe=6591F990	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
67621	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/18/24, 10:46 AM	1703760164	1726674379		67		1467634103961407	1	2.5345389752251E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102643112351705		0	Modern Families			120202325428330088		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Renovation Revelations: Former “Fixer Upper” Clients Tell All About Their Experience On The Show By: Lilli Keeve | Last updated: Aug 31, 2022 Originally Published on trendymatter.com and repurposed with permissions During its run from 2013 to 2018, the hit renovation reality show “Fixer Upper....	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702555536	1.0264311235170E+14	Modern Families	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409789516_889299389370097_5030170053145137122_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x0l7yCiQfwEAX-hiMs3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwyJJ4FwkP5f63FhX8zWYcgyH4Bkt2gc9JoxHDWM_AAA&oe=65918FF8	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Modern Families		6247	https://facebook.com/100078199183097	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68615	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054165		67		366188405963265	7	7.6711392198264E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202285784080275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667414	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408127834_866251651706615_2411937599000333263_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_WqEaln8hNkAX-i1Ho2&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrvf0cY-DgBnIQDVBdTr7r6UY9g-j5d4an2omecjnagg&oe=6591F85F	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
66598	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054165		67		200283889833912	1	7.518273700965E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	198290303365335		0	Once Upon O'Clock			6529463643663			No button		NONE	image	Once Upon O'Clock	Follow the making of a short animation that touches hearts and wins an Oscar (💛 from Jo)	https://facebook.com/61554571122948		1703594842	1.9829030336534E+14	Once Upon O'Clock	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414859919_1408427296429520_2149359064760789143_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XZWXTAnNlUMAX8q2YVk&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfArq53TucKVB7jY-quAJyK8l7ZIgTNEQ4XhXBYVp6dt4w&oe=65928AEC	person_profile	0	Once Upon O'Clock	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412790190_1031222227966447_8356701228377282415_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vg3CTfPT6ZwAX-7QtA5&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC43OBv1OkDaDhXXYR_lM8k2cPByvb4ZYNq0jMw7FIl1g&oe=6592A2A9			0	3	Merry GIVEAWAY. WIN A PRICELESS COMMISSION<br /> ❤️🧡💛<br /> It&#039;s this magical time of the year...<br /> <br /> Once Upon O&#039;Clock is a story about a special bond between little Susie and her grandpa (as in the illustration above). <br /> <br /> You can win a digital drawing of you (or anyone you choose) and your loved one (whoever it might be for you) in the style of our film illustrations.<br /> <br /> The artist behind -Jo Korus &#064;joanna_korus never does commissions so this is a UNIQUE opportunity. Might not happen again :)<br /> <br /> PLEASE NOTE - there will be one winner for both INSTAGRAM &amp; FACEBOOK<br /> <br /> To enter:<br /> Like this post<br /> Follow &#064;onceuponoclock - Instagram or facebook account<br /> Tag a friend in a comment in this post<br /> <br /> SHARE ON YOUR STORIES FOR AN ADDITIONAL ENTRY.<br /> <br /> 🎄😘🎅<br /> <br /> Each comment counts as one entry.<br /> Giveaway ends Saturday 30.12.2023 23:59 and the winner will be announced on our stories on Sunday 31.12.2023<br /> <br /> Good luck! ❤️🧡💛<br /> <br /> #christmasgiveaway #giveaway #competition #illustration #illustrationart #2dart #digitalart #whiterabbit #winterillustration #inspiration #motivation #findinspiration #ilustracjapolska #ilustracja #art #sztuka #artstagram #art #artwork #artoftheday #grafika #rysunek #cozychristmaschallenge23 #snowglobeartchallenge23 #cutecharacter		Once Upon O'Clock		12	https://facebook.com/61554571122948	0		NO_BUTTON						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68267	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054165		67		895922125467378	2	1.2974651443052E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672563920427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030405	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409160093_1826802174420796_1796006043817436985_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ClDoQyk73BcAX_2Whp3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB_CLhxKmImM-tI7Zn2PF5s-lSw1SaHg08hBmsxWzrChw&oe=65925585	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409178417_836443838229838_6833533936563503704_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=64GbfZ_dEKgAX9Cjy8Z&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBNU_1cvsiO-k4aSJvSpSOsz_0lJ1zDhIBteBlr5RvRTg&oe=65923C7E			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69847	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/5/24, 10:14 AM	1703760178	1725549246		67		6906959732684441	5	1.4784743894358E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721418430167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679704	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404571232_367729272457304_8979649860983857110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KVAQO10cB04AX_1aa7y&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfChgY5T53ZJyxM7tdqt35fmApdfwB5Epqjz5dJg3XC7bA&oe=6592A273	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69695	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/5/24, 9:36 AM	1703760177	1725546974		67		688629506741743	5	1.3699666969605E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201778998720250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677962	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404501919_1399764947592984_5324204061772205548_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c9ePsZcglVUAX_RkGnx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMMHPPRSwiu-eRQJkSvJtFauJPeTpGvzTLMvmbppdycA&oe=65933ED7	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69813	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/5/24, 10:51 AM	1703760178	1725551463		67		1494619837995425	5	6.8579776031172E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779358230250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678748	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404275079_681458767299748_350875266989297425_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AsM-FRsshBQAX_Ji0Yc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvQUyxilXExMGI8EevgLrmfJY93kK1xKAHfRSi3xlQZQ&oe=6592CBFC	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67850	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 10:19 AM	1703760165	1747581571		67		392442759777217	1	2.0965689206934E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509786860308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462547	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409730129_769852701643573_8360618740043106293_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nwi2ZplqhWQAX9giKDG&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvv-mcyV5WPGv2XZwHqOKLrx1w2XZ0WUyizhmqD5yRoA&oe=6591DBFB	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409436703_964687211942985_8781749959386896166_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E3FRi7iz9y0AX_hqJ1w&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfATJOTCPiXa_-U8pPzgcjzOH2cODcpOBqedDqjqcW1IKA&oe=65926D76			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66651	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 3:51 PM	1703760158	1747601479		67		277026182029869		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204766592910062		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703571454	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414694428_1157918918507539_7063864139759919613_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZnfY7JmjwfYAX96bg1q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAshQxHSVsRwT2_7dguZCWpyUfuzHQKKejMxYxN_s0dUQ&oe=6592ECCD	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414692220_1084246382841323_1624898836958271752_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wUUYI8x52VMAX_g3PQu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNhmsQcDpU5rX1QTYUKd31iCBSezUsnGYMuQyeeE-d3A&oe=65917F28			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67569	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/26/25, 1:22 PM	1703760164	1745691759		67		330125556535286	2	1.5846127886106E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205062527020729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702608742	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411313212_867264811855810_1850590441141240379_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3WCikWvrDpEAX9y30J_&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCf2qkCExOG8xt1-ckg3_oi_PPnYSMtkMJhHB2DtxgRvA&oe=65920AA1	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411171394_608784084670129_6080402022244365530_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x9pBrErB9tYAX9EREZm&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCVPeEmVDYpybN2kPtPCc8ucg-DjgTPxNJBLNaVN6q-zQ&oe=65928EBA			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66432	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/26/25, 1:22 PM	1703760157	1745691776		67		3616073901961519	2	1.1621258614114E+15		1694415600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23859053005670562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości	Dla kobiet kochających, czułych, z sercem, dających z siebie za dużo które powtarzają te same niechciane historie w relacjach ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI Natychmiastowy i trwały sposób, aby ODKRYĆ I NA ZAWSZE POZBYĆ SIĘ bolesnych, trudnych, nieuświadomionych wzorców i schematów, ...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1694111919	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/376747118_3369985706665473_2680235884606967382_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NCHUzAfg45AAX_FeK3g&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBFd5yB3oef7kn7knfEHrraRkSwWD57U2kx33DMSS991A&oe=6592B011	person_profile	0					0	3	❤Jak rozpoznasz kiedy KOBIETA daje z siebie za dużo w relacji i brakuje jej miłości do siebie?<br /> Poznasz PO ZACHOWANIACH:<br /> <br /> 1. Z sercem i czująca dopasowuje swój czas i plany do jego preferencji.<br /> <br /> A te preferencje to często inne rzeczy ważniejsze niż ona.<br /> Ona, na ostatnim miejscu w kolejce.<br /> <br /> 2. Godzi się na jego zachowania, które są dla niej w rezultacie bolesne.<br /> I nie pasują jej do końca.<br /> <br /> Ale robi to, bo ma po prostu uczucia, zależy jej, chce dobrze.<br /> Do tego usprawiedliwia je, uzasadnia, aż kipi empatią. <br /> SWOIM KOSZTEM. W jej wyniku bardziej cierpi, czuje się wydrenowana z energii, zamiast spełniona i kochana. <br /> <br /> 3. Wydziera zdrowe i dobre zachowania prawie siłą.<br /> <br /> Czuje się, jakby stąpała po ruchomych piaskach.<br /> Im bardziej chce coś opanować, doprowadzić do normy, tym bardziej się zapada.<br /> <br /> 4. W większości ona bardziej chce, organizuje, myśli, wkłada wysiłek.<br /> <br /> A on bierze. Przyjmuje. Korzysta.<br /> <br /> 5. Świetnie potrafi go zrozumieć , dlaczego ON czegoś nie może, współczuje mu, ale siebie w tym nie widzi.<br /> A on nie podejmuje wyzwań, osiada na &quot;laurach” i nic nie zmienia w sobie. <br /> <br /> 6. A do tego myśli o sobie “co ze mną jest nie tak “i stara się zmieniać,<br /> aby On ją chciał.<br /> <br /> 7. Tłumi swoje emocje, kiedy dociera do niej, że coś tu nie gra. Nie mówi wprost, co jej nie odpowiada. <br /> <br /> Czasem dlatego, że obawia się utraty tego co jest, czasem dlatego, że obawia się , że swoje oczekiwania uważa “ za zbyt… wygórowane, nierzeczywiste…<br /> <br /> 8. Analizuje co on mówi, przywiązuje się do słów. A nie widzi przepaści pomiędzy słowem a czynem. <br /> <br /> Robisz tak? <br /> Twoja to wina? <br /> Nie. <br /> I możesz to w sobie zrównoważyć, bez lęku, że wszystko co dobre będzie stracone. <br /> Zacznij tutaj, jeśli tego nie zrobiłaś. <br /> Dołącz do mini kursu z maxi efektami ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI. <br /> <br /> Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT2zZKdpBFAwqKu9jIRWOQpz-5OdTkhLvCtUCv1sr8JSi-RjoTtUH2S5xZ9_5H3_icYZLaykKHfk1NzzhELkIEXABi6svDO6xFmz4wEFqsq9ZCySOlTddGfmNhd6ti6b95yjizMSeTZhUGshQyNqJQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694156400		View Edit Delete
67297	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 3:39 PM	1703760162	1747600768		67		1219397908994088	1	2.025651667797E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1589573467926187		0	Karuna Yoga Buffalo			6542062308697			Call Now		NONE	image	Karuna Yoga Buffalo - Shop Classes	Karuna Yoga Buffalo offers ongoing, Specialty Yoga and Meditation Classes/Workshops for Stress-Relief, Relaxation, Concentration, Inner-Strength and Peace of Mind. Bring Peace to Your Body, Mind, and Spirit. Bring Peace to Yourself, Your Community, and the World. Be the Change you Wish to See. It Al...			1702933567	1.5895734679262E+15	Karuna Yoga Buffalo	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411776324_329650033343517_6559282108626623011_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7mVs1Gg9xqwAX8zLSzU&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD9y14nDyvXvqQ7Lu3tOW3QyD_fJMbEgocU82btfx-V-g&oe=659208DD	person_profile	0	Karuna Yoga Buffalo	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411341247_1718571101957545_7014196800623247767_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3A3elLQiFqMAX811kmc&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDVY9JF-pq_rm-mkgLieOrhJspqh92JQxnULgQ6bLl1A&oe=65919C7C			0	3	The New Year&#039;s Schedule is Up! Here&#039;s what we will be offering~<br /> <br /> Ten Class Pass Special: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karunayogabuffalo.com%2F%23%21%2FTen-Class-Pass-subject-to-space-availability%2Fp%2F377115740%2Fcategory%3D105533103&amp;h=AT1f6q7p0qoiFtftOzjweLch-MecKwoVF7MCWX9M4YQSnX00uy5zS_JJ-kPIbwxTRlOU4W3rCscG59Tq2ZxPeNSQeijxfND4didH4REzmgbUCfWMrDPvPFUL_EkHcAtlZNkSHX6fQPReHvg2ZE9WiMFrPs6gu4WLa53UVA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.karunayogabuffalo.com/#!/Ten-Class-Pass-subject-to-space-availability/p/377115740/category=105533103</a><br /> <br /> New Six Week Sessions:<br /> <br /> Monday Nights, 6:30pm-7:30pm, Church Location; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karunayogabuffalo.com%2F%23%21%2FYoga-Reset-Monday-Nights-6-30pm-7-30pm-January-8th-February-12th-Six-Classes-Church-Location-Instructor-Jean%2Fp%2F596903642%2Fcategory%3D154611253&amp;h=AT3euofWchEM-oYy1bl7UlKZGBQbwn5Dmh9_LxORas_4JPGJPHfkTIU2Gn2qMAjL5Leqbnjh3NCTSrd38fHpv9JHggfN9nkUzJY7PF4YhgcPkgQUYn0Z13Syq2vWm_6bjip6XdwLBwhT_5sp6E2X2gjOE9o03dn5DJI0pg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.karunayogabuffalo.com/#!/Yoga-Reset-Monday-Nights-6-30pm-7-30pm-January-8th-February-12th-Six-Classes-Church-Location-Instructor-Jean/p/596903642/category=154611253</a><br /> <br /> Tuesday Mornings, 10am-11am, Studio Location;<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karunayogabuffalo.com%2F%23%21%2FYoga-Reset-Tuesday-Mornings-10am-11am-January-9th-February-13th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean%2Fp%2F613831765%2Fcategory%3D154634007&amp;h=AT1OUiBz9eLu3zdoQOus7-yqWs5PxfBhHScdismaVww1PTzRk49WAng3yPV85PiJ_nGO7z3RL3dEHrhTj07p9gUPCyB4xmWaO1Iw-C3o6O4MwN8nbX3hQyfyUwSa3ihjmHn2HHrWM_8NQeedXtTVtujNCalHqhHQ6gMZvw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.karunayogabuffalo.com/#!/Yoga-Reset-Tuesday-Mornings-10am-11am-January-9th-February-13th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean/p/613831765/category=154634007</a><br /> <br /> Tuesday Nights, 6:30pm-7:30pm, Church Location; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karunayogabuffalo.com%2F%23%21%2FYoga-Reset-Tuesday-Mornings-10am-11am-January-9th-February-13th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean%2Fp%2F613831765%2Fcategory%3D154634007&amp;h=AT22vpkL26wSR9dgPmOcdp3xVXJgXv5lE57Exe77J7F_vOkyW3jO73bICbbndKWWnJQOQYaISaha0KOtLBp0L96WYIVcLFIo-R4eoaj3QKm7zGyR_A_kbFMvN4KHEYH4wIVkCRrBaEoWvcAkPuULyC5aAmrVocwoVsluWA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.karunayogabuffalo.com/#!/Yoga-Reset-Tuesday-Mornings-10am-11am-January-9th-February-13th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean/p/613831765/category=154634007</a><br /> <br /> Wednesday Nights, 7pm-8pm, Studio Location;<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karunayogabuffalo.com%2F%23%21%2FYoga-Reset-Wednesday-Nights-7pm-8pm-January-10th-February-14th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean%2Fp%2F613832781%2Fcategory%3D154634007&amp;h=AT15kbPtlUCecep-LVFKtremy5SMh6fep2wWxMXRATZ5OIOyrwQssAi2E9UggW3fbaU1p_56BL8m5BhVS77dNospndLmN0Mri6QN-nrBes51DwXkHdxmgvUxzSOzifH2bfEi-cmL8yB5sUy6evml11yO6Ebn_eI_VERkyw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.karunayogabuffalo.com/#!/Yoga-Reset-Wednesday-Nights-7pm-8pm-January-10th-February-14th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean/p/613832781/category=154634007</a><br /> <br /> Thursday Mornings, 10am-11am, Studio Location; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karunayogabuffalo.com%2F%23%21%2FYoga-Reset-Thursday-Mornings-10-00am-11-00am-January-11th-February-15th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean%2Fp%2F613811513%2Fcategory%3D154634007&amp;h=AT1PEPWFyZqYDoviQ-lgX1ZKUEcuIGVHskvRJCsbkSt8UDFVCMOip4xl7fDbTC9n1r8FPwDL_0pOO_QSRqmGiED4tiKiL_OrPtRZ-lnF58wNhmlSoFUIFZ67-4Sl_Dx3yR-g-B_YUWexmbJBtjn9z4eGHusBfJwa3kPELA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.karunayogabuffalo.com/#!/Yoga-Reset-Thursday-Mornings-10-00am-11-00am-January-11th-February-15th-SIX-CLASSES-Studio-Location-Instructor-Jean/p/613811513/category=154634007</a><br /> <br /> Saturday Mornings, 10am-11am, Church Location; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karunayogabuffalo.com%2F%23%21%2FYoga-Reset-Saturday-Mornings-10-00am-11-00am-January-13th-February-17th-SIX-CLASSES-Church-Location-Instructor-Joanna%2Fp%2F613484168%2Fcategory%3D154611253&amp;h=AT28rGnID2WUcdylGenlu3HPZg5IvVABlKPVVb54TLaiSlvq_5VTwm-Oo4x4-sMqCvmeIqEZHrYHlYOxS2UwVxhicdapaIOoGohv4EPBqCyUARwhY1umHzgQxibsvkoSX80RwiBVczvNR99tEmybFeqXtBFFAXbtjwegiQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.karunayogabuffalo.com/#!/Yoga-Reset-Saturday-Mornings-10-00am-11-00am-January-13th-February-17th-SIX-CLASSES-Church-Location-Instructor-Joanna/p/613484168/category=154611253</a><br /> <br /> EVERYONE is WELCOME. Come ENJOY some PEACE with US in the NEW YEAR.		Karuna Yoga Buffalo		808	https://facebook.com/KarunaYogaBuffalo	0		CALL_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
69263	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 1:56 PM	1703760175	1747594598		67		3686807214976084	2	3.0279269924299E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	250649795610429		0	Dermal Repair Complex			120201724807580412		rebrand.ly	Learn more		NONE	video	"Its Like Someone Hit PAUSE On My Aging"		https://rebrand.ly/dqj5si7		1700875295	2.5064979561043E+14	Dermal Repair Complex	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403856093_1142235900085590_2474601977385248417_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hjz4f426eRUAX_0VI2H&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBlbIvGzECEV8nl-mRWHr7weKQkANUwCTkiTs_6nrDL1Q&oe=6591D606	person_profile	0	Beverly Hills MD	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403880336_892239332500282_6666837510691139312_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TOa6IVWryyUAX9NAt42&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDCqROgEqprIiJopmfnZUi3HxMevNmX3TQbC1ArtpvbyQ&oe=65916472			0	3	As a skin doctor, I’ll let you in on a little secret 😱 <br /> <br /> Botox is not the only answer for deep wrinkles or saggy skin.<br /> <br /> You can unlock the same benefits from home by adding one thing to your <br /> skincare routine<br /> <br /> Let me explain 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Frebrand.ly%2Fdqj5si7&amp;h=AT0HTsxCDbxqgdZwHw8F6h1FwsExpBJGw0HIYScCuDrLajgccGPKl8grMbC2tC3TUv_ECMwkm90Ls2Oc7HueZcSzoPxoEnrKcDbfg_Yfa8o71HMKwV1Dah8FqEl8JaWqYnfhssesmUghBL2dHMz99w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://rebrand.ly/dqj5si7</a>		Dermal Repair Complex		60814	https://facebook.com/DRCxMD	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67840	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 2:07 PM	1703760165	1747595247		67		3526166507596565	1	1.6933656623616E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202399883660123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702480982	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409730914_1550999019007348_6993942027030429234_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AjEPussofcQAX8XrRgm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDfM_aLTRCTAcNhroVqQGaQ5o-Cd4P0chLWXx9_yrVIwQ&oe=65925EF6	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409669816_298788289820031_8128377256386018902_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dNh712w96TQAX-re3a3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBuTFceUwpgXtNGsyNN7YIdyEOi5Lrt6QCrx_n8wMSD4w&oe=6591AA82			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67388	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/26/25, 1:40 PM	1703760162	1745692860		67		1012297576733345	2	1.3474892694688E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508737640427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806257	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412144100_899385808206112_8633418897088069762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V3BtoRvd5_wAX8vbEdF&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDvzMoHVVjZGgCHeXU7MlVpL-TrV-aptWzOR5mJ6PmtLQ&oe=65926CC6	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412105157_689833949619471_2370203300031677735_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VrYUrlhfs5oAX_HogZF&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJRM2O6FcTrWlu-JBbjPQHCcqcpfJ8I-p6wXagQAr_ow&oe=6592845B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
70027	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/5/25, 4:05 PM	1703760179	1746479145		67		1048173253052065		8.5476698305394E+14		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124900667376340		0	Live and See			120201388465620388		sneakertoast.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://sneakertoast.com/trending/funny-say-sleep-syn/?utm_campaign=Sleep%20Talk%20Tweets%20EN%20V1%20MM2111%20Dynamic%20B2B%20206%20LMM%20990d%20-%20Unknown%20WW%20FB%20LMM&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=WC&utm_content=DC&network_code=LMM&v=4		1700614325	1.2490066737634E+14	Live and See	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403977232_1347805469441006_2745156366433330093_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cIduOPD3Ce8AX_bwOgA&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfByjQSfVy8kvC3at_v9fCgbN22i9KEBdHLk3BBiYDg1iw&oe=6591BCE2	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Live and See		13	https://facebook.com/61551734783441	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67557	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/6/24, 3:17 AM	1703760163	1725610662		67		236700256112228	1	6.8171632043498E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204045517290514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611121	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409751316_1037862567491180_6884779224424826367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=B_5vZsZhiJ4AX_Tvyu2&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCNWGhAhwrIlt8pWeUQ4P0U9m5lxJ4Bcrvw4Gpudcon3A&oe=659234BE	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411126585_690044216244338_3944790581799324999_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LFULgPiI9xsAX9dmvs4&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCioyhuq_KTPbBhEG3qsVMuKtv4Y8lhd-vozQvI0iHWnA&oe=65922C70			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68026	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054165		67		1037974150787188	2	2.1352928201397E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	311136718916927		0	Leonis Summer Houses			120202098704170647		leonis.gr	Learn more		NONE	image			http://www.leonis.gr/		1702391615	3.1113671891693E+14	Leonis Summer Houses	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409602799_361837913056725_5132234775297137907_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gDqfy8Epcu8AX_iVL-f&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZBP0HZ8A1HLWBFbqY9YWaDzqD1M2Qco2Zn55CWgMQFA&oe=65928F36	person_profile	0	www.leonis.gr	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409568200_3290616874571306_7120232454040463514_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LGUhfA4rZyAAX_slbS-&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfABpGeKDqWXmNYP6zz1orwyRZyVz7awz2tlQD3IlrWptg&oe=65927EE2			0	3	To think that this is just half of the sea view available at Leonis Summer Houses. The hotel looks over Ornos beach as well, just 500m away and offering more than a few options for lunch or dinner.<br /> <br /> It’s no secret that our guests can’t get enough of this view, which is why we have filled the hotel with the most comfortable bean bags, loungers, sofas, chairs, all spread throughout the property and in place to ensure that everyone will always have the perfect spot to lay back and enjoy this breathtaking picture.<br /> <br /> If you’d like to get a taste of the holiday experience that we have been perfecting since 2012, all you have to do is make your reservation at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leonis.gr%2F&amp;h=AT27oUaEcKh_Y3nJsOXQkDmVTpNunUvO9WVP-QVOGHQP7njmcjwHOv4dFUFiARimBJjK7dQ09i1Xai43g92LURdOQvZBNvFjMSexFACC4I2RaLK7l-7wJ0MOXhQ0S66K76qKkzw9vYl_pngp3foWEw0LldtkqskqOuGKIg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.leonis.gr</a> or send your request at welcome&#064;leonis.gr<br /> <br /> Season Premiere 20 April 2024<br /> <br /> #mykonos #greece #hotel #travel #photooftheday		Leonis Summer Houses		9128	https://facebook.com/LeonisMykonos	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67639	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/6/24, 10:16 AM	1703760164	1725635802		67		6889447054469525	1	6.7092960524236E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205064176140729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702611176	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409814816_372429908782836_4528541420939448094_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Tlt_ToyvH48AX9f8Yav&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBdkxdcIxCVlthKp2BIdNpC1uLtPkwXZ44V7Pb4np6jNA&oe=6592EDAD	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409203017_745982590743737_8394499863295550564_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_iKXyaCiX8AX-J_wCV&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDL19fy_99sUxJ_JyEW6v6BwgZE_0yAh9c4o-jlDEpPIw&oe=6591B8CA			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68139	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		1383952315839549	1	1.0240426455395E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	127476470446919		0	Hats & Cats			120202148443150239		yachtsandcars.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.yachtsandcars.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702292970	1.2747647044692E+14	Hats & Cats	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408597564_376803211659483_4357316411425203398_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eXtxQI0x2HEAX9Tn0QR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDWJZS6k8JnFiD8aAmIIYU4J2FTlUgee1U9_PwAwUpSw&oe=65923826	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Hats & Cats		104	https://facebook.com/61551481071229	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68711	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054165		67		888057916351121	1	3.8342696745693E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120200728260450540		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701401854	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406710289_370921228763319_5626023537238933112_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OppP5465YYMAX_O0BTL&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfD_Ez5TQ4O57ytb7nHr2t6Ihc6H7_GfaYsgOThOL0PXOw&oe=65916BF8	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406666488_1749719895505140_1655518798370371028_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ac-CDBAnRAMAX-GcBxz&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCj7QzMhJkZHvxpBWE-eETp6HP7IBNpnc-7k607n8Q8iw&oe=6591928B			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68160	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/6/24, 11:28 PM	1703760167	1725683285		67		3254959804649502	2	3.3820330224427E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974637340427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287782	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409917914_329899353157819_1748137161604397769_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UpVUK6tCqZoAX-7rcQ-&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB_IAOOK9R77KxzY-8l6fFqIfKo_FmoFJ4YKJt9MMlCGA&oe=65932545	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409583145_710890170750589_8631795514721858609_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T40dIRPo-tQAX_Gr7S8&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDPQpihhLyCvTuu1UUlgaDcLTQNllbO1ubuR6FU6_HN7A&oe=65925550			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69987	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760179	1743036770		67		2709176102583211	2	1.7193268985348E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579106460115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632960	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403743473_1526348898177410_761098781958369113_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4WKx4w4oXlMAX_zq1AG&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD7MT7T5D_50Sb3Go701fveBiZNZo8Qdch7SdFerfyvXA&oe=659203FE	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403717352_1449713955605458_1255645785443504845_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SGFZ30lLbkQAX-ipglU&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC7HPU-MwAQ65sVuDEkDt2dm7TE9qGfX5TVEnMV0LE26w&oe=65914642			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67392	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054165		67		641967534569663	1	3.7665035069715E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508631970427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806459	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410485674_839377187874804_1016762584591804994_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qRRHUgOPpS4AX9vUpKo&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHW5DOr6UnsYBAqCEi50i6fAciUJLKIv-BBDF75AejQA&oe=6591EEFA	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411126583_1022319225706472_8108307022015545376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oeqQOWJyN9kAX_H5kpW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBuJebrqeWuzRU-p2E521asmVnp7PhJsITp70okFfd5jQ&oe=6592C621			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67235	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/8/25, 11:07 AM	1703760161	1749398833		67		391265233332087		2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951487020043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963132	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412221627_739211344748007_7491053614213984216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WwRixcoK2eEAX_5Whnc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZx2IIq625OK1M_vTlr8N-_BpqpEWP5pn4DM6FZmZzCA&oe=6592EBD4	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
66405	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/10/24, 8:22 AM	1703760157	1731226941		67		1224713065151582	1	1.0153700595523E+15		1702281600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			120201952375860563		https://joannagrabska.pl	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://jestemkochanka.pl/funnel/5u-zakup-2/5u/?op3_vid=45158		1699382741	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/399547910_1601381990395062_4424679934651595351_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6NCw8-uYBxAAX97dhMQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHDd4LtFrp0GvJekPShPRo_vK1Jls4SD_FK9k2TfUbkA&oe=65919F05	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1700035200		View Edit Delete
69809	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/8/24, 5:49 AM	1703760178	1725792572		67		1450821539179695	5	1.0051758140478E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779083570250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678135	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405259946_862600855406763_4157166056653863836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f1q50EotfcAX_Av3Qa&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAq9JKN8JN4-rKpl8rbVuLqiMMloteOUjRTToT-BBKFpw&oe=6592CF3A	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70075	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/8/24, 6:18 AM	1703760179	1725794302		67		331462379608521	1	1.2638028109611E+15		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112109690243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554340	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403858654_1783729718713653_880643555923113286_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AmZ1gm6DWk8AX8RALG2&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAEPLNvsMo47taF28F42HAcaJpYvBl-As4LHXKAM5GGPQ&oe=6591A21B	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403720380_251019467657211_2018070880197475141_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y3Fw2FETko8AX_VNXJ9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCt5vxSG4LQUJF2KukbUsaCQOC1P1lssdfDkxozZgl96A&oe=65926EDC			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
66789	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/8/24, 8:44 AM	1703760159	1725803050		67		263258076501923	1	9.0952174392576E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	102602895171984		0	All News & Ideas			120204627295060737		thedancingcucumber.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Fixer Upper’s Dark Downers: The Hidden Secrets Behind the Hit TV Show	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://thedancingcucumber.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-ua/		1703417769	1.0260289517198E+14	All News & Ideas	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412278490_2680382842109435_6958594353557792398_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MJt6NzBB6aUAX9VP2kc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBNF40uOWbG_CHphVJiqev5MKvKChfIWnmP5Do2kf8oqA&oe=6591A491	person_profile	0	All News & Ideas	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412251801_7043048675811130_9036165205108963099_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c3Dv8ASi0toAX92uR09&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAZJRr8Z3V9f9nDafZPYf_wBTtYMXBluGTYMU00D32QiA&oe=65918C61			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		All News & Ideas		563	https://facebook.com/100063971832319	0		LEARN_MORE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
67571	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 5:28 AM	1703760164	1749637706		67		332933779451507				1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	138576156001792		0	Passport to Adventure			120203055195470096		travelfiber.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.travelfiber.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702567209	1.3857615600179E+14	Passport to Adventure	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409924007_1862137190870274_8501171742042011564_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DNmXYoLqwwcAX81Tdg0&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBiOSJnhiqkWxHalexaHut7F5UpnUGqiytWbR4KBVNnbw&oe=6592CF19	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Passport to Adventure		96	https://facebook.com/61551723967747	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69775	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/8/24, 7:49 PM	1703760177	1725842955		67		1139080123739782	5	1.442981893229E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201779378060250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678825	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478384_307379925475582_6668460916514100970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p_2ZDPSghJYAX-ok2ef&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC3JQM5Ip_JV2Tm9JavmXGNhPacP-ZjErVBqFx0VagPkw&oe=65928475	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70000	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 9:16 PM	1703760179	1747620996		67		193835423773775	10	1.3650113674381E+15		1700726400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120201310331030253		sportzbonanza.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://sportzbonanza.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628509	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404464008_356983516814468_3236997785854903121_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c0rmxqiDzX0AX91MTyy&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCyjATtJscyx2EU-PpmutDP9iiXEpFePbWjSxgVRY6CDA&oe=65914E91	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69679	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054165		67		382305610898116	1	1.0620829385735E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102865022224801		0	Tell All Know All			120200721466810167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679791	1.028650222248E+14	Tell All Know All	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403762291_1473273089884334_200510394569536447_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yudTj2MGRfIAX-hUVs8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDjSfixthkuTcn1Ze6l3E2iTF1rqnr8j4TQhWdf17oLVg&oe=6592F000	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Tell All Know All		340	https://facebook.com/100076181432751	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68263	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 9:41 PM	1703760168	1747622504		67		1359687804685027	1	1.1075652502695E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	416589001735771		0	JOANNA COELHO			120202885561650552		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/djjoannacoelho		1702038459	4.1658900173577E+14	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409144270_1780903785692328_3582383239498729063_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KjK2EcmbmqwAX_qHOKX&_nc_oc=AQn-OU0ORfm4An722nl2opu0-SUA-a5fYAKDAvA0IqkcxcfqrWwvXOkxDSw7M2q7dpw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDEXQ-9YGhMqhsvO8UhRNtqJb2qBPHuKiHsyah2lwwjsQ&oe=65918EA3	person_profile	0	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408644537_1055468745656902_5274269658938448992_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_noEAYNep4MAX9NBG_z&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB5wa6lTf-MJB5eKtqpxhb2Smu4t8-LK7KNkffZjjiONg&oe=65929063			0	3	&#064;soundwavesfest official After party at &#064;almanua.pt was 🤟🥵🔥<br /> <br /> Thank you to everyone involved 🙏💙<br /> <br /> TID &#064;djalextb - Open Your Mind ( UNRELEASED )‼️<br /> <br /> #technogirl #ravers #ravegirls #raveparty #technolovers #berlin #hardtechnodjane #party #technoculture #ravergirl #technoravers<br /> #Techtok #joannacoelho		JOANNA COELHO		21303	https://facebook.com/djjoannacoelho	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69117	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/28/25, 11:55 AM	1703760174	1740765348		67		888082362873197	1	1.4116826530318E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690717330115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055867	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406006430_336297289133274_5715085223503010584_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XSUak09t8XwAX83-1PN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDJuRUCG26zYf1fEkvFg5CJ1aOuynHApoWh6K4aqBanzw&oe=65922871	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406006759_1417192985810539_3604065437752290063_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=R2mutKLuNMkAX-QP3OJ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMy-8oR0wG5dsO22rvr5XaZ3VnCFIZEp_I9gCuX05DWg&oe=65921ADA			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68133	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		716732366762057	1	1.0978634080128E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106914145511790		0	Family Unit			120202375342240121		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702293713	1.0691414551179E+14	Family Unit	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410305866_3245380988927054_6803268309312407350_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nbLNA4MkiqMAX_mn6H6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCh8aTymlJS6RIW5cuV3t2GNqAnnBqQ6ALdgNUpDdt0Vg&oe=65933C22	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Family Unit		2099	https://facebook.com/100086268781719	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69168	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054165		67		1108433283476861		8.7190420110368E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145433030740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking Silence: Joanna Gaines Shares Her Voice with the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806364	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405783049_902678784584130_1400413092718075053_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1JAIImvGvrUAX8O7Opo&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAaZsqFHtg2VQBjLHbzdfXZUFrV1k8XwAoxN_sUUEmLUQ&oe=65921072	person_profile	0					0	3	Long Kept Secret: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband as Behind-the-Scenes Show Drama Unveils.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
66904	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/20/24, 5:21 AM	1703760160	1726827687		67		1092630925078004	1	3.7377271847238E+14		1703318400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	111803854060146		0	futureofskincare			120203988807350285		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/futureofskincare		1703253491	1.1180385406015E+14	futureofskincare	https://scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/337892806_1157269939003584_6088003957471416812_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=ET5NYMAt8JoAX-auN6I&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfADhq_4Aw8OAUBw0uU6-3XcJK5zuyJ5x3QSULha9-o_QA&oe=659190D9	ig_ads_identity	1	FUTURE OF SKINCARE	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412711049_888800125902270_8339643869963969675_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4ckLnVDUO4IAX9lpU4v&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA4dUIXFIVsOk2pdi4qNwPhLNybGOm0QiWzgFSnKpa8xA&oe=6592B40F			0	3	During &#064;thecare.fr pop-up event in Paris, I had the opportunity to chat with &#064;joannaryglewicz , Founder of &#064;oiolab Lab. She introduced us to her innovative creation, SuperPause - a rich, nourishing cream tailored specifically for skin undergoing changes during the menopausal transition, from perimenopause to postmenopause. - You can read Joanna’s interview on <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.FutureofSkin.care%2F&amp;h=AT0UqTk635KAG5Z-6JhzjpIgk3WvOCnmLUTPFKnQdPbM5DRPmMtzOcBE6mTMVUc1Fye05HmwxN1GpjSqMdknFocKg1qHi9Hu_U3-MFLQCpmjOUwaFvAwmVVBL4-VWW3efhdUdbDA5TTfnRhohIbjc6sy5KO9TzI2mUk99Q" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.FutureofSkin.care</a>		futureofskincare		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/futureofskincare	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
69913	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/17/25, 1:36 AM	1703760178	1750142165		67		711794587535461	1	6.7536121138546E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579133060115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633290	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402929162_1536826127054828_6802144726108419366_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VOaF6O_ed6kAX9L-3t9&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBH3K9rb2BLTuITCEvt-soezTh8gMkt8HfTxpswFBq-5w&oe=65915359	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402963868_369813908944101_1005363441079280018_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MoXbajnQO50AX9vMq-T&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDSYriyqpSg2_IRKdBkhJHqHE2bPN1gg_F2d8v3gFjXQA&oe=65928D2A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66596	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/5/25, 7:53 PM	1703760158	1746492783		67		1094658924901012				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	149187418450228		0	Epic Reads			6521118945056		www.epicreads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	"A vitally important story.” —Misa Sugiura, author	New from Joanna Ho.	https://www.epicreads.com/books/9780063059351/the-silence-that-binds-us/?maas=maas_adg_569212BEA739C4E9C3CA25B3A699D1C8_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thesilencethatbindsus		1702937196	1.4918741845023E+14	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410709425_1422683705343640_7862339413077116243_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nRYEL6Wi6S4AX-_y0wo&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHqH_vzgL0txW2oIJgkwQvQlUFkUjjsOmtqp6JA1BJIQ&oe=659314E2	person_profile	0	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410854943_221015377708520_3225289140943210002_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8ugIVDrmPOkAX-2Ehup&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBD7mqHn6BTXYm-qTaL07YRX1rs2EQ19K863hvurUfMaA&oe=6592EE81			0	3	Start reading the powerful YA debut from New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho! Now available in paperback.		Epic Reads		1164999	https://facebook.com/EpicReads	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68760	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/16/25, 2:09 PM	1703760172	1737058199		67		378955064581291	1	3.4918762343677E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	711420849053256		0	Mamut Dentistry			23861766083690188		implants.mamutdentistry.com	Learn more		NONE	carousel	Mamut Dentistry		https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey		1696896129	7.1142084905326E+14	Mamut Dentistry	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387738952_1312586046045477_6828756674462094717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o8tGURVJJCAAX8rPywh&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCoj2lMj0uXGjPsh14_ZHtsIW3CBiUs4gDAYkBYWeTLFw&oe=65930367	person_profile	0	ᴍᴀᴍᴜᴛ ᴅᴇɴᴛɪsᴛʀʏ	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/387743707_1686227661886353_6580072613784904198_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g4mJs6n51GQAX8nsK1u&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDGtr9wVzYm1PpGlJh7X789vg6FAoRi7-UjgKaJWMF31g&oe=6591AFB2			0	3	📓 Once upon a time in the bustling neighborhood of Queens, there lived two friends, Susan and John, who were facing a common problem - the challenges of missing teeth. They were both determined to restore their smiles, but they had different paths in mind.<br /> <br /> Susan, a practical and budget-conscious person, decided to explore the option of dentures. She had heard they were the most affordable way to regain her lost confidence. So, she made an appointment with Dr. Smith, a local dentist known for his expertise in denture fittings.<br /> <br /> Dr. Smith carefully explained the process to Susan. He assured her that dentures could replace her missing teeth and alleviate the sores on her gums. However, he also warned her that dentures might not look entirely natural and that she&#039;d have to deal with the hassle of adhesive glue.<br /> <br /> Susan, understanding the trade-offs, went ahead with the dentures. Initially, they did improve her appearance, but as time passed, she faced challenges. Eating her favorite foods became a bit of a struggle. The dentures slipped occasionally, making her uncomfortable during conversations. Moreover, her jawbone started to shrink, causing her face to age faster than she had anticipated.👵<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, John, Susan&#039;s neighbor, took a different path. He believed in investing in his long-term quality of life. He decided to explore dental implants, which he&#039;d heard could be a game-changer. John visited Dr. Jovanka at Mamut Dentistry, renowned for offering top-notch implant solutions. 💪<br /> <br /> Dr. Jovanka explained the advantages of dental implants to John. They not only looked like real teeth but also functioned like them. John wouldn&#039;t have to worry about hiding his smile or restricting his diet anymore. The best part? Dental implants were a permanent solution that could last for more than 50 years.<br /> <br /> John opted for dental implants, and the transformation was incredible. His new teeth looked so natural that nobody could tell the difference. He relished every meal, from juicy steaks to crunchy apples, without any discomfort. John&#039;s implants integrated seamlessly into his jawbone, just like natural teeth roots, ensuring they remained firmly in place.<br /> <br /> As the years passed, John continued to enjoy a youthful appearance, thanks to his implants. He never had to deal with the downsides of dentures, like the inevitable jawbone shrinkage and the breakdown of cheap materials. 😀<br /> <br /> One day, Susan and John bumped into each other at the neighborhood park. Susan noticed John&#039;s radiant smile and asked about his secret. John shared his implant journey and how they had improved his life.<br /> <br /> 💡 Listening to John&#039;s story, Susan realized that investing in her dental health could lead to a brighter future. She decided to visit Dr. Jovanka at Mamut Dentistry for a consultation.<br /> <br /> In the end, both Susan and John found solutions that suited their needs. While Susan had chosen dentures initially for their affordability, she came to appreciate the long-term benefits of dental implants, just like her friend John.<br /> <br /> 📌 The moral of the story is that the choice between dentures and dental implants depends on your priorities. If you want a lasting, natural-looking smile and the ability to enjoy life to the fullest, dental implants may be the right path for you. <br /> <br /> 🦷 At Mamut Dentistry, Dr. Jovanka is dedicated to helping you make the best choice for your dental health, ensuring you have a smile that shines for a lifetime. That&#039;s why we&#039;re extending an exclusive invitation to a Complimentary Consultation for Dental Implants. <br /> <br /> 👇 Click the link below to fill out a brief questionnaire and start your journey to a healthier, happier smile: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimplants.mamutdentistry.com%2Fsurvey&amp;h=AT1m2n6PDix2cKuJzVEj7-PxHf3Tl3LyoDfFv5-F1ZAPaaW8Y8Ti68lN345u1MHsxxIPHtUe29itn1NDONVZopK-_0N90a3vtp_dljTGPO0b38sc16Rfe8o6JW2HNnUomlZMNFVh3h5QZV32x96S63DLpbvDX4kSCO4_bg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://implants.mamutdentistry.com/survey</a>		Mamut Dentistry		615	https://facebook.com/mamutdentistry	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69253	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/3/25, 10:02 PM	1703760174	1751598131		67		732496132079095	1	1.9356772401615E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113576797162972		0	The Good Life			120203184816430409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700944925	1.1357679716297E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403883650_1452480698985508_2687057088717162557_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h9Kgf32PqTwAX-ktaAo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCFYNDspAnTeEM-fNGlhzm4d1k1kARtnBoDQbvJBBDagQ&oe=6592ED95	person_profile	0	The Good Life	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405751504_996658561430370_4320558668484546719_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5xDuRhPtMYIAX9i-Tmi&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAIC6S0nkOP7eq1NT6wj2htfIVdakUgA1X1c32Z_KwM6g&oe=65929923			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		The Good Life		102	https://facebook.com/100064184615808	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67281	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/3/25, 11:06 PM	1703760162	1751601973		67		883111326823538		1.7640580406882E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143418360280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu'elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O'Neal et Joanna Moore. "J'ai beaucoup traversé", a déclaré...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702962946	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412466787_289867306880533_3595375201897464129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ltrq2YEKx0AAX-tleQa&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoF8zn4N5YcU0EVpq_VM3OmgaJTRo9jqLbMijbAyE_tw&oe=659154C9	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, 60 ans, souffre actuellement de plusieurs maladies après des années de mauvais traitements et de mauvaises habitudes qu&#039;elle a apprises de ses propres parents, feu Ryan O&#039;Neal et Joanna Moore. &quot;J&#039;ai beaucoup traversé&quot;, a déclaré Tatum. Voici plus d&#039;informations à connaître sur Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
70028	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760179	1743036776		67		1808425382947063	1	1.751420681969E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120201317736500781		WWW.KILZ.COM/MAGNOLIA	Learn more		NONE	image	Interior Design with Joanna Gaines	Learn about color, balance, and more.	https://www.kilz.com/blog/the-castle-collection-conservatory/		1700591470	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404902250_798559745362621_1788791116747391374_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8xhO5Vrza88AX99yL2N&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDhFG-Gt8GvTj5w2eZVYbRiFvT_tPVyDNrk2gG732eug&oe=6592AC23	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404985204_354716123807103_836469753231891450_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IxdHhHka6CgAX9qQj34&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC83C1-XgLqpm8CeV6Dxj6AK2cY-BOMYurbKiA0ohDv7A&oe=6592D23C			0	3	Conservatory, a moody gray paint color named after the room itself, adds a rich addition in a tight space.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67812	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/21/25, 2:36 PM	1703760165	1750534609		67		959150842526497	5	1.3989916943323E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548020609		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494394	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409728879_262630593159226_8158335693366864435_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VzD8YOlisYQAX8lvNRO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDoSoVz1nJBzDvcffO91a4pyZtV-dkMFA8-ntF-OCBIdw&oe=65927661	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411083319_878717250504526_6027856571930297217_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w9HzosOa8vUAX9PtTwr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBpqt0AYqa0NGVWRI5buh6bqnvgb62iUkcGiECjlJE-4w&oe=6593365A			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69053	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/5/25, 11:04 PM	1703760173	1746504282		67		6934769789892833	1	7.1054298407943E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106157431246000		0	Joanna Wietrzycka painting			6456873246763		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joanna_wietrzycka		1701101707	1.06157431246E+14	Joanna Wietrzycka painting	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405727559_1144735559843492_302802832361826433_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8XXhU5ztKZcAX9vzIvf&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfChnkDsWhX0lqKWr4wcZ8kXLU3EYfOcEXYQ8xBKcWqKFQ&oe=65920727	person_profile	0	Abstract Art For Sale	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406100797_727348595518058_4845399295054623663_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FF9mzJnRyVMAX9Zq5cB&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDZPXhUn5wkDxDTfm-u7NNB5jnegERVGv2cT91HpHev-A&oe=6591635A			0	3			Joanna Wietrzycka painting		348	https://facebook.com/100063545528416	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68885	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054165		67		378145107969832	3	1.0024689641623E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201748959490115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701227677	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405965663_2134306270246680_5926044712185194058_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nmsrxaBo8mcAX-q-_rz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBUmDi0jxqwFZ9MI1pg3pukkENlYpskL8ANyhCSzb4QsQ&oe=6592677F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406208694_1394841818119015_3207901412353027115_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XX4qwlfHPD0AX95UPT4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDYU3RDk9JuwuHjNw7ZTyhcRHW57Z-xtnqjLR7k9Uw56g&oe=659272E9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68973	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/4/25, 2:51 AM	1703760173	1751615497		67		252452070881969	2	3.6904946223749E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119816401108725		0	Complete Day Magazine			120201294377190716		foodisinthehouse.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Los productores intentaron ocultar esto al público durante mucho tiempo, pero ahora, Joanna no solo rompió el silencio sobre su esposo, sino que también supimos lo que sucedió detrás de escena que terminó el programa.	Fixer Upper de HGTV es uno de los reality shows inmobiliarios más populares de todos los tiempos. Chip y Joanna Gaines se han vuelto súper famosos gracias a sus papeles en la presentación del programa súper popular y a las celebridades por derecho propio. Pero cuando su matrimonio comenzó a des...	https://foodisinthehouse.com/desarrollarse-verdad-j5-ext/		1701108968	1.1981640110872E+14	Complete Day Magazine	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404624894_893429292298994_3723926639396604572_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d7P0fj5uhX4AX-s-dcC&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCrrcIT7slKhaEIjnpOXcfhI2WGXWzE3i7Ag7pV0xvPtA&oe=6592FAF2	person_profile	0					0	3	Fixer Upper&#039;s Dark Downers: Los secretos ocultos detrás del exitoso programa de televisión		Complete Day Magazine		48	https://facebook.com/100092596243928	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67546	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		875655860696346	1	1.0701208974516E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203674163170308		www.novel-oasis.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to read on📜Alpha King's Lost Luna📜		https://www.novel-oasis.com/share/middle/dab0gmldzs5zcetuzgnbdyhx?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702630879	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410804373_920831359452914_1934353366134921429_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A1Noxp9mPqgAX8_eBOG&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB6BCH1g3fCdQgFO1z-sdnB6Vj4EAuNzONzl2OcaYj_sw&oe=6591DB3A	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410972885_886386522806678_8349100725694132911_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YKdxocuV_kwAX-YqKPa&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVZRuCttoVM5XVZ0l-sVfFzoc-Flx7ATLt8sqeJ-6n_Q&oe=65929854			0	3	💘😫&quot;Mommy, is the King my daddy? He has the same gray eyes as me!&quot; My son asked excitedly.<br /> &quot;No, honey&quot; I took a deep breath. &quot;Your daddy is dead.&quot;<br /> I know I shouldn&#039;t lie. But I can&#039;t tell him that his father, the Alpha King had abandoned us 5 years ago.<br /> ----------------------------------------------------------<br /> CASSANDRA<br /> “For the glory of Wegalla Empire, you must die!” Intruders snarled at me as I knelt on the floor.<br /> “Please let me see Asher. Please…” I begged.<br /> “How dare you speak the name of our king!” The soldiers growled and grabbed my hair, forcing me to raise my head. They were like shadows towering over me.<br /> “Please. I need to talk to him. I’m pregnant. I have his baby!” I cried.<br /> The head soldier snorted. “Baby? You think you’d be qualified to deliver a baby for our king? He won’t come to you anymore. Don’t you understand? He’s with Lady Adalyn. Now drink it!”<br /> “No!”<br /> He pulled me harshly, gripped my face and pried my mouth open. Mysterious liquid flew down my throat.<br /> Burning. I began to gag.<br /> “Die! You wretched moron.” They spat at me before slamming the door. And I heard the click of the lock.<br /> I struggled to move, but my eyes felt swollen, and my legs were strengthless. The smell of smoke quickly filled the room.<br /> Fire engulfed me.<br /> --<br /> Five Years Later<br /> My mind wandered as I stared out the window. The sky was a perfect clear blue, and the air was filled with the sound of children’s laughter. A smile formed on my lips at the sound.<br /> Far beyond me, the pups, accompanied by their parents, made their way toward the forest not too far away from where I sat. It was finally time for the annual hunting festival, and the pups chattered and giggled with excitement as they tugged at their mother’s and father’s sleeves.<br /> I remembered their innocent happiness well. When I had been a pup myself, I’d been infinitely impatient and raced far ahead of my father and brother, urging them the entire way to move faster. I’d been so excited to get a glimpse of the hunting group I wished to one day be a part of. I was eager to find my place amongst the Pack.<br /> I’d been grown for a long time now, and yet, these pups had more freedom than me.<br /> Ever since the deadly inferno, I’d lost the ability to shift into my wolf form, my life had changed completely.<br /> I lost everything. My wolf, my name, my identity, and all I used to love and cherish. I’d moved far away and came to the Wild Crawler Pack, where I’d lived as someone else ever since.<br /> Just as I was starting to feel the familiar ache of loneliness, the sound of footsteps rang out behind me. I snapped out of my stupor and turned to see Marley behind me.<br /> “Sheesh, Cassandra, I almost fell asleep at my desk.”<br /> Marley paused for a breath. She ran her hands through her thick dark hair. Her light green eyes were slightly bloodshot, but her small smile offset her tired aura. “It’s been such a crazy day. I couldn’t help but doze off between patients.”<br /> “I understand completely,” I agreed with her. “Here, come sit down. We still have a while until our next appointment.”<br /> Marley was my assistant here at the clinic. Fiver years ago, when Emmett saved me from the fire and brought me to his pack, he taught me how to be a healer. And Marley had been my first patient. Shortly after I helped heal her, she decided she wanted to help others as well, and now she was my right-hand woman.<br /> Marley took a seat on the stool beside me and then glanced out the window.<br /> “I can’t believe it’s already time for the hunting festival,” she sighed, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “The kids have been going crazy for days. I swear, they’ve been driving me absolutely insane, Cass.”<br /> “I’m sure,” I mused. “The village has been loud all week.”<br /> “I wish I cared more,” Marley admitted. “But the festival really doesn’t interest me much. Visitors from other packs are troublesome. Can you imagine? I was stopped by them three times this morning for the question – ‘How to get to the forest?’. Gosh. Can’t they read signposts? They are everywhere on the streets. And with how crazy my kiddos have been…”<br /> She let out a heavy sigh, “I wish they could be more like your Finnick. He’s such a good boy. Mine are little monsters, no matter what I do. You’re lucky Finnick hasn’t begged you to come with him-”<br /> She paused for a moment, and a strange expression crossed her pretty face.<br /> “Sorry, Cassandra,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean to bring that up-”<br /> Marley knew I was unable to shift, and therefore, I was not allowed to enter the forest, even the safe zone.<br /> I simply gave her an understanding smile. “Don’t even worry about it. Besides, Finnick is too young to watch anyway. If he was of age, I’m sure circumstances would be different.”<br /> It had been five years past since that calamity. I need to go on.<br /> “So where is your sweet boy?” Marley wondered with a curious expression.<br /> “He’s with the Luna and her children,” I replied.<br /> I was grateful that the Luna of the Wild Crawler Pack had been so generous as to offer to watch my son while I ran the clinic. The hours were incredibly long, and my patient list had grown endless recently. Marley and I were busier than ever.<br /> A sickness was running through the Wild Crawler Pack, one with an unsure origin I had yet to place. It was accompanied by a peculiar mark on different parts of the patient’s bodies, each slightly raised, red, and warm to the touch. I’d biopsied several of them, and yet, I hadn’t found an answer that made any sort of sense.<br /> “That’s a good place for him,” Marley interrupted my thoughts again, and then beyond us, bells rang out. She glanced up at the clock. “Looks like it’s time for our next patient. Ready to go?”<br /> I nodded. “Let’s go.”<br /> Half an hour later, my patient thanked me and walked out of the clinic. Suddenly, a man burst into the room.<br /> It was Jasper, one of the Alpha’s guards. I knew him very well, as he was often sent to collect me on behalf of the Alpha’s family if medical attention was needed.<br /> “The Alpha needs you right away, Cassandra,” he addressed me hurriedly. “You must accompany me to the Pack House. It’s an emergency.”<br /> “What’s wrong?” I asked, and worry painted my tone.<br /> “There isn’t much time to explain,” Jasper replied. “Long story short, a prestigious guest of ours has been bitten by a viper and needs medical attention immediately.”<br /> Panic flooded through me. Snake bites weren’t anything to mess with, and we needed to act fast.<br /> I hurriedly gathered my supplies, Marley and I followed Jasper to raced out toward the Pack House.<br /> “Who is this prestigious guest?” I asked.<br /> “I cannot say,” Jasper said curtly. “It’s confidential.”<br /> “Where did they come from?” I pressed.<br /> He said nothing at first, and then sighed. “Anemond.”<br /> I flinched instinctively.<br /> Anemond was the capital of the Wegalla Empire. It resided at the heart of the Crescent Pack, the biggest and most powerful Pack that ruled our empire. It was also where the Alpha King lived, along with the higher-class werewolf families.<br /> I hadn’t heard the name Anemond in the five years. The memories began to flood back through my mind before I could stop them. Images danced in my mind- the fire, the grins of the soldiers, and the poison that’d been forced down my throat.<br /> Anemond was the place of my birth, and in the end, had been my nightmare.<br /> “Cassandra?” Marley mudged me back into reality. Her pretty eyes were wide with concern. “Are you okay?”<br /> I gulped, and then nodded as I pushed away my memories of Anemond. “Yes.”<br /> I managed to pull myself together. I needed to be level-headed if we were going to heal this patient.<br /> It didn’t take us long to reach the Pack House. The enormous mansion wasn’t far from the clinic.<br /> When we crossed through the doors, we were surprised to see a crowd of people hustling around. The Pack House seemed to be in a huge commotion, and I had to duck to avoid bumping into anyone around me. This was the most activity I’d seen here in a while.<br /> “Wow,” Marley remarked as Jasper led us down the hall. “This must be serious. Everyone seems so upset.” <br /> When we reached the end of the busy hall, Gareth, the Alpha of the Wild Crawler Pack was writing for us.<br /> We bowed respectfully when we stopped in front of him.<br /> “Cassandra,” Gareth greeted me in a relieved tone, and then he looked at Marley. “And Marley. I’m so glad to see you.”<br /> Then he turned to the young male servant standing politely in the corner. “Please escort the doctor and her assistant to the second floor,” he ordered in a stern voice. “I must be going.”<br /> Surprise flooded through me. The second floor of the Pack House was usually reserved for the Alpha’s family and their servants. It was considered private quarters while the first floor was used for meetings and dinners.<br /> Marley and I exchanged a glance. There was a bad feeling forming in the back of my mind, but I did my best to brush it away.<br /> “Follow me,” the servant addressed us, and after Marley and I offered polite nods toward Gareth, we followed him down the hall and up the stairs.<br /> At the top of the stairs was a pair of double doors, and on either side of them stood four guards. Much to my continued surprise, they weren’t a part of the Wild Crawler, but the Crescent.<br /> The guards stared at us coldly as we approached the door, but they stood aside and allowed us to enter the chamber anyway.<br /> The moment the doors flew open, a chorus of sounds flew toward us. A tingle of anxiety moved through me, but I managed to remain calm.<br /> The cavernous room was pure chaos. The curtains were closed, and the only light in the room came from candles and the fireplace that blazed with a crackling fire.<br /> Servants rushed around hastily, a few with piles of towels, and others with trays of various foods, drinks, and other supplies. They all seemed to hover around a specific part of the room, and when a few moved out of the way, I noticed a large, canopied bed.<br /> At the center of the bed was a young boy, around the same age as my Finnick. Servants attended to the boy, and even from across the room, I could see his lips were blue. Perspiration ran down his face and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. He was clearly in pain, and his expression broke my heart.<br /> When we got closer, I noticed the Luna of the Wild Crawler Pack, Sofia Bailey, stood beside the bed. She was just as beautiful as ever, but her short dark hair was a little out of place, and her skin was paler than usual.<br /> When she heard our footsteps, she turned her attention to me and I noticed her eyes were underscored by light purple shadows.<br /> “Oh, Cassandra,” she sighed in relief. “Thank goodness you’re here.”<br /> The Luna’s beautiful face looked tired, but she managed to smile at me anyway.<br /> “The boys are downstairs with a maid,” she answered before I could ask. “They’re safe and playing quietly.”<br /> I nodded. “Good. I’m glad they’re okay. Now, how’s our patient?”<br /> “Not as good, I’m afraid,” Sofia lamented, and then she stood aside so Marley and I could approach.<br /> I crouched down beside the boy, and when I placed my hand gently on his forehead, I was surprised to find he was hot to the touch. He’d already broken out in a fever.<br /> My eyes traveled down until they reached his right leg. His trousers had been rolled up, and the skin of his ankles was ghostly white, except for a huge swollen area. Clear canine marks were dug deep into the tenser skin, and a low sigh escaped me.<br /> “Poor thing,” I whispered.<br /> I turned to Sofia. “Did they happen to catch the viper that inflicted the bite?”<br /> The Luna appeared unsure, and her eyes flicked over to a point beyond me.<br /> “No,” a deep, smoky voice said behind me. “The guards are still searching the forest for the wretched thing.”<br /> A tingle ran down my spine. I’d know that voice anywhere.<br /> For a moment, I froze in place, but after a deep breath, I turned around.<br /> A man stood in the darkened corner, tucked away just far enough that I hadn’t been able to sense him initially. He lingered in the shadows for a moment and then stepped toward me.<br /> My heart skipped a beat when his rugged but handsome face was revealed. Though he’d changed a little with time, his cold gray eyes were the same, and they bore into mine with intensity as he advanced closer.<br /> The tall man was none other than Asher Collins- the Alpha of the Crescent Pack and the king of the Wegalla Empire. But none of that mattered to me. He was much more than just the legendary leader of all werewolves.<br /> He was my mate.<br /> All those years ago, he’d left me in that house, pregnant and alone to face the inferno.<br /> “Well, then you’ll have to tell them to hurry up and find the beast,” Marley remarked beside me, and she rolled her pretty eyes in annoyance. “The sooner the better.”<br /> The room suddenly grew heavy and my eyes widened.<br /> While part of me agreed with her sentiment, I couldn’t believe she’d been so bold as to say that to the Alpha King. Of course, I wasn’t fully convinced that my friend knew that’s who she’d been addressing. If she had, I doubt she’d have spoken so tersely.<br /> “Marley!” Sofia exclaimed. The Luna looked shocked and embarrassed at my assistant’s outburst, and her cheeks flushed scarlet.<br /> Asher’s eyes narrowed, and the room fell silent.<br /> “Your Majesty, please excuse her,” Sofia begged, and she offered the Alpha King an apologetic expression and a small bow. “We-”<br /> Asher raised his hand, and the Luna immediately froze in place and shut her mouth.<br /> “Wait, ‘Your Majesty’?” Marley gasped. <br /> Her expression was awestruck. Clearly, she’d realized who had been addressing us, and her cheeks darkened until they were the same color as Sofia’s.<br /> “Shh,” I whispered as quietly as possible. Luckily, neither Sofia nor the Alpha King seemed to hear us.<br /> Instead, Asher released a huffy sigh.<br /> “Are these two qualified, Sofia?” he asked, and his gray eyes bore into mine intensely. “My son deserves the utmost care, and I will not allow him to be treated by anyone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.”<br /> His… son?<br /> Had I heard him correctly?<br /> That explained the severity and amount of guards around us, not to mention Gareth and Sofia’s worried expressions. The boy was the son of the Alpha King, and heir to the Wegalla Empire. His survival was not only of the utmost importance, but it was in mine and Marley’s hands.<br /> No pressure or anything.<br /> “Yes, Your Majesty,” Sofia answered him. “Cassy is the best healer in our Pack. If anyone can take care of him, it’s her.”<br /> The Alpha King’s eyes continued to study me carefully.<br /> “Cassy?” he repeated back in a confused voice.<br /> My heart thrummed in my chest as if it was ready to burst forth as I stared back at Asher. It’d been five years since I’d seen his handsome face, and my entire body felt like it would explode from the sheer emotion of it all. I never thought I’d see him again, yet here he was, standing before me with the same gray eyes I’d peered into with all my love so many years ago.<br /> The whole world seemed to melt away as I stared back at him. While the years and likely stress of his position had aged him slightly, he was just as handsome as he was back then. His dark hair fell to his shoulders in soft waves and his skin was perfectly tan and clear. He was muscular yet lean, and with his arms folded in front of him, I could see the prominent veins that came with much physical training.<br /> Even after all of these years, Asher Collins was still the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.<br /> But he was no longer mine, and I was no longer his.<br /> “Your name is Cassy?” he addressed me directly. He leaned in closer as if to examine me, and it took all of my effort to keep from shaking. For a moment, I thought he’d find a clue of my past identity, but I knew in my heart that I looked too different now to recognize.<br /> The inferno had destroyed my face, distorted my voice, and taken my wolf away. No part of my past identity had remained.<br /> Asher could stare all he want.<br /> I was no longer the same woman I once was.<br /> “Cassandra,” I replied politely. “My name is Cassandra Keller, Your Majesty.”<br /> The Alpha King paused for a moment.<br /> “You’re the best?” he asked, and when I didn’t answer, he clarified. “Healer, that is?”<br /> For a moment, I considered being humble, but his stern expression told me I needed to be confident in my abilities.<br /> “Yes,” I said. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’ve been taking care of this Pack for many years. I’m well-versed in injuries, illnesses, and bites such as the one your son has sustained. My assistant, Marley, is also well-qualified. We’re going to do everything we can to help.”<br /> “Okay, Cassandra,” he said in a low voice that sent a chill down my spine. “Let’s see what you can do.”<br /> His expression softened slightly, but not enough to appear friendly. Still, I took a long, deep breath, and then addressed him calmly.<br /> “I’ll do my best,” I promised, and I fought back a shiver. “But it will be difficult to find the cure to the boy’s bite without first identifying the viper. Different snakes have different venom, and the severity of his injury will depend on the breed and size of the creature.”<br /> For a moment, I expected more resistance, but Asher simply nodded.<br /> “Guards,” he called out in a stern and regal tone, and without further question, the guards who’d been stationed at the outside doors appeared before us. Once they were in position, Asher straightened his stance and held his head high.<br /> “Please tell Alpha Gareth that more search squads will need to be sent to the forest,” he said. “We need to locate the viper as soon as possible so the doctors can properly address my son’s wounds. Please make haste. Time is of the essence.”<br /> “Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards replied in unison, and after each offered the Alpha King uniform bows, they rushed out of the chamber and shut the doors behind them.<br /> Asher raised his chin toward us. “If you can’t heal my son, I’ll let the whole Pack die with him.”<br /> His warning was stated calmly, as if it were just another sentence, but the rest of us felt the weight of his words crash over it. A lump formed in my throat, and when I glanced over at Sofia, her face grew pale. Marley’s expression was no better, and as I looked around the room, the servants held similar looks of fear.<br /> The Alpha King was no one to mess with. We needed to keep our wits about us.<br /> So, without another word, I motioned toward Marley, and the pair of us turned our attention back to the boy.<br /> “I’ll leave you to it, Cassy,” Sofia said quietly. “I’m going to check on Finnick and the boys downstairs.”<br /> “Thank you,” I said, and I offered the Luna a small nod of respect. She smiled back at me, and then she left the chamber.<br /> Marley and I got to work and started to fully examine the bite on the young prince’s bite. It’d worsened even since Marley and I had arrived, and knew Asher was right- time was of the essence. We needed to act fast if we were going to save his life.<br /> “Can we do this?” Marley whispered just loud enough for me to hear. “Cassandra, this looks bad.”<br /> “We have no choice in the matter,” I reminded her gently. “Besides, we’ve dealt with worse before. We can do this, Marley.”<br /> My assistant paused for a moment, and then she nodded. “You’re right. Let’s get to work.”<br /> The next few hours passed by laboriously. As we waited for the guards to return with some sort of news about the viper, Marley and I did all we could to keep the boy comfortable. <br /> The Alpha King remained close to us as we attended to his son, and it was unclear if he was monitoring our treatment or just studying me.<br /> The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up as chills continuously ran down my spine. I wasn’t the kind of woman who got nervous easily, but the Alpha King’s very presence set every inch of my body on edge.<br /> Of all of the people to be here, he was the last one I’d ever have expected, and my emotions were running wild. I wasn’t sure whether to cry or be relieved to see him after so long. All I knew was that this was unbelievably complicated.<br /> After long, a pair of guards returned. They’d finally tracked down the viper. Luckily, it was one that I’d seen in a medical book. I relayed all of the information I knew to Marley and Asher, and the pair of them seemed relieved to know there was a potential cure.<br /> The Alpha King had assigned guards to accompany Marley back to the clinic to procure the herbs needed to heal the boy. My assistant seemed nervous to be surrounded by such heavily-weaponed men, but she accepted the help.<br /> Half an hour later, she returned with the herbs, and we got to work. We prepared a salve to apply directly to the wound, and then used others to brew a tea that would treat the boy internally. The prince was weak, but we managed to help him get enough of the tea into his system to treat him properly.<br /> Hours passed by, and by dusk, the boy finally became stable. After much fitful moaning and crying, he’d finally fallen into a quiet sleep. The blueness of his lips had disappeared, and color had returned to his cheeks. Beneath the salve, the swollenness of the bite had eased.<br /> Once he was sustained, I sent Marley back home. She put up a bit of a fight and insisted on staying with me, but I pushed back and told her she needed to go back to her boys.<br /> I’d turned to the rest of the people standing around in the chamber and asked for some time alone with my patient. The guards seemed hesitant to leave me alone with the prince, but the Alpha King heeded my request and ordered the others to do the same. They filtered out of the chamber, and once they were gone, I released a sigh.<br /> As much as the quiet was nice, asking everyone to leave us was more of an excuse than anything. My patient was stable, but I needed time to think and process the emotions that swirled around in my mind like a storm.<br /> I hadn’t been prepared to see Asher again, and I was surprised to see just how much he’d changed over the years. He was the Alpha King now, and as such, he was the ruthless leader of the Wegalla Empire. In the past, he’d seemed hesitant to take on the position, but it seemed like he’d embraced his destiny.<br /> Not only that, but he had a son.<br /> I glanced over at the boy. Was he also the son of Adalyn Moses?<br /> A pang of sadness struck me. He had to be. Asher had abandoned me all those years ago and left me to suffer for the sake of marrying Adalyn. It would make sense that he’d have a son with her.<br /> My chest suddenly felt tight, and for a moment, I thought I was about to cry, but I forced those feelings down. Asher Collins was the Alpha King now. What he did was none of my business anymore, and I couldn’t let him affect me like this.<br /> Suddenly, a soft whimper interrupted my thoughts, and when I looked over, I watched the prince roll on his side. His sheets were thoroughly soaked from perspiration, and his forehead appeared damp as well.<br /> “Oh, sweetheart,” I murmured, and I hopped to my feet. The poor child was at risk of catching a cold.<br /> I rushed over to the door, and peeked my head out. A pair of guards stood at attention, and they stared at me with expressions of concern.<br /> “I need a servant,” I said. “The prince needs a fresh set of blankets.”<br /> The guards nodded, and one of them disappeared down the hall. I stepped back into the chamber, and a few minutes later, the doors flew open to reveal a pair of servants with piles of fresh linens. But they weren’t alone. Asher Collins walked in with them, and his gray eyes flashed with concern.<br /> “How is he?” he demanded as he rushed over, but when he caught sight of his son, his expression softened.<br /> “Better,” I answered gently. “I just thought he would be more comfortable with fresh sheets.”<br /> “Oh,” Asher said simply, and he nodded. It was clear that he was a caring father, and it was strange to seem him in this light.<br /> I stepped aside as the servants changed the prince’s sheets, and as Asher spoke quietly to his son, I felt a lump form once again in my throat. My stomach turned and for a moment, I thought I was going to throw up. Tears welled in my eyes, and I dug my nails into my palms.<br /> This was too hard.<br /> Once the servants were done, they left the chamber, and I wanted to follow. So, I turned to Asher.<br /> “Your son just needs rest,” I managed to say. “He’s recovering quite well, so I think I should take my leave.”<br /> Before he could say another word, I turned on my heels and headed toward the doors. I’d nearly made it there when Asher’s voice rang through the chamber.<br /> “Stay,” he demanded.<br /> I froze for a moment, and then took a step forward. Then he spoke again, his voice hardened and deadly serious.<br /> “I said stay.”<br /> I was stunned by the severity of his tone. He wasn’t addressing me as Asher Collins. He was ordering me as the Alpha King.<br /> The last thing I wanted was to stay in the chamber alone with him and the sleeping prince, but as much as I wanted to disobey his order, I knew I had no choice. He was the ruler of the realm, and I could face horrible consequences if I didn’t obey.<br /> So, I turned back around. I was about to walk back over to the bed when a thought crossed my mind.<br /> “My apologies, Your Majesty, but I need to go and take care of my son,” I explained, and it took all of my effort to keep my voice steady.<br /> “Your son?” Asher repeated back, and he crossed his arms against his chest.<br /> “Yes, my son,” I answered. “He’s waiting for me. I’ve been working all day, so I haven’t had the chance to see him yet.”<br /> “Where is he?” the Alpha King pressed. His gray eyes narrowed as if he didn’t wish to let me leave.<br /> “He is with the Luna Sofia’s children,” I answered. “Downstairs, I believe. ”<br /> “He will be brought here then,” Asher replied, and he raised his chin. “You cannot leave before my son awakens.”<br /> His tone was even harsher than his first demand, and a chill ran down my spine.<br /> “A guard will collect your son,” he said. “You will remain here with mine. Is there anything you need in the meantime?”<br /> I shook my head. “No, Your Majesty. I have all I need right here.”<br /> “Then take a seat,” he ordered. “I will speak with my guard at once.”<br /> I nodded politely, and then walked back over to the side of the room. I took a seat beside the prince’s bed, meanwhile, Asher crossed over to the double doors. He poked his head out and spoke to the guards in a commanding voice.<br /> Then the doors closed again. As Asher walked back toward me, I felt my hands begin to shake. There was no way the Alpha King could see my Finnick, but what could I do? The plan had already been set in motion, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.<br /> All I could do was hope the prince would awaken so I could leave the Pack House with my son and put this day behind me.<br /> Asher took a seat opposite me, and when he wasn’t looking, I carefully scooted my seat back a little. There wasn’t much I could do to stay away from him, but I would try my best to maintain distance. I was scared he could hear how fast my heart was racing in my chest or how my breath was uneven. I was worried he could tell I was uneasy.<br /> I couldn’t risk him being suspicious about any of this.<br /> We spent our time in an uncomfortable silence. Asher’s eyes remained fixed on his son, and I tried to look elsewhere to avoid him. All the while, I prayed the Alpha King’s son would awaken, and the attention would be taken away from this entire interaction.<br /> Suddenly, the doors of the chamber flew open, and moments later, a set of footsteps rang out against the polished wood floors.<br /> “Mommy!” Finnick exclaimed happily, and when I looked up, I saw my son headed toward me at full speed. Once he reached me, I wrapped my arms around him and drew him into a hug.<br /> “Finnick!” I said, and I planted a kiss on his forehead.<br /> “Mommy, where have you been?” Finnick wondered, and he tilted his head to the side slightly. “I missed you.”<br /> He frowned and pouted ever-so-slightly. I fought back a laugh at his expression and smiled. Despite the look on his face, Finnick’s words brought me happiness. Our bond was wonderful, and my son always brought me joy no matter what. He had been the reason I’d been able to carry on for the past five years and was my entire reason for living.<br /> “I’ve missed you too, honey,” I said, and I softened my voice. “We need to stay quiet, alright?”<br /> Finnick nodded. “Okay, Mommy.”<br /> “Did you have a good day?” I asked, and Finnick’s face lit up. He was about to speak when he glanced over at the sleeping boy beside us. He raised a finger to his lips and then nodded again.<br /> “Yes,” he whispered considerately. “We played hide and seek in the garden, and then Auntie Sofia taught us how to draw a flower. Dominic said it was called a dandelion.”<br /> Dominic was Sofia’s son, and he was around Finnick’s age. They were dear friends, and Finnick thought of the Luna’s son like a brother.<br /> “A dandelion?” I repeated back quietly. “Oh wow! Do you have the picture with you?”<br /> Finnick nodded happily, and then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to me excitedly.<br /> I opened the folded paper carefully, and my lips curled into a smile. He’d indeed drawn a dandelion, and he’d done a great job.<br /> “This looks great, Finnick,” I complimented him. “Can I keep this?”<br /> “Of course, Mommy,” Finnick replied.<br /> It was then I remembered Asher. I glanced over at him and when we made eye contact, a feeling of dread ran through me. Had he been watching us this entire time? My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly looked back to Finnick.<br /> “Thank you,” I said, and I kissed his forehead. Finnick grinned and then gave me a huge hug. <br /> “Wait, Mommy, who’s he?” Finnick asked once he pulled away, and this time, he was staring right at Asher.<br /> My heart skipped again as I searched my mind for an answer. How would I explain who he was to my son? Before I could say anything, Finnick gasped and pointed at Asher.<br /> “Look, Mommy, he has the same gray eyes as me,” he remarked in awe. “But you said it was rare to have this color eyes!”<br /> My own eyes widened and I froze. Asher’s attention fell to my son, and his lips parted ever so slightly.<br /> He’d noticed it too.		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69811	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/11/24, 2:41 PM	1703760178	1726083695		67		1475412269905196	5	8.4403303105709E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114866079891340		0	Trivia.com			120200721167820167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679091	1.1486607989134E+14	Trivia.com	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403062126_649605070587053_234047071631406610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fkmSHS6SykIAX-p-RIS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAcF2_vsTndap8JyhplnBi5t9bC4QzT-23XBLSg_I7OMg&oe=6591BD67	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com		19830	https://facebook.com/100063472063438	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67327	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054165		67		909160866965269	4	3.6125688964328E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120202487608690307		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702879540	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412248888_741416878018142_491760371901094116_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nm_5DtrhDh4AX-bfSi5&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBOGMf48DFx1PEDJbibsodE4nX1h0p0gYpNqlKOaAIg_g&oe=6591CCEC	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67417	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054165		67		240320559077950	1	8.9676485832985E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765743110465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702392	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409875767_330942076389490_924431818483267414_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p_WXY8T8P0YAX9v2QYH&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIc7EqykIh7VBwown_X261dNa1ZbaTjx_opE2FgF_bYg&oe=659259EE	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411125840_851174326687993_1961144210991764876_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6pLhbc7zmRUAX8nYqfR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZ5Le5xqNxQWst7rWRQUR5htgkgXdIEie2K7LvSEZ1OQ&oe=6591CE7B			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67518	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		272643898763948	2	3.4592548147453E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011744800506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702637058	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410156630_1049447946332316_2137188124141536505_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GNk3VorK60MAX-HW2A6&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBue-WRItxnembF4Dw0kEKkH6kR8SjkAJ0TBtvH71AYpg&oe=6591B667	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410936301_3795231630802024_219154457988340433_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BwFr6hefQx8AX869E6-&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDuuroUrecBy5R86sPGvf-jWvp45_cFtMuN4dA99NQWzQ&oe=6591E3CB			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67587	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		373417021715247	1	3.8495901720929E+14		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101684119381451		0	Trend Worthy			120202071513420426		trendymatter.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Your Ultimate Destination for Entertainment News	https://www.trendymatter.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702555416	1.0168411938145E+14	Trend Worthy	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411174112_870686661512499_4908570981331415271_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rM6guCKGxskAX9lBKu3&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvwZkyl47TqD0srR9rmGqRa78XHJrJmgAv2jJBLDtJeA&oe=6591FE3B	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Trend Worthy		2398	https://facebook.com/100085871875918	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67559	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		260955053669049	2	6.60914542622E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205062511630729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702608714	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410667087_677055881224995_7887669237834669408_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g5hYQty4LucAX8zksUn&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC1ZaoxhgUyYMMHM1uVgLTIq2lKzz74Ui7daQnkpWIjbQ&oe=6592B5C6	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410779479_327890676681495_2558773091455641064_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X866kMb6AnwAX_7LSd3&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAXrOusUNeqYl7HiYGBz35cTE7UyIU8X0mLH60ygCK7Ug&oe=659189D6			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67693	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/24/24, 11:34 PM	1703760164	1729830868		67		349808970993664		3.634585093535E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105224482388282		0	HeraldWeekly Español			120202703383080367		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1702541001	1.0522448238828E+14	HeraldWeekly Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410436725_347841084608566_5462665001811859366_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=COYYcKYWhTIAX8hl_KY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBkcotMNSyJrXeqV9pB95Wrmast2u0o5xXa3rqiSI8Qmw&oe=659214E5	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		HeraldWeekly Español		696	https://facebook.com/heraldweekly.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67811	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		925131918967141	5	1.514792399362E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548021809		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494397	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409781629_345508451672212_8423922939525873022_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kHtwzO0qqZoAX-eLUNk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD_Tauj_KqvIMtlGbAg7NWcC4GCOy9Ff14gTyjM-x9qnw&oe=6591CDF4	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409803061_807476794480528_2273468370637991851_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VkeeXsIvqO0AX8_1a4x&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeK4JRDulM47hQg79oOC0tEXue7fGI6YFzTwAjp41x4w&oe=6592FBCA			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67879	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		378500774635248	2	1.3474892694688E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169355240427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462131	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409876092_243513971947077_6078181148745796496_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b_45dfgNFQYAX_LkL4k&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD_peZ5TFhrn1-DgNBL48nt2iZC5FaoyNgx_R65wCAQTA&oe=65923985	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409575740_248798661356907_3402123472359706476_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JZevS_fp3REAX9H5JC1&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAeVPfD2VSuvk3USeN4sRIzrjeqgRpUvykVYr0v1igTsw&oe=6591CCD5			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68576	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054165		67		366545022536183	1	3.9328842303806E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	96087687589		0	Steve Hedberg			6515272902878		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/hedbergart		1701705532	96087687589	Steve Hedberg	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407757325_211273912018499_7245240708636249098_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XJ8Q3R3MvyoAX-jV1E3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAVKPGdGoLB-TnRU-UHpobZVCFStXrXXX-gzwWpzSd-oQ&oe=659288B9	person_profile	0	Steve Hedberg 👴🏔🎨	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407471601_853678533121840_7169450851335505681_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oAyr7JJu-G0AX9zbPih&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAsJ_61r-TAvYFTrrz21ce6pIagX4ze7mttgmRyCk65LQ&oe=6592E4DA			0	3	HOLIDAY SALE ALERT! beep beep beep… come down to &#064;cafezata and get a breakfast sandwich and coffee and tell John or Joanna you’d like AT LEAST half off. 52 percent off would be nice. And you will get it! These four pieces are on the wall and each $300. Message me for more info!<br /> <br /> #rvaartist #jamesriver #oilpainting #rva #richmondva		Steve Hedberg		536	https://facebook.com/stevehedberg	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68316	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054165		67		1310124659706848	2	7.257495728074E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102890561862959		0	Wander Prints Home Decor			120201327392190733			Shop now		NONE	image			https://wanderprints.com/gt383nel1901		1702010404	1.0289056186296E+14	Wander Prints Home Decor	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408120835_1314989655850737_244495309097556123_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1gEqswrq9xcAX_jSR3k&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDK9dj9rJW9Hi_Lt36RzqkaQR5WbxPolVrxSveXQ_xLnA&oe=65924266	person_profile	0	Wander Prints	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408118199_1610167299391023_6652147952743416183_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TaqFkyOWIA4AX9v7Vse&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAL3C3HHSjhhiHWLT2Lva5jc1-qwCYiMdpyoMQa8hsPcg&oe=6591C5F9			0	3	Personalized Gift For Besties!<br /> Order here → <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwanderprints.com%2Fgt383nel1901&amp;h=AT1dQmoZPQxeIq9H302BQzdBIwRT_mHMxNNMWKIacAA_odjA66G3iMYdZLpKAOGl-C29XPLVbcFIfsrK-sC8UaR9EZlAaljjHA8F1gZaovUjt6hh2gd-7qpIpG1c-8jPF2anEM2HWvNz8nasddBjPQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://wanderprints.com/gt383nel1901</a><br /> Worldwide Shipping!<br /> #besties #bff #bestfriends #friendship		Wander Prints Home Decor		67969	https://facebook.com/wanderprintsglobal	0		SHOP_NOW						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66832	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054165		67		3227896080848744	1	3.2623512024808E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	183292411535827		0	Myteez Store 682			120204720902540268		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls33		1703325261	1.8329241153583E+14	Myteez Store 682	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412275492_373901238506674_7240256395425221159_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YZ-SAwY-iWMAX_vBEsl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFvUrJXcyfhcFoUX7fpjX2ZcgYcCt_hNI9KFjU1Yy9vA&oe=65914CFD	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls33&amp;h=AT0rKhgo6guT4xWg0trgENJcHkXq7q3cHMsjRXzUmoIGQ73d7kibiNg5Qzhm_SJxx3ojJhYtBiriHS_ncb8VH7eAa2OpJ_zIeyZq1X-keprv97oAnJ4JQ9L3HxQu2VTzmMy1xQiAP302xkAeIRJKoBL6KYo" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls33</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3qH9rJAd8jvyzi8rVPe8nP5Q7GGgKUlSd2XWGJTPs5I76lDFBFZQu7CvAPQnImXPsOJgDIvl1G2JklE4S7oPvW3I65_PR53qOFz-RMnKnaP1k6zPl_Z5g3TxEFIIkHlB3e-47sSynUpUzw6rw0MdzTmXk" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Myteez Store 682		0	https://facebook.com/61554405420065	0		SHOP_NOW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
69459	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054165		67		6724269267668224	1	6.6521774580348E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632030320115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796607	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405529902_634689751957361_4892430525057195607_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C1NANdLtlZMAX_ip86a&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBaVKQh6q4MdCMgIyHJvesAU3qNw5sxhunpSE3XmSS2MA&oe=65928814	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405541655_352751214010784_3215426422305689399_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kzKLhAk-yhgAX8xUstd&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfCQrNjAf20BdaR9hxFbPhyT7R1RfSg3sC8ZPIC1b31NCg&oe=6592066B			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67456	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		190898330774038	2	8.7389821094686E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	157384851487469		0	Joanna Rengel			120203129112710024		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/joannarengel_corp		1702669822	1.5738485148747E+14	Joanna Rengel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409713215_903004374868608_5522920007288516723_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S92Og3spnsUAX9U-AhQ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfClpo0m36A_2wQG9Hcg3Q11pnd3wiVwmngZmo_Nty1vJA&oe=6591C9F5	person_profile	0	Coach Creativa & Espiritual	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411074597_1121517919259522_8093983271554060386_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VpE_yXDEuPIAX8dT9I4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBw3bwxJtKpvV17gigMPlOCb5yDTolXBsL-V-8u27a1TA&oe=65921FFB			0	3	Me convertí en mi propia evidencia de que siempre puedo elegir con miedo y no por miedo. No sabía que estaba dando ESE primer paso para mi transformación personal, y por esas decisiones que en su momento me aterrorizaron y hoy hacen todo el sentido, siento una admiración y respeto profundo hacia mi misma.<br /> <br /> ✨✨ Faltan 15 días para que termine el año, puedes verlo como un factor de estrés, o una oportunidad única para asegurarte de cerrar cómo quieres empezar. El 2024 viene potente y mágico, intenciona cómo quieres vivirlo. <br /> <br /> ✨✨ ¿Cómo quieres despertarte el 01 de enero? sientes que quieres generar cambios, quieres materializar tus sueños, quieres empezar un nuevo hábito o tomar una decisión en tu vida. En el momento que estés leyendo esto: es el día perfecto para dar el primer paso. Es momento de accionar ❤️‍🔥<br /> <br /> 👉🏻 Estoy abriendo cupos limitados para sesiones de coaching, mi forma de trabajar es por medio de Mentorías 1:1 o grupales, con contenidos, activaciones y ejercicios en módulos subidos a una plataforma más soporte vía chat. <br /> <br /> Del 0 al 100 es para ti si:<br /> <br /> 💘 Tus sueños son más grandes que tus miedos.<br /> 💘 Estás dispuesto a invertir en ti mismo.<br /> 💘 Tienes ganas de brillar y ganas de despertar en todo sentido.<br /> 💘 Llevas mucho tiempo posponiendo muchas cosas en tu vida y estás listx para tomar acción.<br /> 💘 Quieres generar nuevos hábitos en tu vida, desde cambiar tu alimentación, tu mentalidad, reforzar tu espiritualidad, despertar tu creatividad, mejorar la relación con el dinero y manejar tus emociones. <br /> 💘 Te sientes estancadx, frustradx y abrumadx con tanta información sin aplicar. 😮‍💨<br /> <br /> ✨✨ Y si sueñas con emprender y trabajar más profundo desde el amor para conectarte contigo misma te invito a registrarte en mi Marterclass gratuita aquí: <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joannarengel.com%2Fregistro-entrenamiento-intensivo&amp;h=AT3VZyVnSE-9YTyaGvDGNnjRjYyYAHQYZYdZ5XHjamjWdCgF4D84VuVN3h5qA1kAG914CIDSUshwdzV-thEcysoczhA4eAj1Wm6RNMz09JgR-9Md0laToZefBs8I-GPa3DB81iSk7lrt-g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.joannarengel.com/registro-entrenamiento-intensivo</a><br /> <br /> ✨✨ Más información lo puedes ver en <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joannarengel.com%2F&amp;h=AT0VuybiiVVpnftny9H_Gt8HHcq2bb4BKrdDuRaN5JNqOEThJFt6CQHjgr660daGfzFgnMxpiYsHbjEbUHvO5jmlEqDXdW_t7thhjq2g4mSnkV0zGu1lBkmsNXZGJWef9IotA81dyDlZ8A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.joannarengel.com</a> o escríbeme por interno. <br /> <br /> Vamos a vibrar desde el alma y a hacer que las cosas ocurran ✨✨<br /> con amor, 🫶<br /> <br /> Joa.<br /> <br /> #healthcoaching #amarseparaemprender #mentoriaonline #coachingonline #masterclass #mentoringprogram #coachingemocional		Joanna Rengel		1141	https://facebook.com/joannarengel	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68037	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/13/24, 11:39 AM	1703760166	1731519559		67		1063210858213136		6.7743684786976E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120207706466050456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389931	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409663976_880377300478751_2489654191047079587_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cwulP1yZhjMAX-u_8pZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCDjyvnjUiZBzMJzTC2kzZf8mantQX4PUuv8w4oqp3cIQ&oe=65915B29	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68005	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/13/24, 12:31 PM	1703760166	1731522686		67		1849088218880190	1	7.35263915185E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	110687163802777		0	Alta Climbing			120203094622420275		altaclimbing.com	Learn more		NONE	image	New Year's Workshop		https://altaclimbing.com/gilbert/yoga-classes/		1702412365	1.1068716380278E+14	Alta Climbing	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410709564_353717327307184_2057391039091742876_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wH-feR7hlT4AX_sheLo&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDgFQjFIcuPN-1zPIZD__QS5gSOYWuR7H3SFRRisQEtJA&oe=6592322E	person_profile	0	Alta Climbing	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410701617_1089592302182392_8641558206926959029_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3kwqI0KkkbcAX-yFquX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDPKaIDcOtHZGiym3NyyYEuRJOSYTmGeYOTXMo0OD8YFg&oe=65920932			0	3	Embrace the Power of Change at Our New Year’s Manifestation Meditation and Intention Setting Workshop!🧘‍♀️<br /> <br /> 📅 Date: Saturday, December 30th<br /> 🕘 Time: 9:15 AM - 10:45 AM<br /> <br /> Step into the New Year with purpose and positivity! Join Joanna for a transformative 90-minute workshop featuring New Year’s manifestation meditation, gentle yoga, Reiki healing, and the enchanting sounds of crystal singing bowls.<br /> In this immersive experience, we&#039;ll guide you through a journey of self-discovery and renewal, allowing you to release the remnants of the past year and pave the way for a joyous and fulfilling future. 🌌✨<br /> <br /> What to Expect:<br /> 🧘‍♀️ Gentle Yoga to Align Body and Mind<br /> 🔮 Reiki Healing for Deep Energy Cleansing<br /> 🎶 Crystal Singing Bowls for Serene Relaxation<br /> 🌌 Guided Meditation for Manifestation<br /> <br /> As we bid farewell to the challenges of the past, let&#039;s harness that energy to shape a brighter tomorrow. Bring your intentions, dreams, and an open heart as we embark on this soul-nourishing journey together.<br /> <br /> Limited spots available, so secure your place now for a New Year’s celebration that goes beyond the ordinary. Let&#039;s set our intentions and welcome 2024 with a renewed spirit and positive energy! 🌟🎉 <br /> #NewYearManifestation #IntentionsWorkshop #RenewAndTransform #AltaClimbing #yogaclass		Alta Climbing		5814	https://facebook.com/altaclimbing	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68176	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/4/25, 10:27 PM	1703760167	1751686059		67		713912507349029	2	8.6241212202675E+14		1702454400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103862972598152		0	zendalacraft			120202916630560005		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/zendalacraft		1702258833	1.0386297259815E+14	zendalacraft	https://scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/327749956_742099477207961_1623403982017122936_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Euu8qPRQOY8AX860rS6&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDdqceklp3mCTOangeBiSMm9X-Bq3z-Qm_dcfsm-FLq2w&oe=6592ACBD	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Medina	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406843924_1775951892919535_6773410522747698311_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uUlo-ca57kYAX_4h2F5&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJ7jd-VbRyzv0lkmFg8XnQY0IpNpoR6zlK4AtJZZQbPA&oe=65931629			0	3	TEMA: WORKSHOP BRUSH LETTERING NIVEL BÁSICO. EN NAVIDAD 🪅🎄🧑🏻‍🎄🎅🏻<br /> <br /> Aprenderás desde cero el arte de crear letras!!! <br /> <br /> * MODALIDAD PRESENCIAL :<br /> <br /> 📆 Fecha: Sábado 16 de Diciembre 2023<br /> 📌 Edad: Cualquier edad, A partir de 8 años en adelante !!!<br /> ⏱️ Hora: 9:00 am a 1:00 pm <br /> 💵 Forma de Pago: Zelle, transferencia, pago móvil, PayPal <br /> <br /> 📍LUGAR: Zona Norte, cerca del Sambil, Taller de Arte Zendala Craft, Maracaibo, Venezuela.<br /> Modalidad: PRESENCIAL <br /> ———<br /> Incluye Kit de Materiales:<br /> - Guía Física para prácticas.<br /> - Set de marcadores punta pincel.<br /> - Portaminas, Borrador <br /> - Material para prácticas.<br /> - Refrigerio <br /> <br /> Dictado por: <br /> Dra. Joanna Medina <br /> Arquitecto.<br /> <br /> Contenido del Taller: <br /> 1. Clase Introductoria<br /> 2. Ejercicios de Trazos Básicos, con prácticas guiadas en tiempo real <br /> 3.Alfabeto Sans Serif en letras minúsculas.<br /> 3. Prácticas de abecedario en tiempo real, con variaciones de estilos de letras. <br /> 4.Anatomía de las letras, diseño y de frases o ideas, paso a paso.<br /> 5. Práctica final motivo Navidad		zendalacraft		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/zendalacraft	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
69075	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054165		67		299223456415367	3	2.4809024668697E+16		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690725840115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055908	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404676869_306467712299601_6303177923733190172_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=80eHAvvpu9IAX_kBvNW&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBzZS5cYfPQ2DyFAUXHXkJeojD-8O6JXLaSd4_4TkAnTw&oe=6593143E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406027949_1029507671663126_8895959747435154165_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5wSZgSvFuqQAX9gIXxU&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCp9EDKP9tTeVsNSkDDLnCFryFXXUaISiP14eQl7DSDKw&oe=659322D2			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69940	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054165		67		899979554559020	1	6.9726087928215E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579098440115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632919	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625662_1022097615705401_8890552926059139389_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QmPcCr8SSS4AX8kFVOE&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCXekXVKfE1wu-J0go5VGfeQCLsj4FCY3o0NaFCTaWDvQ&oe=65920E91	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403607946_6627118614064339_859313787567768205_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XvGr4oIbqUgAX95IhC8&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDAc9k5eeFmMoQUwLNKU67svWkM4Zeq424x6JxWgAY5YA&oe=65931849			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69385	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054165		67		657071319895593	2	2.5285951779224E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220441420404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582686	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404871078_1031287584756553_4711576206374538190_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=l0kMibxuy48AX8X5gbr&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDU_LWGQwUNSls4rznkixWlhn34PTqSgC8lyAsFaDh8-w&oe=6592D3F6	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404289445_669322565024692_4994854594698686890_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eKub6Cu3M2AAX8rJa5b&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBUOsJeOY3--9j5js4jM3rh8htrbJiFYlkmvJiDE9JU0A&oe=6592BF00			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67040	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054165		67		1430202534513717		1.5123013262127E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120203514462730367		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703139864	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412742070_1426398944753343_88694138432417546_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e8EZXBMtjNMAX_yCMD6&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAD95RxvZBFwjuQBG7X4jZtJDg3tXKArZbxRS9JsCrWLA&oe=659304A6	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66689	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/27/25, 5:08 AM	1703760159	1745748484		67		1421884461753785		8.851472866062E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204757753160062		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703511041	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411964533_1573434586808055_6924979019524723982_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zXw2DX8ygo4AX-4MYnZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6QWtJIxScv0PqoyAE-RVFgaxLGA0b5p54oPQHsETRFg&oe=6591E0F0	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414583201_3680362705617403_8979065578617455560_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=__WDtWjc8BkAX8w7JO3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDPdstOl8NzZ9qlL_CDDFhlQOtt-Bm-XGart7zb70f0jw&oe=6592DD52			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68379	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054165		67		277153864914922	1	1.0449115235037E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997406860476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940816	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406756243_7642766595739996_3360875810401152055_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rwq0nFWJdsQAX_H8Z4k&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC10Q5gdt1hchN6UQDX2VCrB-jRvG_GDgC4kfVMr2oZGw&oe=65920A16	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406824121_1025235615230458_3536432969110713553_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oA5Tjy2VMmsAX-0Ca5b&_nc_oc=AQmwQTksQObDdS583g65WzxQMZEr4rP2UVCVPYgRT-BrwMErlc7EbKwRyOAX8B_YOEg&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCa5VEzwR2dQY-UDGc1pABl1t-hwjurOkBgSZKYqaw0BA&oe=659339E6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69855	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054165		67		1396298424314840	4	6.5157521705526E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	6435441794		0	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital			6475042309325		stjude.org	Donate now		NONE	video	Join Chip and Joanna		https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N575301.1960500FACEBOOKAD/B26771615.373797549;dc_trk_aid=564342863;dc_trk_cid=205898739;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=;dc_tdv=1		1700670494	6435441794	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403677385_1013348499963267_2742852054325177986_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RGYoZVhz2nIAX-OHURo&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZ6aIekWEvJUvP8wB-nEuxsK_hPwYXQ4im9k-IfZoFYw&oe=6592A01D	person_profile	0	St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403602223_330987519572099_3984586086522261648_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1I9BDVJaaLsAX9oj9IB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-dKbZLz_i2_UnxF89f3u-msQehWZHLfKppoL-8a9erg&oe=6592CE82			0	3	The best gifts keep giving. Donate to help the kids of St. Jude today.		St. Jude Children's Research Hospital		2826776	https://facebook.com/stjude	0		DONATE_NOW						1701763200		View Edit Delete
67313	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/19/25, 5:50 AM	1703760162	1747651809		67		899256851453976	2	3.8225503758371E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	218789368308514		0	21 Draw			6534470948573		21-draw.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Painting Portraits using Gouache	Offer Expires soon! So Hurry!	https://www.21-draw.com/course/painting-portraits-in-gouache/		1702898262	2.1878936830851E+14	21 Draw	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410674343_1744734729365121_8330630127109463705_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lslyU8iS7sUAX8s10H4&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbBy5ZIgyrrvaDyjGXjGoTYJqZx4q0PhFxYOa0hAikIA&oe=6592B07A	person_profile	0		https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410662821_822311716250658_5754943864370093328_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KQXtfVkKSmoAX8ucfZV&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBY0OM6MuBQREyco8F2jdPlCcM_1hWBS69TAGzD9itdSg&oe=659248A1			0	3	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a fantastic course and so relaxing to watch. I was mesmerized. I use gouache often, but learned a lot from watching the layering technique with a large flat brush. Thank you for sharing your process and all the valuable tips! (Joanna)<br /> <br /> Do you feel intimidated, assuming it’s an advanced skill that only professional artists can master?<br /> Well, good news! It’s MUCH easier than you might think! Get ready to learn the basics of painting portraits and techniques for using gouache!<br /> Your instructor, Jordan Rhodes, demystifies the process of portrait painting, by explaining in detail each step, giving you clear demonstrations and teaching you easy techniques that you can use right away. With Jordan’s guidance and helpful tips, you’ll realize that creating a portrait is nowhere near as daunting as you thought!<br /> ⁠<br /> 👉️ Check out the course and watch some FREE lessons: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcour&amp;h=AT1G5dkBgcghi1mRSlX7oalg29TEOc6oco4xpAev0Ksw3VXUzHvfc3egw-WSrfw9X_3GHw1O6CWkE-kUjTMnh3emfeAdp1-uguuBQAC9BsEzXJcYR55YMBh5NVwGtHI8DZucEbnCnhwKPKnvH0o5E0EA-8Q2IUyb_DNpUw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/cour</a>…/painting-portraits-in-gouache/<br /> ⁠⁠<br /> Discover what’s in store for you in this course: ⁠<br /> <br /> ⁠✅ Discover how to paint your very own portrait<br /> ✅ ⁠Learn about gouache and how to use it<br /> ⁠✅ Learn how to prepare your paper and set up your workspace<br /> ✅ Learn Jordan’s techniques for mixing colors and blending<br /> ✅ Understand the planes of the face and divide a face into several values<br /> ✅ Get started by painting a base &amp; value layer<br /> ✅ Understand how to build up layers and control opacity<br /> ✅ How to add details to the portrait and clean up edges<br /> <br /> This is just one of many fantastic courses on 21 Draw! With an annual membership, you will have access to a full library of high-quality courses taught by industry experts! ⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Check out other amazing courses: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2Fcourse%2F&amp;h=AT2wY8wQM1i6tG33FYushgh5pVCd1AgOsHOWbndkzjzXhvqDRfF7UuI73HEm5mlHpCmgNi3ycZBUKHtyXbvgCdYLP8NIdCgzG4QNWDufr7UP3LaNjuwDuzvF3QKdyoNkibpqoVjgPtA_BgzpyXHkfk_WMq7Nya_TxhPtYQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/course/</a><br /> <br /> Some of the course subjects include: ⁠<br /> 🖌️ Lighting and Shading⁠<br /> 🖌️ Human Anatomy⁠<br /> 🖌️ Facial Expressions⁠<br /> 🖌️ Dynamic Poses⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Procreate⁠<br /> 🖌️ Introduction to Photoshop⁠<br /> 🖌️ Drawing Landscapes⁠<br /> 🖌️ .... and MUCH more!⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠⁠All these and many other value-packed courses are up for grabs for a limited time at 75% OFF! 👀😲⁠<br /> <br /> 👉️ Start learning today: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.21-draw.com%2F&amp;h=AT0rAHl5_NBVT97RsH9m8tLYEFctn6BNtfpG8aYgyIgbwvtnoLyS0Jf4RVMlsVcgM1uQnz7iG5w2qG_M3GN6FzGSlnCign9mfaaxm8UzORqDq5e3qkLni5OGdPPzio2ewyRkblXhPa933DG2R_Zeb32y07bBMVkpCWcjkQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.21-draw.com/</a>		21 Draw		130588	https://facebook.com/21draw	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
68890	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/13/25, 1:43 AM	1703760172	1749797016		67		884568322957522	1	3.3575495345379E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201748988190115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701227809	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406594106_848593066953917_7850566064947360534_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-qE1Wa1CzHMAX_fWuwS&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBcpurLrHbNbB-r3P08D0aYrQ8YtUh6dcCPrk0yq2Seig&oe=659222B6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405449961_1054594925689852_8102008511814973297_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BD0KUDe3NHYAX_Pc_uB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC1U3iM9GkiFx014cdbXx9W0ULdgABzAjWUtASV_cAIdg&oe=6592B7A1			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69569	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054165		67		7564603510222589	1	7.1505113686868E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611858520115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722760	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403628051_2115078448830370_677364698253640913_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3fR3A8X2shgAX8ecLB4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBLUFe3MJJbYCUgX2023N_6yDp-XQ1nDLjksZ8WsXwylQ&oe=65915645	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403612752_257487814001209_7415754233687683462_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QR5KYpF7vS0AX_4u-Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD9vNIVg6T63f3-4i3syChmIJblrrC7C2E4dSF-3w3Kvg&oe=65916765			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69947	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/27/25, 5:36 AM	1703760178	1745750208		67		1007577347017542	5	2.6441433323993E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158871880403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633008	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402992522_324093640397782_229204765298551861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NQNkwdWHa4wAX_kJXNz&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDIorP0EF_KJ5jxHL2MQt40kgzHsv7_dvmjuVX10-rCOg&oe=659196BC	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403105124_3597547263844331_1954751326753428705_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4sBoX1H7_OUAX-mupdT&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDxSDfftEl9XLYab06OwOROdWiBSsNaz_mvrJXS4P4jMQ&oe=6591F491			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68023	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/13/24, 3:55 PM	1703760166	1731534942		67		1064378901371587		1.4010282708114E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207707504640456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390696	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409540993_199129096586994_2791462629474179665_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WGbdqRoJc-AAX91DtvP&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoA2vq6VT9aHu15BKCmkmeoUdm5zNGDy3UkJclNJdaEw&oe=6591CB9B	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67758	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/6/25, 6:21 PM	1703760164	1751844074		67		922746982742855	4	8.7957657712288E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548133209		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494409	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409770840_859367499257508_7982999040515187877_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T_JyRwNwHDYAX8pO1MT&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfByMVnYFebJvTYH4iOs5UfUFlNEE-nmMxQUmtYNVxQjuQ&oe=6591EB31	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409717613_373318471897357_1277266813245526403_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2its3yLHR5IAX_5qRNi&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD1sBh9aT7JesXaRlgi2DKTMIMbLrpg2qwBhiKXl0Gbow&oe=659251ED			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67107	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/16/25, 11:52 AM	1703760161	1750092761		67		276818495373796	4	3.6476807956901E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120204900223580036		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines' 'So Called' Marriage	A Look at Chip and Joanna Gaines's Love Story	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1703065078	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412860793_1301637177165793_1636653158791136167_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G6z1UBycPCIAX8vr8a6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwTw9TrWHjYpohifs_tEtG0M-INyVR_Y673aT9cVDeYw&oe=659261F8	person_profile	0					0	3	37 Truly Strange Facts About Chip And Joanna Gaines&#039; &#039;So Called&#039; Marriage		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68898	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/19/25, 6:01 PM	1703760172	1747695711		67		229285990103913	2	1.2240310095171E+14		1694156400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23858300666650562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	🔴Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości	Dla kobiet kochających, czułych, z sercem, dających z siebie za dużo które powtarzają te same niechciane historie w relacjach ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI Natychmiastowy i trwały sposób, aby ODKRYĆ I NA ZAWSZE POZBYĆ SIĘ bolesnych, trudnych, nieuświadomionych wzorców i schematów, ...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1692631707	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/368242123_2506831992818648_8365173657155055232_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BfU4dqD1z68AX9C2as1&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMEP9s4N8vXNDOUnV6g8dgru16BTlytsfBXCTdk60ZIw&oe=65914D84	person_profile	0					0	3	Co …On. … Żeby on, ….dlaczego on <br /> <br /> TYMI pytaniami zaczynają rozmowy ze mną kobiety, które być może tkwią w nierównych relacjach i powielają bolesne wzorce miłości. <br /> <br /> Wiesz, jak to rozpoznaję? <br /> <br /> Właśnie po tych pytaniach<br /> <br /> DLACZEGO ON…<br /> ŻEBY ON… <br /> CO ON…<br /> <br /> Nic o sobie, mało uwagi na siebie.<br /> Za to cała uwaga na niego. <br /> <br /> ……..<br /> <br /> Ona- ostatnia w kolejce do siebie. <br /> <br /> Za jego potrzebami<br /> Za jego czasem- to ona dostępna bardziej<br /> Za jego bez decyzyjnością<br /> Za jego ….<br /> <br /> A potem u niej<br /> <br /> # huśtawka emocji, <br /> # udawana radość, a pod nią ból, tęsknota, lęk przed samotnością <br /> # pytania- dokąd to zmierza, <br /> # co dalej, <br /> # co ja naprawde znaczę,<br /> # co on robi…<br /> <br /> Albo jeszcze<br /> <br /> # co ze mną jest nie tak, <br /> # czy On mnie chce…<br /> # co zrobić, aby wreszcie się zdecydował …<br /> <br /> To powiem wprost- wzorzec miłości BOLESNY <br /> <br /> I krótka mocna teza: <br /> <br /> Jeśli nie widzisz siebie jako priorytetu<br /> <br /> On też Cię NIE WIDZI JAKO PRIORYTETU. <br /> <br /> Ale, to NIE jest Twoja wina.<br /> <br /> To NIEŚWIADOME Twoje zachowania, emocje, myśli, reakcje, które działają dokładnie przeciw temu, czego pragniesz w związku. <br /> A on swoim zachowaniem, jak w lustrze tylko Ci to odzwierciedla. <br /> <br /> DOBRA WIADOMOŚĆ JEST TAKA. <br /> Że możesz te wzorce &quot;odczarować&quot;. <br /> <br /> A jak zechcesz być priorytetem. <br /> Siebie musisz postawić wewnętrznie jako priorytet. <br /> <br /> Jedną SWOJĄ decyzją zacząć GŁĘBOKĄ transformację.<br /> Siebie i tej relacji. <br /> <br /> Kliknij i odbierz 1 sze wideo/ Poznaj 3 ślepe punkty, przez które wchodzi się w nierówne związki<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT2bMed48XV0etKylI_krMUDKWAFd7iwq3EiX-Flyf4PKzm1PE33aW4ZYWYrUltAwtxIBTMyek-FcKp9JU3pyoCNlvQ3Q5Yuo6Ukaezgt1qogtCh1Vx05OWOwTglCXcKRnZY7mobPEUHoA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a> i dołącz do kursu Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości.		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1692601200		View Edit Delete
68790	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/6/25, 6:23 PM	1703760172	1751844198		67		376578474724996	2	6.6188194936214E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734790226		play.google.com	Use app		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"	Great Story Starts Here	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256539	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404763001_735863031779815_3651833085392326176_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=taD16ZG5R-kAX8vaqwU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA8A8owcm_dskVNFJWr9rxRodOmp1ahS4OL1eq57_JtRg&oe=659286E2	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405713679_3739556653000385_3029514349507632844_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=G-Nf0JxweyYAX8O_FUA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHPTb1rujIiHvg2Ib6aNb1bLG5eg9N0ljdb26aCZwbkQ&oe=6591AB02			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		USE_MOBILE_APP						1701331200		View Edit Delete
69296	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/30/25, 10:23 PM	1703760175	1746069824		67		885613442714624	1	6.5754006322282E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632211510115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796949	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405535819_2130114007334460_1958262922095217011_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fV8UTYFKBZ8AX8p0iOA&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-6eHak9hFdP8gmdCxt728VweB3D0IQKRoBIDmHAZzZw&oe=65923EC8	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405538806_1835110026891633_5111147563273796191_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xBnlOJSNavEAX_GDOpr&_nc_oc=AQmw_5iJQeBE542PW68gN4KJ1VgkC3q5Qwi87kCCHHnJWbb19RT54lsmdWwFIyDi3Ag&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA3W6HDfJqrTzN5GvvzoghaaG59SVV2WCcURajfGNkCSA&oe=6592F1FA			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69281	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054165		67		351453580832198	1	7.160545705848E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632059410115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796909	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405528075_314658434853357_7277632199114999243_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RLf1kI4ORxAAX_YBQYk&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDh2cCXxJ5n-x0JIn4TXR6b-fe43Um1EAP9qz8_D0hk0A&oe=65923231	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404606341_1275752923116644_4741098493695701697_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k9ldp1FBIWMAX-K98pm&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAOtaWAu7w4X9dXW-DvgfS-73ICRW0Wif3CnBLG7FosxA&oe=6592415E			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67805	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/18/24, 4:22 AM	1703760165	1731925375		67		367013765838350		3.8508444062965E+14		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409800295_861284615776661_7700039322791350656_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iLThSbRw6CwAX9tUP4M&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAQ5wavYIhf9Id1o5b0Lg7fnPfO450NCHZHjtvXVmNGQ&oe=659259A8	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
70109	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/27/25, 2:26 PM	1703760179	1745781969		67		304824889176755	5	1.4934879178929E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201539247460115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700547858	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403060817_363736399367237_4321599993114582526_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aav1LBgnE9UAX9GBhgn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA39muNsotHS7H4peRr7_uE_bwEqeF_0QgV9u6645TXPA&oe=65919E31	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402923510_720055036668363_1277364811621947700_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XzNToaRlcCwAX9RdSTK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCkaj7-CLRA4SLb7nz24suRhwZE1pm_v_vV37X-y8Dk8w&oe=659216C4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69142	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/5/25, 6:22 AM	1703760174	1749122529		67		2019105711796144	2	3.7060547197791E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281138280596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068298	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406302040_753014236649177_3712619355483223777_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t2QKDdfb1RgAX-T54vv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVF3bAoasEZMJu0ce1ptDIpz7BYaFJlwjwiLbzpHKY5Q&oe=6592BE26	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406302765_368546978996463_876759678928440625_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kdsas2hVqlgAX_4aUmf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCIdw2RvCtzOmpnAD7DGwYkTqL9I12p5Z1kTjuaLff05Q&oe=659169AE			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68495	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054165		67		262976323446699	1	1.6659644905584E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201881952070476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856025	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407956645_733756081472001_6433089034305944441_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iNB9rnLOoGEAX-z34QF&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAv8sBv0lynEypJaiv6ld8GFBkUqSRThBSsBkm_TRXY8A&oe=6591DA8F	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407936386_3652603138285198_4803322959159040675_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JtzyBgPXrAQAX83jVN3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCp3N0SGALms6BRh6ogLviZYRLttbvUKwaRsnes58iqUQ&oe=6593349D			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68030	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760166	1742988680		67		1081561066311473		6.7743684786976E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120207708735290456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702391557	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409205159_201064553059364_79910351516858280_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W09wwPoLmvgAX_unVPW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB65WMr0yhm8MNgilFfkC7LgjYcZmgdkUP5YMbDaCHCyQ&oe=6592C12E	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68132	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 1:08 PM	1703760167	1748714932		67		691769333065865	1	2.2524006060346E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107484338786638		0	The Good Life			120202375524660121		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702294024	1.0748433878664E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408845504_2103846626639136_1083973787737358249_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iXAfCQ3jyuMAX_enRRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfARfPDGTDU1eegydCuuIHDWU18hBnAWNpOQj7XgPce3vg&oe=65922593	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		The Good Life		1880	https://facebook.com/100086048831352	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68018	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/18/24, 6:52 AM	1703760166	1731934327		67		261607319929392		1.4010282708114E+15		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207707807340456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390808	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408179813_870075304590900_3506952896735288972_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ugJiFpwfvBwAX8I7Y8d&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC0fYKfvf4OOxu5JsHjiTaVB_uUq-wdJYNKh3sXjn5PKw&oe=6593001E	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68024	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/18/24, 6:52 AM	1703760166	1731934329		67		24535444149435212		1.4010282708114E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207706706170456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390121	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408492006_729287099097653_4981641441699659857_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CW2YRbH4Jq4AX-YR1iN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDG9cs7A1A5Cp4QX8RFTkS_93JS1LLd76zSukwSIs3MJw&oe=65920105	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67938	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/27/25, 4:56 PM	1703760165	1745790983		67		378305334646389	1	1.0884113192524E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411374470044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702457968	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410711592_926120642243385_5163264695163516289_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HCh0naaziBAAX-cF_h3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEVIPoglKsC7IKJSWS53wrFTAQPTuRLbLPwIrHDVcEEg&oe=6591BA8A	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410637193_1767852886976849_2562341648241639557_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fWYe1waEvaQAX9K3mgM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDuS5IvJkcx1HJEpJbi7ML-Q8LuG8Rrv5NzfRRLZWUn4A&oe=6591F897			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68597	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/23/25, 8:49 AM	1703760171	1740322155		67		269725706080848		1.4290925879512E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103687719211673		0	Science A2Z Español			120202284964340275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666531	1.0368771921167E+14	Science A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408118260_373188798720641_487352991217428493_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AKqsMFaVPSEAX-aFGHE&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDH8ItMv4-qp0cWK7r3rbdfJkVPmDtJ0gNsX7_7cm7mjw&oe=6592DCE9	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Science A2Z Español		349	https://facebook.com/sciencea2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68961	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:58 AM	1703760173	1742979539		67		1026061481777939	1	9.1414836031542E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300681580596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151761	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404650706_2983813118415870_1851831510146468041_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KJq08UqODEsAX-1nXz5&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCr6BOAU70YDqVMI94laln2Z6JP_Cm_jipXH5ioHoiHPg&oe=65928ADA	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404656943_307185975516736_8567524924891062067_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PGSpaibhResAX_ITXJa&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHntgcJDUgVKK1oTyOWLS8J-k8hzrH1I9MclJ6l8_qFg&oe=6593089E			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69020	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760173	1742979545		67		655392620086896	2	3.1631636458366E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715937790115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140278	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404665451_260305163360603_8634207333134643865_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yEK3eSuZJjcAX-sjBn_&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAKo8wWuXAji64o2QY9HmYiRAkYgxf7vVTEXS1CX34FBw&oe=6591F4DC	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404715689_1694212754401860_5353087978072687981_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BuIw9QkkSjgAX9kuvK5&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAoKxA8oFgfaEk3T9b9VUyju_3vI8Q1acx-B0sinXFVGg&oe=6592C710			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69113	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760174	1742979550		67		863828395245750	1	6.8456887377798E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281119460596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068332	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406403638_3569405380004961_4936980720061732160_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8aRuH3Pg1tQAX9ibZ8a&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA7ZyMIV6ezIykMgW2F_htDoA9td3EGjepk07VBd63kjg&oe=65930751	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405695981_1055229918955518_6180044482997184918_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ld5SUljyIb0AX-d-Mj3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVZs_bmJLF3kxw9_5DnqbnTNo2h4AnUWf3QUwsZfKS3w&oe=65931033			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69140	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760174	1742979555		67		1794322311081308	2	1.0635633716546E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281116190596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068284	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406009077_370999825502442_3286783574388237395_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jD4Z-5GdOZgAX_WJAN_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfACMaXuoHVZd79-oiddqWcg4_iPzR0UTOEm3mmbrridRQ&oe=65933D6D	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406004375_1288077715920029_772822929585063968_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zQPSLfdr7MIAX_qMAU9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD4jybI3LWW6uYPcKC5QODwIV4OEyu1DElq2NdJMUFm0A&oe=6592B85F			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69177	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760174	1742979560		67		7303448339665463		5.7974953763093E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145421190740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	World Exclusive: Joanna Gaines Breaks Her Silence for the First Time.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806347	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403208425_1007203737020465_4850739763630294285_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nf-Z7DB_hqUAX9tHkD_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAODqBkILOrJ9DAaD7wSHb1QZHGufCukSfxYBwR4TQ7dw&oe=65926F53	person_profile	0					0	3	The Untold Story: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband, Spilling Behind-the-Scenes Show Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69235	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760174	1742979570		67		1333011304745815	3	1.0024689641623E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674071770115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969837	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405767888_316021314551929_3035441415060174943_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cLE31fbO5SUAX9Hjbfu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoSjbkn5SRVcwgjwhQdA5lBbj56QJh28azvZ3LSA1_8Q&oe=65919790	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405769682_852885019922315_2654440559988400859_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zU0BXu5lsyoAX8-BSwx&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAe3FjmdRjRJsRMb3I_mTXFI7Ysmyd5wqoAf6eKvs3BNg&oe=659159C5			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69300	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760175	1742979576		67		997282228005196	1	3.6381848288272E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632258530115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796806	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405096353_1372366570033229_3000603061354305351_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9qIOsy-ZfLgAX_RhGjK&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC5UxcLKb8dKSX20GIb2Jt6F7VX5Xf-ic6J2RddTD_hIQ&oe=6591BE62	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405741254_1350536505631051_4463538957422243292_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dNkh3L0oCz0AX_Yf8vj&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCInTc3bbI_RJr60sY9Zeipn2EZsPEV60qwBK3_3zN7mw&oe=6592019A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69327	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760175	1742979581		67		1487016022077867	2	1.4427700929366E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632250400115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796758	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403077606_877108267390776_3465220922730670075_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IPMDV-gT94YAX8PKhRu&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDQTpBjw52V-L05rqMOHuv_QXMfWX4MIuAwuqvq4gATqw&oe=659256C9	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403729629_6771363806274938_4453967282860494823_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jFU0PTvWRecAX-VCShj&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC8r_rSoRrT7_N3rLZH_3Gc6JEUmEN5asowQG6TrdL4-Q&oe=65923A2A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69347	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760175	1742979586		67		796596288934980	1	7.9856662894856E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200360105610122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/whua31xndyremjbxijcrpp5v?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700883495	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404685420_332226536111524_8948879539622136343_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GtzFvCyYpf0AX-DWB32&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCiTbPI4ff9SwdDepkeNAErCYM7Mtk10iWkmo82Qb-TUg&oe=659280DA	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404744092_1085922982826276_7562440700763202018_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KY9owY-rAX4AX_dtj_u&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAqM8Be9ZFQqOChYIZiz9zEuLQc8el-tzVRwoor3Kj-jg&oe=6591782A			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67629	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054166		67		1756117194857819				1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102221635727945		0	On This Day			120202810580400518		pastchronicles.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.pastchronicles.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702566989	1.0222163572794E+14	On This Day	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409407061_1983397175367393_2035128548325238315_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-loZUcSAwDwAX93oKAH&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAxtjBgF9qUOC6y5-i8QyY687ZgUHtUSe0tPwjQoEqNFA&oe=6592DCD3	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		On This Day		5437	https://facebook.com/100078223331969	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66490	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:58 AM	1703760158	1742979529		67		1420916792167742	1	6.7702908763407E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868936380268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_C53CD6FC192D47E3459000044784B7F6_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699168	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413939761_360044130005192_8247713527268806478_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fwwxcWI_5LAAX9flwdj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyZBAP8UHnajdPqRVfn8NoxV2d7Xi73kJR4YjuV8Ie6Q&oe=6592D914	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a bookstore clerk, never fancied athletes. But Knox, a star football player with a secret struggle, is about to rewrite her playbook		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68945	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:58 AM	1703760173	1742979534		67		720420256668813	2	1.0635633716546E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300675230596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151578	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406198902_857711609188283_5851805092701162777_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yG5Nx8zVUckAX_ctUDm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCqmPHeRxh0S3q9kZUV2joSWyHQusHgJrXO7WRdbXmhzw&oe=6591CFC1	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406182219_366309862624069_6543092090495103040_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LosXFlWlvCEAX9jw3iA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfADEGh3Gzta-wi6Kv-xYD-J0LnsrBKHrHSxy8ImyK8JCw&oe=65933D42			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
67133	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/8/25, 2:00 AM	1703760161	1751958056		67		1027392021710409	1	9.1979517289548E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	137868669405297		0	Joana Witzaney			120203711857940238			Send message		NONE	video	Make the Move Online and Support Your Family – Even in Tough Times!	A Filipina Canadian's Journey In the Digital Business.		{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"I'm interested. Can you tell me more?"},{"title":"Can you give me more information?"},{"title":"I want to learn more. What is the next step?"}],"quick_replies":[],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let me know how I can help you."}},"image_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"template","payload":{"template_type":"generic","elements":[{"title":"","buttons":[]}]}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let me know how I can help you."}},"video_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"video","payload":{"attachment_id":""}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"I'd like to learn more","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hi, {{user_first_name}}! Please let me know how I can help you."}},"user_edit":true,"surface":"visual_editor_new","welcome_message_edited":true,"ice_breakers_edited":true,"template_id":"384568620713682"}	1703052564	1.378686694053E+14	Joana Witzaney	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412721601_2825487857594286_2414730959965109378_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g4IiIRsupfsAX8h98W0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBMyiuzg9i7ok1eeD3CGnanYW4w9wCKK2dzC2HUJ_3uJg&oe=659224A6	person_profile	0	Joana Witzaney	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410992367_1550999742383300_2499948314488655275_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Gcb2YcfK4O0AX9kC1ck&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAID8ybPXXvHbK4_N3A5563FU504oOen5-DrrwBerJZFg&oe=6592AAD3			0	3	When I was on maternity leave, I was searching for ways to earn online once my maternity payments ended, so I wouldn&#039;t have to go back to work and leave my child in daycare. Joana Witzaney here, from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, originally from Cebu, Philippines. I&#039;ve been in the fast-food industry for 15 years and a casual job in house-keeping.<br /> <br /> Even though my husband has a good-paying job, I didn&#039;t want him to shoulder the responsibilities and obligations alone. As a Filipina, I wanted to support my parents without my husband having to shoulder everything.<br /> Eventually, when my son turned two, I had to go back to work, which was difficult because I didn&#039;t want to leave him with someone else. <br /> <br /> Fast forward to today I&#039;m proud to say that I am a digital business owner. I may not have looked back twice in 2019, but I am here now. Excited and ready to learn and earn while being at home with my son. What pushed me towards this business even more was when my husband fell ill last year. It was an incredibly tough year for us, and it made me realize that our time on this planet is not in our hands. We should strive to spend more time together. <br /> <br /> Things I love about this business:<br /> <br /> • I can do from anywhere, anytime of the day <br /> • I can pass on to my children<br /> • It can be done by anyone regardless of professional background <br /> • has a proven effective system <br /> • I do not need to bug my family and friends <br /> • it’s taxable and legitimate business<br /> <br /> If interested and want to learn more, simply press on “Send Message&quot;’ button or type below &quot;I want to learn&quot; so I can send our complimentary information session for your learning.		Joana Witzaney		2069	https://facebook.com/61551881575724	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67834	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760165	1742988646		67		1300166864020268	2	1.5384068445448E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104682145044102		0	Lena Hendrix Author			120201080332870254		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Small Town, Brother's Best Friend Romance!	Start reading now...	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091V6X69L		1699674349	1.046821450441E+14	Lena Hendrix Author	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401146373_332304106113080_6891622507213012323_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kMosYwzao0kAX-QzaoX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyzFO1R1mzxRyQ9TRpa9BrPkLLGgGK64VFiMwWQh0bKw&oe=6591BDF4	person_profile	0					0	3	“Jo.” His fingertips glided up my sides and moved toward my back.<br /> “Yes, Lincoln,” I said, lifting my eyes to meet his. If he didn’t lean forward and kiss me, I was going to dissolve in this pool of water.<br /> Lincoln’s hands settled on my hips, my legs still softly kicking in the deep water. He gently pulled my hips forward, his fingers digging tenderly into the flesh, until I was nestled against him. I felt him between us, and a soft gasp escaped me.<br /> “Joanna,” he said, moving his hands over my back and shifting my legs to around him. <br /> “No one calls me Joanna,” I said breathlessly as my heart pounded in my chest.<br /> “But you are my Joanna, aren’t you?” he said, his voice gravely with desire, searching my face for some answer.<br /> <br /> My Joanna.<br /> <br /> In that moment, I knew. All this time, Lincoln had received my letters. He’d read them and he knew because I always signed each one simply, with Joanna.<br /> <br /> FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3Z2D9ao&amp;h=AT3r_lzIFbmLoPwhlUGNO4UHhKrmo1s2tWWf8ib4YCNpK-XBasX7h6zD9CVHatdqz7AQk76IG7F-G3XTxF7wBdq6nD7Qff276caRbF6tVO2oSroFTOhZvrg41NTTpWVle3NzYDIJQiTdns3TMtx2cyM_OSs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://bit.ly/3Z2D9ao</a>		Lena Hendrix Author		950	https://facebook.com/lenahendrixwrites	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67881	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760165	1742988652		67		1808438282948000	1	8.7456742388505E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169347590427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462139	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409405524_885148493137167_4416742043054489388_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HeD3VtRSe_IAX9Fx3dD&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDEtrAQCfkIGJ8cVkiEX7TVMQiiWM1rE1TYJx8yV74r4A&oe=6591A983	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409704062_1085453286147383_2836493414105698137_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Td_jBAAOJVkAX-eRbBm&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCFR2AxjDZymwhxBo6JmWcOw-U9247zWZvmzlDF6KU1fg&oe=65919966			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67112	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760161	1742988508		67		343418658314794		2.6439084330318E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120204108000720682		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1703062437	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412261553_3049108031886204_3615149196436508260_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f2mYrhOwvWQAX9EjvpO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBPDpOmI52RIPg64Lu_1nrtgrQGPMvtZtjQ2WFhJ9eSug&oe=65928B56	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67117	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760161	1742988514		67		297756829352791		7.6711392198264E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202810582770160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703053763	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412026612_1118008282912090_5101887450230596801_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YINeCIRzQf8AX98aQea&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDzao-x8ZirXXY2FUhQqWz-opqXx9g8FTkIWDi8Ol4IQ&oe=65915FC2	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67189	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760161	1742988524		67		784013497075549	1	1.29990743071E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109127244300517		0	Joanna M Wellness			120203037226850657		pages.joannamwellness.co	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://pages.joannamwellness.co/opt-in		1702976098	1.0912724430052E+14	Joanna M Wellness	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411240859_734250471564912_2192241043700068977_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hOXgEgfkp9MAX9CQXmJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBVlv-uiq1kaZH06peeuLajYvmB5qL0VNVviMgyv-Duzg&oe=6592308E	person_profile	0	Joanna Michaelides	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411283875_1386132725318532_7721156983208902538_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4fVQAxgkdN0AX8sXqFL&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCr95MYeCKQKFpU0nJYWqZIpm8E-Tvdlw3HZjqLHidI7Q&oe=659317EF			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna M Wellness		261	https://facebook.com/joannamwellness	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67301	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760162	1742988534		67		1043007070147863	1	1.4206262852177E+15		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	208836353047174		0	Each Modern 亞紀畫廊			6489449319094		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/eachmodern		1702926250	2.0883635304717E+14	Each Modern 亞紀畫廊	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412272417_200190233083882_2143989284426777385_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lid4dG_QCbkAX_yyUM0&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCIQpV6OjQ59qhNRqopoe55YjHYKoLwi_48vUFnRhqsvQ&oe=6591FDE8	person_profile	0	EACH MODERN	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411266286_258281767008161_9024646464913264825_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TL_hn2dqwFEAX_Ybd3k&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAV-r-DVpfJTKwtDSjUielC8HX1Je3okCsrPCKlbATkzw&oe=6591A83F			0	3	Wu MeiChi at Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival<br /> <br /> Wu MeiChi’s solo exhibition, titled “Baby’s Baby,” is currently on view at the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival as part of the Discovery Award nominees’ presentation. Curated by Joanna Fu, the exhibition delves into Wu’s exploration of new configurations for digital images over the past three years, showcasing Wu’s unwavering belief in the freedom of artistic expression, the potential of photo media, and the importance of individuality.<br /> <br /> “Baby’s Baby” encompasses a wide range of artistic expressions, including traditional photography, object collages, digital paintings, textile tapestries, 3D animations, and diverse installations. Despite the diversity of mediums, Wu’s distinct visual style unifies them all, creating a tapestry of emotions that range from sorrow to joy, and from nostalgia to celebration. Together, these artworks offer a complex, captivating, and symbiotic visual experience that blurs the boundaries between the virtual and the tangible.<br /> <br /> &#064;wu_meichi &#064;joannafu &#064;jimei_arles &#064;rencontresarles &#064;threeshadows_official <br /> <br /> #WuMeiChi #BabysBaby #JimeiArlesPhotoFestival #VisualDiversityUnbound #CaptivatingArtExperience #BoundaryBreakingArt #ArtisticInnovation #ArtisticJourney #ArtisticFreedom <br /> <br /> Image courtesey of Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival<br /> <br /> Wu MeiChi: Baby’s Baby<br /> till 21 Januay, 2024<br /> Jimei Art Center, Xiamen, China		Each Modern 亞紀畫廊		6562	https://facebook.com/eachmodern	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67343	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760162	1742988539		67		2661094050720770		3.4553345143511E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107782662260298		0	Tony Johnson			120201982455950452		gotonyjohnson.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Run 3x A Week For Your Marathon		https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit		1702863778	1.077826622603E+14	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412122381_1400327727539349_5129120274281020814_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NAPcBe4L0YsAX9smDv4&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAZz1B1uR7GMOArvmVnEZxPnTgKsa2OzMTrDYZIMOYKHQ&oe=6592D139	person_profile	0	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412153799_865426912255231_8070560085185936766_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTiuh_eEdbAAX8ELLzT&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDpO1eecGEacoAYZ0q3PpC8qjwomfW144fpzP10U9u1mg&oe=6591D512			0	3	Attention Marathon Runners: Run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or less for ONLY $17<br /> <br /> (If you don&#039;t run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks, I&#039;ll give you a $100 for wasting your time)<br /> <br /> Introducing The Marathon Training Starter Kit!<br /> <br /> This unique style of training has not only helped me, but also 200+ beginner and seasoned runners run their half or full marathons like…<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Joanna won a gold medal on her first half marathon<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Abby ran her first marathon in 4 hours with just 9 weeks of training<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Salma ran her first marathon in 4:28 after overcoming a pelvic stress fracture.<br /> <br /> The &#039;Marathon Training Starter Kit’ for ONLY $17 helps people like you easily run their half or full marathons in 16 weeks or less…<br /> <br /> ✅ without running 4+ times per week<br /> ✅ without running speed intervals or hills<br /> ✅ without dealing with constant overuse injuries<br /> ✅ without getting burned out or bored<br /> <br /> Run your half or full marathon injury free and finish with a time you are proud of, while also becoming the strongest, most confident version of yourself…<br /> <br /> Click the link below to get instant access to “The Marathon Training Starter Kit’ and start your training today for just $17.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gotonyjohnson.com%2Fmarathon-training-starter-kit&amp;h=AT3DDM6SPlafGVF6CNj7vJxJNA1la7FWpfDLo5doK-NV5kdXL4B6DyDoSMXsEHSytbWY8DTjnXi25Wg4EdNN_2VCYuMDaR6CuO2JF8As_fZ4FKTg5FRK0C0TRpAy1BjF9SH2kmbI_oWlSP9Ayj_BO3N4Qr4" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit</a><br /> <br /> See ya inside,<br /> Tony Johnson		Tony Johnson		450	https://facebook.com/coachtonyjohnson.10	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67345	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760162	1742988545		67		675992121344794		3.4553345143511E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107782662260298		0	Tony Johnson			120201981191470452		gotonyjohnson.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Run 3x A Week For Your Marathon		https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit		1702863106	1.077826622603E+14	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411389880_1777137766068399_9054810263745797756_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-Roii4lzcN8AX96i7Og&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB9OheQFd2qJVcY2wVVpnAdqiR5y1uYZDh2Engsgo9Vmg&oe=6591954C	person_profile	0	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411405981_918705776640212_7255948239710655784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YNyE8vXzvA8AX8kskNq&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB0du2XUqcJC_jEpd10vhFsQgtuwMj1A0qp01w7J8_TQA&oe=6592DD33			0	3	Attention Marathon Runners: Run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or less for ONLY $17<br /> <br /> (If you don&#039;t run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks, I&#039;ll give you a $100 for wasting your time)<br /> <br /> Introducing The Marathon Training Starter Kit!<br /> <br /> This unique style of training has not only helped me, but also 200+ beginner and seasoned runners run their half or full marathons like…<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Joanna won a gold medal on her first half marathon<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Abby ran her first marathon in 4 hours with just 9 weeks of training<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Salma ran her first marathon in 4:28 after overcoming a pelvic stress fracture.<br /> <br /> The &#039;Marathon Training Starter Kit’ for ONLY $17 helps people like you easily run their half or full marathons in 16 weeks or less…<br /> <br /> ✅ without running 4+ times per week<br /> ✅ without running speed intervals or hills<br /> ✅ without dealing with constant overuse injuries<br /> ✅ without getting burned out or bored<br /> <br /> Run your half or full marathon injury free and finish with a time you are proud of, while also becoming the strongest, most confident version of yourself…<br /> <br /> Click the link below to get instant access to “The Marathon Training Starter Kit’ and start your training today for just $17.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gotonyjohnson.com%2Fmarathon-training-starter-kit&amp;h=AT1XaiAve3FTj5eH7n5oJTuj3VUOLP0oyB-rAoHKgLUULT2ftdbM1U_odcA47Zv7pNcFlZQVSMuUNVivhKnzK7J26Ep564ZU5r62ubTRRhVbA2y8628YilDGahO8-QyE6uC_-ymWbGBiE7EKIqvUF-abS9o" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit</a><br /> <br /> See ya inside,<br /> Tony Johnson		Tony Johnson		450	https://facebook.com/coachtonyjohnson.10	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67430	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760163	1742988550		67		691643032760871	1	1.1042155838026E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765878580465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702464	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411411724_760378692587608_1722126252132088174_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rl-NX4MvTj0AX_ozJbd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDj79noMAY8GmlSGsKL3pNuFiTfm-8R-RbcE2BrxG9WRQ&oe=6592D2E3	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411301931_2578465148995462_7242559667828498027_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O0rskCJotV0AX9v5l6T&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCAoHT5HsVCaetasvZFNPZ5YTIfJFldVh37A6khq_dHxA&oe=65922660			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67447	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760163	1742988555		67		2323832181146523	1	1.3033038870001E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202766046110465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702463	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409821644_960687098756950_3085587444892929959_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QYep6mEhf44AX9_P81R&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAlecvbJFjoAhOFa06t6I5YdXvG9KDvQuDQhFlH46BqA&oe=65931C66	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411193892_187601884430671_6667802152093134815_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=scbwhUeGvmQAX9i6g7I&_nc_oc=AQmuY2XUMSNHff6Z8OkDRAltUuB00ph7Rwl2XJSt7PpNkkqtOZQ_3Ba2aMzwxjapwk8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCmHi8GaAJ3BDuFwBb5X4rNhv_WAPLCJBn6l5PPX5qgsg&oe=6591FB8F			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67623	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760164	1742988571		67		1479033632671480				1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	125049494030694		0	Luxury Wheels & Waves			120202286967510593		yachtsandcars.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.yachtsandcars.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702565533	1.2504949403069E+14	Luxury Wheels & Waves	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410981119_2025686994481118_254578759369423890_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iWuAaaA4hoMAX-dIrE3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDU_-dMqOG54hoppeFgPwcxfe5lqX3AoZXwQzvjyltbmQ&oe=659272EA	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Luxury Wheels & Waves		3	https://facebook.com/61552050682375	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69348	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/20/25, 3:05 AM	1703760175	1747728357		67		314692641370618	1	3.136211781026E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200360107530122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/whua31xndyremjbxijcrpp5v?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700883336	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404606949_1401359444093230_1393609806848897096_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sZub51f2oawAX_SeVtc&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAHRpxxPr_pis6NZjK9pAbijesrRkHqUOKKTuYg9tGRjQ&oe=659254EF	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404270039_193645773800735_7826559042814044294_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c8ibWareySkAX-A2M07&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDhucq_jFH-ZL5RVz-0NJVrwgqqruYHh0FLaOe6Qgbc9A&oe=65926A4F			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
67718	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760164	1742988587		67		1569581543785954				1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	148817324986321		0	Savvy Nickel			120202889476180722		savvydime.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.savvydime.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702469315	1.4881732498632E+14	Savvy Nickel	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409932106_341822498606359_8998630820299666796_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9BviCHkkK1MAX_YIw8v&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAo7gWAu5XP4i3AE27V7vfLo1DXtiX76zWnHrWIwFQYig&oe=6592FC3D	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Savvy Nickel		48	https://facebook.com/61552619835440	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67720	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760164	1742988592		67		1742513326259305				1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100338532840356		0	Tipopedia			120203932382010159		tipopedia.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.tipopedia.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702471316	1.0033853284036E+14	Tipopedia	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409715628_1116660853043346_3364053384192263262_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uj1ffCijMIkAX8uGg6y&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCZ13ayS09wvdXbl_363cP7bJqQaw25bC9RH6ynP40Ecw&oe=6591CEE9	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Tipopedia		59	https://facebook.com/100086091750983	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67729	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760164	1742988608		67		886403959811049	2	1.519232485522E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104503492084237		0	Health and Happiness Hub			6522175068454		healthandhappinesshubb.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Le Creuset Cookware Sets are now On-The-House		https://healthandhappinesshubb.com/		1702519941	1.0450349208424E+14	Health and Happiness Hub	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411086277_924097462636328_226481072795462389_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=r64IfYR65roAX-INtdF&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCBeF0i44Lao4cQSFzhCfktzMz0rDGIvjOFXvrh7sF5Fg&oe=6591EB41	person_profile	0	Health and Happiness Hub	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411114257_1036300194328977_5058808124536494925_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4nA1RoZvogIAX_0EIoo&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDzYLW0Cskh3PbGvLS7f6nDdTQB0C40EUYhoqvneXU7SA&oe=65926CEF			0	3	🎁🎄DAY 8 of Our 12 Days of Christmas Give_away Sponsored by Chip &amp; Joanna!		Health and Happiness Hub		81	https://facebook.com/61551512137589	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67753	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760164	1742988614		67		1600512214022999	1	8.8722997619545E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548137009		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494483	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411098914_345159898261555_7829969425853352102_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CZ-wFZT9OSsAX9LAEVF&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDnm7qKKnzbURMnAbrjzoyVETHq7cl-sPH_wISSd_TIlQ&oe=6591764E	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409602724_376161428131487_4322206692383694882_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Noo47eTCY6YAX9rkIaL&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbLLlupSZJktrTqLOqxnoq3omC5tCfaZfmVqb3MAdjeQ&oe=65920773			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67783	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760165	1742988624		67		324961076977742	5	5.2879826379927E+15		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410783027_727059629481436_6176188534894458788_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AnDj55soHocAX-68XoL&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAhB4dDCrDylbnBAi7Q6Dd1OLKkvciF3O-ibBsZFDsOcA&oe=65931899	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
67797	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760165	1742988635		67		651492280250005	1	3.8787254039049E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548034009		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494476	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410742636_1531848107612588_1855347930120417494_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GaqSqqJ5B40AX_oFESd&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC1wXvOo_pfOVdb6q-ykGm6L_OIB6L8reFaYWy5TXsZMg&oe=65917E99	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410907190_2119081171767726_1910634602568582982_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GX55feZH14QAX9D5JBH&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDY67XKJxChNIjmqh7HsZT7Dmfq_oFXvRekSNUTZnryTw&oe=65920860			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66922	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		1361870101130479	1	1.5994026307999E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575270430530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703214956	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413914716_1002046164224619_4987460262933354649_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ircm5Fcvm3IAX9bwQRL&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhFW2iXKIHxcQPskEZpWEnH2MEloip2jsSoyRFZQmpkQ&oe=65931D4F	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413908311_1378563616200132_495114050459068909_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WiW-8KkELvMAX-F9gqA&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCwliTGXvZ_Gi2PzCVcJfwgBITAyZ38-hwbypWE1tkfdw&oe=65924DB7			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67899	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760165	1742988657		67		622555756587083	1	8.4111468436948E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411473150044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458294	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409759772_1752181108556978_3036404463085420758_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GqfzftqOABsAX8VuDUL&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBG-ZNlfytbpNa6MGNMQGIYa-AjPG-1x1ft4-5sz-JyRQ&oe=659267F3	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409725802_289016084132826_4212779789542236479_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yFiP1o_nbqoAX89_LVU&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAK6F0Z1Y0duZDU0ndkzhZGZ1mfoNoQ7it2sg9lO6pTDg&oe=6593067C			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67989	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760166	1742988663		67		3701253076811766	1	9.0215463458054E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434457220465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447466	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409848477_1492434587995836_1937687375049820425_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y9IN4rTYYvYAX89ko3n&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDdgObbvTOw1mF8XR8N5cBAESLVkgY7g6z-5S7e9BWfGA&oe=659160C9	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409707765_374462511606231_2852715696522558097_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7jSoOrqD7zgAX9EjwWL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWzg4eBSc5YEP88Hw7K3JJSDS_InZkKRqf55d2QCRm3g&oe=65931857			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68020	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760166	1742988675		67		886739873084895		1.4010282708114E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101782866045184		0	History Buff			120207707746700456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390779	1.0178286604518E+14	History Buff	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410638793_358282810225668_6895351594446045690_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vf8WWAyRscQAX8tLJnq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAEid4jfu5giy5YGb75P2o7KS0g86S0NEjX5c8kph6nEQ&oe=65917B93	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Buff		6929	https://facebook.com/100086221008740	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68090	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760166	1742988691		67		1004508637309008	1	9.0307223449582E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143462660670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374860	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409798321_656240776710326_3521243106407511267_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AykACSahVdsAX_ZghWX&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBe-5ME2R0OlPticbPKbh4lY94E9CDFW3pIQzRc02JPOg&oe=65917AC8	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409548984_771208128176529_7939723441630856033_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Bd-iXBk_bG8AX9562ed&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqswfkiswztvBmXke2Myfv2yerNEvZ_gu4J7jLpu_ebg&oe=6592EAFF			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68126	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760167	1742988707		67		1482200362623053	1	1.0452459432703E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107824375422048		0	Trendy Made			120201706730720086		trendymatter.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.trendymatter.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702295524	1.0782437542205E+14	Trendy Made	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409626285_885505606403964_4749810941215221182_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pN_FLzYcDNMAX9l1GTh&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA-XlqtBn-u6TNU090CYFhVBLSAosR1cEHHn2Jniz7qJg&oe=6592F5F9	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Trendy Made		994	https://facebook.com/100086348165223	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68170	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760167	1742988723		67		1422636534986374	2	8.7537959412956E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202763401860520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Chip Gaines Addresses Rumors	Trouble in Chip and Joanna Gaines paradise	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702282579	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410124954_4032222137065926_4714435734126869736_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=27aIyaUQUbYAX9vwc9z&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfACj4gzhw_Xd97b_e2V0FiqXAKJfxVPtuFwmQxtCIxKng&oe=659323E2	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68171	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760167	1742988730		67		1290592901656595		8.7537959412956E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202736243990520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Chip Gaines Addresses Rumors	Trouble in Chip and Joanna Gaines paradise	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702267276	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408190381_870867091344052_1324248138685689161_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1Wm04SC_xEsAX_KZM5l&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDodCnX0K8CzROXUheQSebSkdyPMgdDq3b9d2O3zYAiQg&oe=65933DFA	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68186	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760167	1742988736		67		317606451165536	1	1.1513345891712E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204866558330427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702207772	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409748320_2204466763226667_1939289182786497497_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SvxJuAZ-ozUAX-tgNZi&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfACMrDSGmeGjUoDP11_kmh-QFuQFDoMJWTkCvKbaa5x7w&oe=6593057B	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409673227_1261065717895207_6471331968382325527_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FVDiNpdBi4IAX-LOmPR&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCIJhrYgdPAtiHwgo5fK4rFcQHKsPKP-C_WUAHnjP3fCw&oe=6591BA63			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68190	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760167	1742988741		67		186459924543212	1	1.4239830952053E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259949670476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702181102	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408729937_6995228807230552_6607582070081710258_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K6ecVi0JC1MAX9urR5n&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBGSHYmiCutOXkrc-VndgxunWjSc0Im5smfVP5czMj8Xg&oe=6592262B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409179331_315782541431822_99829202162456751_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8j0CXUt0UKcAX8jlsBj&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCMi-2q1dA79gDa7AOR-OhXvQ7bAmwmc9OUvzngUzQybA&oe=6592FCAC			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68220	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760168	1742988751		67		364095512868467	3	3.7245110544223E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753711910427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119701	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409175945_899094201877261_174184483799042513_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YV8YnS-9dXMAX8G7PjP&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCqh7HnlmqaHvvYhk8f1-A1Caa6Rrp2C5cmgwLYX9iekA&oe=65932E37	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408589526_368380035579977_7851029032595378143_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9JWeATxNGREAX_igGSi&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDtFXl4qEQ-4uxH2F1z3-zVzhyB9qPTnMHkOUbSgMU66Q&oe=6592DEA3			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68246	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760168	1742988756		67		1561939670876668	6	3.3839384883275E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155240620476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094399	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409215390_2079516739047900_2618157126642216579_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WTlAtOGqdfAAX9_QijO&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBHoO02CxsPVGGN3No9EnQPkGHzbNjzv6DILWOz2lAC0g&oe=65923B21	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408061708_364861349386557_6028448798195219691_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mrRF7K6nN0QAX_z0MBY&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqHqGDl8lhGrqaBs8tzNHZdYmNzMio1IYd-gx7DkWaEw&oe=6591A650			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68269	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760168	1742988762		67		374839598536840	1	2.9717846936116E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672527560427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030497	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409437205_719318033135891_2686802493913475217_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wHUU1w102MAAX9r128i&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCODZS_TYe2xhRbuOfSpSiiEIYlZ2Yw_MrwCftNCfws3Q&oe=6591EBC2	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409039767_881120893569662_7042145441669489418_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5M86dV5uzL0AX-qGWPs&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAE_prM9jlQLzGdCyp62RXxmtvqjaixt07tEb95_iaO4Q&oe=6591E0DC			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68410	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760169	1742988773		67		1360214954866490	1	7.3189202214555E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997250830476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940658	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408141660_650380583913838_85808061708001970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ylAUJPAeO4wAX8b2zCV&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC9uuj1PVvF_ERTLy-XlrATGl3meNKfgrRyrKH8PXe7sQ&oe=6591544B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408829195_1577673746335485_4537020419839940038_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V6vJH06jb1QAX8Aa39O&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDIKIE1uA5N4RucjBE75AlDQaeMdshfUQQLw8G-QuK8-Q&oe=6592C4F8			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68554	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:32 AM	1703760171	1742988778		67		862549738688256	1	1.0253276553565E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	871611042878073		0	Author Maggie Dallen			6504533965556		maggiedallenbooks.com	Shop now		NONE	video	5 Books for 30% Off!	"Loved this book! The characters come to life!" - Joanna	https://maggiedallenbooks.com/products/the-bluestocking-battalion-series-bundle		1701720735	8.7161104287807E+14	Author Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407753882_1090804975604234_3419958317661780974_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sp55-m9qXeoAX9ANyqo&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDg_0rT9xYhJd4hnK9ROQ-zV9y4ugDcX2Ov866PHonLow&oe=6591A096	person_profile	0	Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407478277_858830289285553_8310027384582676445_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjfcI-MxfM8AX_4Br6n&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCWR3z2n5ufkJVwEr3tXJOQ92LDBOvOvAA5HNhzAgWGBg&oe=659195E7			0	3	Last week, I was a proper young lady, dreaming of adventure as I explored the caves near town. But then I stumble upon a pirate—and he mistakes me for a spy.<br /> <br /> He takes me captive, and questions me... It&#039;s almost disappointing when he realizes I&#039;m no threat, just a dutiful daughter with my whole life planned out.<br /> <br /> He lets me go. And I assume he’ll forget all about me as I return to my predictable routine.<br /> <br /> But days later, I see him again. At a ball, and dressed like a gentleman. <br /> <br /> He ignores my fiancé as he asks me to dance. And when he pulls me into his arms, he says, &quot;Little dove, did you really think I’d let you go so easily?&quot;<br /> <br /> BOOK: Miss Minerva&#039;s Pirate Mishap<br /> <br /> What readers are saying, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <br /> &quot;I loved every book in this series! It was so fun to read about each sister finding adventure and love. If you love sweet regency romances...I highly recommend these books!&quot; <br /> <br /> Get the 5 E-Books in this bundle series and save 30% today! The PERFECT way to support the author directly.<br /> <br /> After your purchase. Receive an email with the link to the ebook. <br /> <br /> Download the books with one click and send them to your kindle, tablet, or phone. And READ!<br /> <br /> Thank you for supporting me directly! 🥰		Author Maggie Dallen		2637	https://facebook.com/MaggieDallenAuthor	0		SHOP_NOW						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68587	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760171	1742988783		67		325830763725788	1	1.0813152062065E+15		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106942238880821		0	DailyChoices Español			120202286089500275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667730	1.0694223888082E+14	DailyChoices Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408213844_1485554788892483_2460272047366384018_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JO7Ok5X0aQgAX8Rphx-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAzzSPws4Xzniy59Bd9LgrYitryItydgis5400D7tdGGw&oe=6591D0C5	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DailyChoices Español		696	https://facebook.com/dailychoices.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68599	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760171	1742988789		67		1751266948630899		1.4290925879512E+15		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103687719211673		0	Science A2Z Español			120202284853770275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666325	1.0368771921167E+14	Science A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408202152_371880415500270_3849317056041846675_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oUeCo5QArJAAX9R0ogw&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDTWK4BmX4BuuzSgofTzFiz59o-1OyGDuxYLgS1igB4YA&oe=6592CB5B	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Science A2Z Español		349	https://facebook.com/sciencea2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68631	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760171	1742988800		67		714772327259588	1	2.0558228925989E+14		1701763200	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100657559348907		0	livlivesinlondon			120201616029190521		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/livlivesinlondon		1701616599	1.0065755934891E+14	livlivesinlondon	https://scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/407430860_700778761788399_1442549046260986283_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=97XddHBgaR4AX-sp5eX&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCR43BhnD0oVNW_k1NMFwaXWEVP186bkj1gZ4dtlRiRZQ&oe=6591D77F	ig_ads_identity	1	Olivia	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407908443_867245848238061_8442283422383458226_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UgzG7sMulpQAX_PJQPM&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDXBHIHft_XAt_Q5q3B3OiE7wehAvctuHSvypaNymJ8w&oe=6591DE6E			0	3	Narrowing it down to a Top 5…these Arts &amp; Culture treasures, new and old, have made a memorable mark on me this month 🎬📚🎶🎭		livlivesinlondon		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/livlivesinlondon	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701590400		View Edit Delete
69867	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		1076841566780284	1	9.142649602652E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120205094785630777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Watch and go!		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700645831	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404390664_3022930611173302_6638331709254069339_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WplKWmPkXGYAX8k8aFP&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB328Y8v29FUza6b_-FSkCrxZgz0ZXJRg9Z59IwBzvFGA&oe=65920AC2	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404416366_2433119123534072_2414055028301130359_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=903wykULBuAAX98ttTL&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzKEYBi0cQlcmkGniGQxwi4CdEfykyzk40FRAinZgx2Q&oe=659311AA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67844	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054164		67		373642611745807	1	1.3907338118761E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109154754712420		0	Invity			120201021449260369		myinvity.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Invity		https://myinvity.com/youth-activating-exfoliating-serum/		1698657507	1.0915475471242E+14	Invity	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/397188932_714781350522166_6225402856130364106_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m63fdocQbXoAX9tR7b2&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCVScWgCCCnv7OEDhYFEwGKftDIAkMWQaKwQt7h_-uGJA&oe=6591548B	person_profile	0	INVITY | Anti-Ageing Skincare & Supplements	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/397218129_888832669329311_3496451608295055220_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PHGd1VPJNdoAX-eud8y&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAfcmH7ykN02CQCFc9xPUEX1_YWb7ts27dyhaVIjv0tAw&oe=6591696E			0	3	Tired of endless skincare routines? Meet our leave-on exfoliating serum, carefully crafted with the power of nature and science. <br /> <br /> • Say goodbye to dull skin! Our serum provides long-term exfoliation, unveiling a clearer and brighter you.<br /> • Banish excess shine! We&#039;ve got sebum production under control and those pesky pores unclogged.<br /> • Texture trouble? No more! Our serum leaves your skin smoother and prepped for all your favorite skincare products.<br /> <br /> Elevate your skincare game and glow like never before. Your dream complexion is just a serum away. Try it today!		Invity		4699	https://facebook.com/myinvity	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68700	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/15/25, 6:22 AM	1703760171	1744716167		67		2143104789365645	1	9.6953704450129E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114384308289241		0	CMG Herald US			23862269985980046		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701406991	1.1438430828924E+14	CMG Herald US	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407249654_1011275396843038_5904039774548326372_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ewbozi9qovQAX-EhISO&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-Y6kP2WPZrzemRDMXaHnWxWWnY69ihTEFAdMSqNXDJw&oe=6591A9C3	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG Herald US		109	https://facebook.com/cmg.heraldweekly.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68731	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760172	1742988816		67		248071784711938	2	1.0865183693824E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497702330404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357859	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406348255_316410394610521_7039509966426589604_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6GbRhn7peQgAX8tYb0V&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCv17AhPG1Lrefm2DK0fr_oC_2VISzqu1XQgleDxMKT3w&oe=6592794D	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407257605_871211211059150_8191288045403025874_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UJCVwZHQ_n8AX8MSjl1&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCEFvg9RATXUAz6Vg9bA7Ar1WcZbMt62eqYGblEqX84uw&oe=65920EA4			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68114	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054166		67		790731332819301	1	1.2982933042046E+15		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	111784661016963		0	Chastity Thomas			6492265251634			Buy now		NONE	image	FREE SHIPPING magic school bus in the time of the dinosaurs book		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/339763008691754/		1702320961	1.1178466101696E+14	Chastity Thomas		regular_page	1	Chastity Thomas	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409630789_1898716143906597_8275164227782593747_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HHlPRno4JJIAX84ib1O&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDKlSEX2nQyGqRIGgziLZ-aAOnbxj1ccm4sq0Yb2XHwaw&oe=65925A7A			1	3	FREE SHIPPING magic school bus in the time of the dinosaurs book - $2.00<br /> <br /> Facebook Marketplace		Chastity Thomas		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=1233094086	0		BUY_NOW						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67517	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054166		67		2752862521519424	2	3.7127746535691E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011748050506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636932	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411153287_256258724136891_5992707753714022352_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WhOVRNhbJWsAX9AbaDa&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCIaTWvbQr5khAhpysPKUk-es6CYlstMwrMbzgPC37jnQ&oe=65929B2F	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411083304_3400968973457129_960668600922694388_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S-08-wICaz4AX9oBhTT&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDG_qMeBYRCKQBgqcCLwBy2xsGUBVisVfksdoTNqz_NSw&oe=659220C1			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69031	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:34 AM	1703760173	1742988855		67		368873165610620	1	1.0161773427993E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715935980115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140260	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406047342_1422871328651000_213736946357916651_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=poOCKM7WWoEAX-W4vlM&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBe0hMxuBq0GwTzm384PqaI7jGVqaOtaOsIIe_DcAHYtQ&oe=65914B54	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406054089_323549160447655_6732314167069350443_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RLR5aYS-2W8AX8Mmbtd&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBh6yWd1mkoTGpwWiEgc1ENqmEA_HiX57a-DnPRfgd12Q&oe=6592D757			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67414	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/18/24, 12:07 PM	1703760162	1731953275		67		3670988676554037	2	6.4168487792438E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	134903889714448		0	Tukors			120202883797090627		www.tukors.com	Learn more		NONE	video			http://www.tukors.com/promotion/?pu=Q6WADKXPCIF6		1702569212	1.3490388971445E+14	Tukors	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411029051_324140557078841_1188121295366507721_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PlyI4hI2dY4AX8cwA_V&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmNC7RP49GFk1aV0wfSt-OVwc3qJOVs3ZTvwcENasulA&oe=65926EC9	person_profile	0	TUKORS	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409844471_1099029471259234_143016486257394765_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D8YluSaYhrAAX9cxVUI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCL_RNgOjCHqVtVZ9hwk2xR1zcbFQXeKlDOuoJTqV-Uqg&oe=6591864A			0	3	&quot;그 사람은 입이 무거워서 믿을 수 있어.&quot;<br /> Be friends with a Heavy-mouthed person!<br /> <br /> Let&#039;s Learn Korean with Tutor Joanna!<br /> <br /> #learningkorean #koreanlanguage #hangul #hangeul #韓国語 #韓国語勉強		Tukors		18	https://facebook.com/Tukors1	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68014	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/18/24, 12:07 PM	1703760166	1731953276		67		1084444776077240		1.4427714265846E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100602492862162		0	History Nation			120207706146960456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389599	1.0060249286216E+14	History Nation	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409201596_1103432260817570_708960797308610732_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vIkgIUjLSdsAX9HYUgw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCv21Vbrbqjxf57WlMSEQGbb5u3TPZeH2nHzhUWbyQfMw&oe=65926C11	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Nation		3643	https://facebook.com/100087250000253	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68386	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054166		67		726935509330577	1	1.8210604950086E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997332840476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940821	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406826906_781000783786590_6629689757407883765_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xSHqVtqkNB4AX--i1M2&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCIHlvKClYTtjdb5RuKcACZ7ewRkaoVdT6blbK59wtcNg&oe=6591A1BF	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406848928_2014433612262621_4727363436119663810_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XK1RghybAQEAX_BFAwv&_nc_oc=AQnm_qX8JM5gxTh66XvVIZg45gHUJSPGB9hHuUGLoqab8WbINas8gM2b196YkVS92oE&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAL5rhj0DG-eNBJ6i8wer0cWOHk3i_goClQGWjPUhVDhA&oe=65918153			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68418	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/9/25, 4:16 AM	1703760169	1749460612		67		329370439870307	5	4.0040837231424E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997235500476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940575	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406389682_1429192841285714_1612974455706687956_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U2OqN2bPKzAAX_OkeK5&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDwSGOXnKrKI0QDhRRfTG4zUGSitxqVf8Yh4A0DP9lgEQ&oe=65929504	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406817816_1376612556619554_23520596243495452_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=53SgL2-fknAAX9DrTOF&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAaimp4V2BiOS5JbangR0Xc9JVwTnsU_bnpa34Xx6gp1w&oe=6591F35C			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66412	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/24/25, 7:52 PM	1703760157	1745542338		67		355230186889991	1	6.8652369011879E+14		1699948800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			120201748533630563		https://projektbogini.com.pl	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://jestemkochanka.pl/on-twoim-lustrem-2-2/		1698754688	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/395612759_245847431821324_4846821833351916431_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1Rh2ifdlUkgAX8Wupyu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-K4URRbLvge1-hJVU-4zEj-39WqhNFWV6V4XM2FXP9g&oe=6592ADBE	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1698735600		View Edit Delete
69848	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054166		67		7114323868624623	5	8.6183418227823E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779111620250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678187	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619723_1061366564892535_5544603005193099836_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AeSr85PiixUAX8pKvCf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoAps3f6nK2GW_k505xajo9oRo9Rn35XbUgi6-ejxMyQ&oe=65925A04	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68689	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		360026020042625	1	7.6605647406391E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200871953790773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Chasing Love: The Untouched Dream>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/jkbjam0gbh0sthbqrnksj02p?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701414196	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406119685_763169388985773_107975361296701824_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TzMPGaO4tJYAX_hvZgl&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA8FR-75vuT28vbnMekZoM_qAUntwWoBcTiTgrZ01BBNw&oe=65926461	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406583444_1329474577772548_2480514794040945669_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oA5bQiuDGuAAX9IEpBA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDfhUaAG0-fjusT04AIALLp0c5rK2uwyyoalrjD6KkbNw&oe=6591DAD5			0	3	❤️‍🔥A car accident, at their engagement party, he decides to marry another woman. She throws the engagement ring he gifted her right back at him, wishing him never to regret his decisions. She assumed she could finally let go of everything and leave, but is pulled into a room by a stranger man. His hot breath ignites the room&#039;s temperature, &quot;Help me, I will take responsibility for you.&quot; After that night, a priceless ring is forcibly adorned on her ring finger.<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Chasing Love: The Untouched Dream&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
67151	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054164		67		372429891971073	1	2.5105598448116E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	103515762565245		0	Flex TV			120203765447580319		www.flextvnow.co	Learn more		NONE	video	You can watching more drama series on FLEX TV whenever you are bored🥰		https://www.flextvnow.co/w2a/facebook.html?code=m0WRMQ21x3&page_type=1&pixel_id=926060211689698&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&campaign_id={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&placement={{placement}}		1702958512	1.0351576256524E+14	Flex TV	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412258186_326451343620286_5981064928612934244_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CqZq18hS6CAAX8MktiB&_nc_oc=AQnhQq2QmmhvPzCU4tRAqJgRhPsmRWsaBMTjxkB8qPpg5G2I9zCzx0vNgN1IeHeE_VN4AQbf0LyQ34PpqXYSKRot&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBLzg9cOq0z_e4cJDiHjGS9bIahLDr0EUKs_sRzQi6AlA&oe=6592FDFE	person_profile	0	Flex TV	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412251624_258718096968232_1833833796075628695_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fVJO4t99uwUAX_E6Fc2&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAohFEywMFtnLeKY_8RO_5o1BAaUKQBD-d7GvoqOFcRFw&oe=659232B9			0	3	👀❤️‍🔥🔞Gianna, the heiress to the Lawrence family, couldn&#039;t believe it when she found out her fiancé was cheating on her with her half-sister. Heartbroken, she goes to a bar to get drunk, only to have a passionate night with a handsome guy named Logan. Unexpectedly, he turned out to be the boss of Solomon Consortium, and his request was for me to sign a marriage contract with him.		Flex TV		56828	https://facebook.com/flextvus	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68540	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		725526692415419	1	2.0526791929435E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	171312692737041		0	FamilyShirt A16Nu-28			120202037478840402		thaoutee.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Best gifts for your Family	JOANNA-A67	http://thaoutee.com/joanna-a67-1		1701761668	1.7131269273704E+14	FamilyShirt A16Nu-28	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408276337_645120207698017_4427944709610895023_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Clym2ARisfkAX-VdP0O&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDxJFShYNd4xY701Kwr4lJMooRLucTTozs6HF5jj_RvZA&oe=65928A44	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthaoutee.com%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT2meeoXkSghDkDnMRB6da0ZUQbxJp6nxaCQ-t5u2r8D_ciMgA7pJ75kWdGBBV8igKEWWPZF9U_vcnIrR774-OESPv2HumSKw7WBI1ZDD12p9nG7ZKnA-l9I3zavF6aheGdPZmyCvCfusrmIsqR0r2V5h3HHvSwrBwZP9QmMXx0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">http://thaoutee.com/collection/joanna</a>		FamilyShirt A16Nu-28		0	https://facebook.com/61554327626516	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69268	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054165		67		882198486782297		6.7028769192245E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	2166029823488459		0	Marspeta			120203176193310409		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700908904	2.1660298234885E+15	Marspeta	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405753509_363951529340205_8196550894071583093_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Apr0mbofd8kAX9v1JUk&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBPE9FXQGrDyh_469uc_ikQabiJx4NMTgFovz1c52tSEw&oe=65923E0E	person_profile	0	Marspeta	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405759180_320087547471955_3516593766193948392_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hpweaHnaj_YAX9zWVsf&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBOeg1u4YZKOgKumFDFRUze71Itb90PcrjkrDJ65WJX1Q&oe=659238AE			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Marspeta		27670	https://facebook.com/Marspeta	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67833	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		835768734897556		1.8294816908026E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104682145044102		0	Lena Hendrix Author			23858292338850253		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Small Town, Brother's Best Friend Romance!	Start reading now...	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091V6X69L		1693841498	1.046821450441E+14	Lena Hendrix Author	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/375564882_274290835461057_5581859090234556069_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6AcbV62SsO4AX9iOPge&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB7y9b_x1vUCUKd7bD_k4REiaGf8q3zEJQzNRGpYj7GtA&oe=6591C72C	person_profile	0					0	3	I felt like I was falling apart at the seams; Joanna pulled at one thread and I was unraveling at her feet.<br /> <br /> FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3Z2D9ao&amp;h=AT0eG0odaoBzOfBIpRwAFYqKzWFCTuH81SWaBg8tjLDMDqD83UxW3PmZfeVgvd82c8qRc9wfjdd-CLuwcOsNWNpukLhzRG-p_AKnXP1vb5cxyZOgmGRK2GbuChm8ubw1z49yxMmye4DClzmpzMXYTRbYYcDbmOTP3tLyfAnf" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://bit.ly/3Z2D9ao</a>		Lena Hendrix Author		950	https://facebook.com/lenahendrixwrites	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67143	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054165		67		373626578581835		1.5236034117624E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	43095243080		0	Higher Ground			6585507646480		solidsound.frontgatetickets.com	Buy tickets		NONE	image	🎫 Solid Sound Festival, June 28 - 30	Tickets on sale now!	https://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/?aff=ebpredboostfbandigads&td_campaign_id=611035		1703014847	43095243080	Higher Ground	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412714587_205779662587649_642965519958678629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Beyv6EOtbZEAX_T6ZHI&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbHx2vCPKjtU_MbSwpraLrg_CdnRyoiD_wAOq9qBRe9Q&oe=659212AB	person_profile	0	Higher Ground • VT Music Venue	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236609_1046256759823512_1769635639596446298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EnSn3EZmu6AAX_BSbLL&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCLG9Mpoas4OxiCCs7DbhQFGqVl2RdL86xyUQDVEBobpA&oe=6591E2BA			0	3	We&#039;re thrilled to announce that your 2024 Solid Sound Festival Lineup is here! ✨<br /> ⁣<br /> Tickets are on sale now for June 28 - 30, 2024 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. <br /> <br /> 🎫<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsolidsoundfestival.com%2F&amp;h=AT30PP_bRAdEFqAUbhcsmf6vN3w-i3Mvaq5K-8CtT6gR2RRrynsB54qXB9_mVXouo2TzkxdZXQTJ8O-Q4yU7NyfYfnkzcwo4p3m_W02oLZe4tzmJ1CUaqsvupA9264cSJALvlFVK3QELeqCNIhfASrdr1RdKOi0pVrKTrA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">solidsoundfestival.com</a> <br /> <br /> See you in June!		Higher Ground		82337	https://facebook.com/highergroundmusic	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67581	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		370773158942977	1	9.0033849486328E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205063941550729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702611151	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411095847_1448419536071469_8096504923936410809_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AWknD9vT758AX8axm8n&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhychgirJCvUJJ5-4dbqoXzpaqvbTuZibLnHS9rXlm-Q&oe=659290BB	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409769682_898102935371450_2695631451028856267_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-DeypC-DXvQAX_WzI3X&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCo73RbnRKDI-erac-hdnDmjmJbA0vSnTi_yHXSodrQCA&oe=6592B848			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67755	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		348526451144502	5	3.5355846726739E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548136209		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494407	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410997708_713228494085766_4072413767307273193_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JzrRza_zQ7IAX_YngNT&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAKmhdOMx9FUc4OGwuy6b_dJVvgc2UQ3RvkBpozpcbdmw&oe=65916EC4	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410640530_770347108263116_9155278870214878192_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=L0at4skPsr8AX_aMBO2&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAnvYDxOftMTQYRjJrdtJC00y6at6EcL_TYpweirERt4w&oe=6591F2D9			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69550	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054165		67		1394822641447776		2.6441433323993E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207901600403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724609	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403195873_1018063352581424_7223781795138877933_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jo_2x8mGcX4AX-VeIzL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAPS1imoGlCwGtj1osHrQTQq3nR6K1caMfyjuJAmwxJeA&oe=6591BAAF	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403168568_1012656396688857_4309740521469452986_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VU61GOG_aKcAX-_Vcr7&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB-lOtSm9Yb77-AnUIlRnzp3858c8lXVu0RhtQDY0OQ3w&oe=6592401E			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68143	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		804969367986061	1	3.6103388994427E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498216940278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287854	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409223087_897953888408900_5457537260706859629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ixl-XmxKrQAAX9Zj3Ob&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBs5AufhrwtQ5jqYWi37SLIFTDvXxolIigt4kMWrSG9qw&oe=65927ACC	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409591150_328852453371454_5063719742770801524_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tjOHbkyCK10AX-tuuxQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAH22b7PWNmhw7nt2_GGHU3DTvnljrGmkNwIMXAmSyIlg&oe=6592995D			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68605	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054165		67		310611011939923		7.1898332648333E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103687719211673		0	Science A2Z Español			120202284853470275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666354	1.0368771921167E+14	Science A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407572944_872772704500562_6152865659555688285_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f8wlLOc_xz8AX9qZ0oC&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCQP9lkHwANMe_-xJ_2MjfhSOeGCdTNL2nI7xVkJ1b6Cg&oe=6591C206	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Science A2Z Español		349	https://facebook.com/sciencea2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
66752	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054165		67		1035164067540441	9	1.5123013262127E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120203048908990307		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703484266	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413909756_1418788962042492_1603301688648478555_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5AeZiz_LP3oAX8Ajb0z&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAGilfEDBNZDfVu2RjHcVzjdMdhV5LyX3odpOpmeB6Bkg&oe=65916CFC	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703491200		View Edit Delete
69445	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054165		67		868739171574179	1	7.1675863001059E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632012030115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796595	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403738364_689062346338655_132818471599902485_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ownh8BdBQKYAX_HRn4R&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDxQEk2oyiFlbFrr8vpPb-YaVtFpyucZanaVa_JbVV7vw&oe=6591A697	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403751466_199543686531221_1145100494536593428_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1UYhO1XNdogAX_dfg4e&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDZWE6Y66EZ5pBj8oC1V6xwGI6JJO5N7bfEWyrsbXwhug&oe=65931487			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68329	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054165		67		3621578304779758	3	7.6676914194409E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074126930476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016013	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408455278_890812062594200_1209600207783221843_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=25sS5Gf_PYcAX_WPzE6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBEIkILBr9dnS69m6TD0LoFBCIp9_X8b-6DABhZjdGkVQ&oe=659190B3	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408419270_1388002311827290_4208470963009891324_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cr9a7Ym74eMAX9Pk3F9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfFODlXa8Phx5Ka3tN_gt3p9stLIeTmS05A9O3qlZiCg&oe=6591E015			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67927	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		1106705150510042	1	1.0630939980655E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411460780044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458245	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410659600_1401504303785386_1133938408285869578_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6Sy_AfQElZIAX_M5odb&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCkk8uBhEQR-JNF-lTLxrgtFMvaMm1iloelVKxjQ1Y5BA&oe=6592A78A	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410663764_7131883673541470_8503339967522906785_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=byz9BThNLAgAX_74x5A&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAF3QbOcf4htk8vwFr7y40IMUi32ahW99Cf5jSGNOKaKA&oe=6591F7CF			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69194	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054165		67		1268003873875984		3.764241743862E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145433090740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Speaks Out to the World Breaking Her Silence.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806363	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404918614_878970457214331_6615070484305394420_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5GHp5vip9rsAX8UjrVH&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDGuOdHqN2BJmRl-rjnIhWYYptvGHA_L8a_NVTJvxEBvA&oe=65920CF6	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers Hid This for Years, Now Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband and Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Show Ending.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68272	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054165		67		332455749731751	1	1.2580176250442E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672514520427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030390	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408471863_879216430269897_8343435945003560872_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Yypb5OzUkVkAX9OFFhZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfARL4L4DofebO2k20ocftpCga0Utd6esRMYms4ULXWBOQ&oe=6593274D	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409394603_1194368098633485_6472962531005575193_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UwG2JlcRWIIAX_KBFOO&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCR27fTCevN4_1GwXwRj1-5q__tGfk0HbIcSneflwfaew&oe=65924D2E			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67807	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		590157363248676	4	5.891996700146E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548026009		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494394	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410170502_1497235554399078_6190846843788538637_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NHOZCxpjP0IAX-qxV2G&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBQNX6DO-gKxL4Cx8A5-N0ESxxukOBf6L2QWFCgEW63Q&oe=6592B094	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410868608_1382266252395144_628649207375166051_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9LcwDBML8WoAX8OnUbx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDK81VMhGaLYbzaNe3aMxBkCMqryvK93BdviVG8Iwhlw&oe=659216B6			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69951	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054165		67		1088073979233964	1	6.8023145198179E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579111810115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633109	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402657485_366792772480603_3699115364689620420_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZOCo33kN4JUAX_Gd_zx&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDU_pPVF_ahhxqW8jhDqxfxbRlezotQwGzuSdZ2TNpmSQ&oe=6591A933	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402653587_791863976285749_1517355690271951868_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YxPa0yRYffgAX-0Wl-5&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA6M-u5edSik7sjxD3lQJYdXOuIHd1suCFDnRuEjaa_fw&oe=6591AB32			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67884	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		1445257152720540	1	7.115464876062E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205169342960427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462138	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409741072_286549833884682_7355185182343181208_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fRYj8BG0cEYAX-rY_ZE&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDMekFysjsCsSfj-hMRK2SSLRonkOZx-2Xk6eNF1ot00g&oe=65930D18	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409693545_1088187059027793_1974778971229654055_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mwfa4Cra1mAAX_Hwe3W&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAnY_lBu2Yz23B30k2iue_s_Yzrz_74dS-953LB3yMkGg&oe=65922B01			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67779	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		379780901074657		8.7957657712288E+14		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411065440_366177269150715_8484231305234908678_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4_-5DeqTz9AAX8BIQxU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYOzEIra68uweJgfZPdRk8kPkZNTFyXYCBg7J-fw-CSw&oe=65928FA3	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
66985	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054165		67		1759974874522953	3	9.0681998110269E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	106809038380343		0	Joanna Gabrielle			120205736086430174		joannagabrielle.com.br	Learn more		NONE	video			https://joannagabrielle.com.br/ceb/		1703196958	1.0680903838034E+14	Joanna Gabrielle	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412972000_277233101994011_7615119186266013715_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sXLLN8pWp1gAX-YWsYk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB-hCoICP56d9tKG1qTAgMcCkWRJXD8m2PAWdgnu5lXUw&oe=65915ADB	person_profile	0	Joanna gabrielle | Aprenda inglês	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412944260_2090705257938554_2582744266618632231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LPGhDnPjohYAX8iB4Yy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCANrXvmaxNTzf-kt9s7iFMBxeq7qi0_blddcw0SyTXoA&oe=6592D271			0	3	Entender e falar Inglês Fluente seria bom pra você?<br /> (mesmo começando do zero)<br /> <br /> Olha, eu aprendi 5 idiomas antes dos 25 anos, ensinei a Jessie (filha de 4 anos) e outras centenas de alunos, usando uma Metodologia própria. <br /> <br /> Agora, eu quero te levar do Zero à Fluência, mesmo que você:<br /> <br /> - sinta dificuldade de memorizar<br /> - não entenda bem o que escuta no inglês<br /> - não consegue formar frases corretamente<br /> - não faça ideia de por onde iniciar<br /> <br /> Clique no SAIBA MAIS e descubra a minha proposta irrecusável de final de ano!		Joanna Gabrielle		184	https://facebook.com/joannagabriellei	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68496	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054165		67		366503996052255	1	8.6743383506123E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201881989890476		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856018	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408754325_911528723666614_2426890887416355550_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QlE90JmmMLgAX_bwFZt&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAwPOK7bi8GoT9l05ndcF3jGl1gTG9RVhJ0nHP1HB-tlw&oe=6592421E	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408805756_2051508348520835_570933278957782174_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K-xy8JcH4x0AX8G0urm&_nc_oc=AQkFlB0MjHalxEwSHsvxub9WuC3s6t9tWDm4eMx8PGuXhKd2cm1K7g8yhrTnhZr0fLE&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmL_PkuZAMe5bB2vFPZk3x4TfoQ6zpzPGC4K10wNCYMg&oe=6591F1B1			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68151	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		916477823447181	1	3.4091148200151E+14		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498174140278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287784	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409673601_1044132776632905_7436633158107305081_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=H5JvkMMLUToAX8rvzlY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVNOl2rrcID5uq0nIvxcVhxAYEynzjUzCTDe__Kr72kg&oe=659207EB	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409540993_1003688830691014_3644449161408460703_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZfWoEpSDnWwAX-_6qg1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD9BFHyi-OeNWAjwhiwt41w7XfiPjpqa5NNBsEZWhe4mw&oe=659201F4			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67563	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		321408687372785	2	9.0161707156751E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205063105950729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702609664	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409881275_3775128566053914_1293634767427127078_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MYrvqHTKiW4AX-VKad2&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfChfvUGbZv164At9z1z_MDVBTPHu2rUtCkaDsR-Rfivrg&oe=65928F1C	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409828089_882244433395239_4800663445552258095_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yHiKfd43E9UAX8iPWLU&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAVvr5EdYYM9F9I-4ZRt3qG9ASwFoXbzcT_CMsWDUmryw&oe=65917E8A			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69795	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054165		67		1432084367373205	5	1.0911569485488E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201778980400250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677939	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402960811_3582056052051476_2480871273265367808_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xVoThCfqRkQAX--eQgQ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCI5LPMor8oihXlkS_kYc9xGzToocnW0xN1OLFmRR3l6Q&oe=65928CB3	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67453	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		322391427374457	1	3.9613396617618E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104141508873064		0	Johanna Rojas Vann			120203365613270250		www.johannavann.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Get 2 Chapters for FREE	Available Now!	https://www.johannavann.com/2-free-chapters-subscribe?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}		1702681094	1.0414150887306E+14	Johanna Rojas Vann	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409820883_1375915716620335_7201533355721206197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rv-2rRWC4gAAX8TCYck&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDFem4IpoX3H0kswr6Dlp7hdsIbVH7DiFnmBu0-vvxk1w&oe=659214AC	person_profile	0	Johanna Rojas Vann	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411102347_692931033024341_194991369403769014_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c3u9BAtLGnsAX-E43Lf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDnnJDkma9lbhHiSiLEYQU4zDAFkGashaMULWKgi423BA&oe=6591C8D3			0	3	Step into the shoes of Melanie Carvajal in &quot;An American Immigrant&quot; and embark on a journey of self-discovery and cultural exploration. <br /> <br /> This beautifully crafted novel by Johanna Rojas Vann is more than just fiction; it&#039;s a gateway to understanding your own roots. <br /> <br /> As Melanie unravels the intricacies of her Colombian-American identity, you&#039;ll be inspired to delve into your own family history. <br /> <br /> Experience the power of heritage through this moving story of resilience, family, and the enduring strength of cultural bonds.		Johanna Rojas Vann		89	https://facebook.com/JohannaRVann	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67276	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054165		67		922462049456678		2.9387042645447E+14		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX8Yb4nO&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChhy9HM6t8mMEeFHrdWyRYfx-gSjLvId4HxlLz65sO3A&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67335	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054165		67		330790693140046	3	2.0712646832072E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107782662260298		0	Tony Johnson			120201984208210452		gotonyjohnson.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Run 3x A Week For Your Marathon	The Marathon Training Starter Kit is everything you need to run your half or full marathon	https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit		1702864665	1.077826622603E+14	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412346597_401153695600527_4463493187520922661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HOwJ3FXp8YwAX8elEqG&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAJzKWLJXFDmcJuluhgKooTj0w2NgTK5Xo8QeD9WoRaCQ&oe=65921AAA	person_profile	0	Tony Johnson	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412299780_3674401809511746_2487736885419802400_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HEBf777Kbd4AX8Qr0Qa&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDqtygJEIyHhEpvSjZws9jgJ2A7B6ofYcAruepMUFJUKw&oe=6592CCFD			0	3	Attention Marathon Runners: Run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks or less for ONLY $17<br /> <br /> (If you don&#039;t run your half or full marathon in 16 weeks, I&#039;ll give you a $100 for wasting your time)<br /> <br /> Introducing The Marathon Training Starter Kit!<br /> <br /> This unique style of training has not only helped me, but also 200+ beginner and seasoned runners run their half or full marathons like…<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Joanna won a gold medal on her first half marathon<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Abby ran her first marathon in 4 hours with just 9 weeks of training<br /> <br /> ⭐️ Salma ran her first marathon in 4:28 after overcoming a pelvic stress fracture.<br /> <br /> The &#039;Marathon Training Starter Kit’ for ONLY $17 helps people like you easily run their half or full marathons in 16 weeks or less…<br /> <br /> ✅ without running 4+ times per week<br /> ✅ without running speed intervals or hills<br /> ✅ without dealing with constant overuse injuries<br /> ✅ without getting burned out or bored<br /> <br /> Run your half or full marathon injury free and finish with a time you are proud of, while also becoming the strongest, most confident version of yourself…<br /> <br /> Click the link below to get instant access to “The Marathon Training Starter Kit’ and start your training today for just $17.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gotonyjohnson.com%2Fmarathon-training-starter-kit&amp;h=AT13t_iBDXfs8j5UNepQnhoiYypqLXOkf_jku2riD19v_MtbDbLY5o4_NxWwIZGJqonobU6Q3n9oruB4_hJeXyid-90SpLkIin-_g4KtLe-4nFDHR1n0Z236njhZeyXWyfYEQZ3tGWgv920_vSNedvOijQw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.gotonyjohnson.com/marathon-training-starter-kit</a><br /> <br /> See ya inside,<br /> Tony Johnson		Tony Johnson		450	https://facebook.com/coachtonyjohnson.10	0		LEARN_MORE						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67355	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054165		67		165784349958401	3	6.6206750249947E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	147511991787764		0	NovaNestle			6528961898074		novanestlecw.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Chip & Joanna's 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Xmas Give-away!		https://novanestlecw.com/		1702849198	1.4751199178776E+14	NovaNestle	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412363499_1590027051765896_8023950782769631424_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=APWReRklY1gAX8vXAJB&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDI5R5U8CqvV8FAO6KrqGFe4Pc0eYJOgvkhNpqLzlByYA&oe=659303BA	person_profile	0	NovaNestle	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412186957_923360549211306_4060389436556155222_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dmBD7ITVJ-EAX_y1_Hs&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDOffBAn10iQPtYHEd-1ZEF2due69H-44mSVAMOM7S1Yw&oe=6591FCA8			0	3	(Backed by a Lifetime Warranty). Guaranteed, the last cookware set you will own.		NovaNestle		5	https://facebook.com/61554141392830	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67457	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		1450809485466871	1	3.463780570601E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	210784395662922		0	Savannah K			120202863897820367		t.langehair.com	Shop now		NONE	video			http://t.langehair.com/SHH5G		1702660537	2.1078439566292E+14	Savannah K	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411479238_910343340806082_749682168734943146_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vRzSDZW-_MYAX9wTRfd&_nc_oc=AQklemR_MmN15-oemMLa_1U0g-8YYA14uefOEskIh3RQvdE0B5iVzIbKT4HjoLPGo2s&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAi_PPdaEulVyZm27xSC9yUOi1R4PzD2HY7eRvc_c-XCw&oe=65932C77	person_profile	0					0	3	🚨 Lange Le Curl GIVEAWAY with every $100 shares plus grab this tool for only $19.95 while supplies last!!!! <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ft.langehair.com%2FSHH5G&amp;h=AT2T5XNKA70rSGVVSic-Vij6egeqeZ-UW-VLRDmJ-Ad-tcxP3HKhQYqKnPQ4OLG36w5rw7glU0j58VB4TifXIZK0zk7G-PH-hPdRdQvnORSrImY9iXXkgcbAk_b0pGg2q4xTBk-OVJA8zA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">http://t.langehair.com/SHH5G</a> code DOORBUSTER!		Savannah K		6569	https://facebook.com/savannahmkreger	0		SHOP_NOW						1702713600		View Edit Delete
67767	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		806860521210578	5	3.5355846726739E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548089209		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494400	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409924732_1502736303628506_1122942615382838636_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7JgErX09MUIAX81JBMj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDo6KmwCWhUpz_wnvyiYE14SC48pbkPULAwaWqAFjCqww&oe=65914C45	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409930100_1010946646635984_4814687473833954313_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GNPFwoX2c-QAX91_JO0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqeWjp0s0iEkQgVyxSbDCy7pThIxfxypss5AB0wog7XA&oe=6591B60F			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67765	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		365451796162252	4	7.3704260847814E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548094209		https://joannavargas.com/nyc	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494400	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409937359_1281123765901139_4086146903982754325_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IqF7lNF_mCUAX90fzn3&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBDxB1SX1BUIk-zKodww4apYeagjWHkJEr2v7VhE5M4fw&oe=65917A59	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409969696_1343852239851927_4510082842182849744_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_lDgpvC6HsMAX_PEc4P&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfArRz4z5d0iJrpdvj0HyrehVviZviPUkHHVdMn2Bk6YKg&oe=6592639F			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67856	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054165		67		339217672189947	1	3.7003701547796E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509811580308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462365	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410097783_2250093161857038_5444956019027324661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M829AHSHQ10AX-Ua3RS&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAPU7AYOZM6dq1spqtljPVT0cxmtU6p6lsDJICEybQmYA&oe=65919CE0	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410006480_1539270926888822_7642143410279152725_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KfcNYJxIQWEAX92kLH7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCTrmbKYwy3u9G0NJpQEZN1LbyvosRPnJ70stpc51aCng&oe=6592959F			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68067	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054165		67		3096221847178127	3	2.9873383587064E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140225069170076		0	HistoryNow			120207705502190456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389290	1.4022506917008E+14	HistoryNow	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406870401_7702963333064814_6799847833568892334_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7lijygtbNgMAX_F-CY4&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB1xB34p4UdDhGUMcoygGo9JDi6DIyV6hBq1M9mhwZ5gA&oe=6592EA77	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		HistoryNow		293	https://facebook.com/61551862348233	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69217	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054165		67		641668911483080	1	3.6491045605415E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674069060115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969820	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405806240_380616421082968_4146803536154544553_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CeXEO2NTzYMAX9XQelN&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD2hOs0QZqzghXRCAevLXnsXf5O_6pWQPYErwvpziUWsg&oe=6591586E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405828375_296415509375532_8651346304366657600_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G7OGYjjid_IAX_WY-Cj&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCfWc_Za-Ukzwqt322p24UWAeA98EARoECeO2314mfSfw&oe=65918523			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
66703	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054165		67		687895883149534		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203557795540335		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491406	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414186907_409565638061267_1732802934211341380_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8vSTIqESu6UAX9DkNcf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCYhWoiA1bE-zKUQKjQ6-btLdezlvLWHQHX-6C2GRgNXQ&oe=65933CAE	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412870653_896191058891796_3080748791807514494_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STo1OTbIGM0AX8avzPu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBV32X1J8yCi5HFiyZ_nlaPkGjBdOWDSki36p9lgzMuJQ&oe=65926598			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68967	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054165		67		1398917604055119	1	1.6437802676775E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300663890596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151585	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406311821_647702267573606_8565637444196586234_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WTy73KU1Xc8AX-sp8p1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfALR7Xbc0lPDvpdt98P3gS1O86yROuirIo2Xexwr1xewQ&oe=65931BA7	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406332356_1596069624134034_8320930941568460265_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CajDBQlRWyEAX8Sr486&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC5y050sLQk5WObJLhf1BFqSohayguJKEpWHtVUuQXxKA&oe=65923D98			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69359	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054165		67		239890702244709	1	1.1016300845494E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343768970404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843456	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405747347_313782811478731_4461950682269425456_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-1HclJ74gHMAX-f6_EB&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBrqiKLg07vvFDsD5tKpmP_KchJiYQTX9bYDJRtPTMhrQ&oe=65919CAA	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405739031_364560399366462_6551789670099866607_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aBAwD6yxK1sAX_puyJc&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD1d9Xupqb_Y5_x9XyBL6apIkoMKSLS-GCn0FlPn7OAgg&oe=65921F5D			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700899200		View Edit Delete
66713	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054165		67		912892900416059		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203868614420381		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491215	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414463978_1772500389888834_6341796813999551469_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7NzMl7oPepUAX8q6Zji&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuIGVuJZtY3ZOiWBIKY8gcR_n08BPrTxLzL9J_6IQyFw&oe=65917521	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414480355_1046744119977565_4888127646286046507_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ShAB0--LhR8AX_AGfOp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRLnz4wXXob4eFjDXEGgqf94HevJoptSyZFiXQBCWFUA&oe=65916520			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
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69969	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054165		67		1303399107042533	20	6.6684229876572E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158879420403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633015	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402657025_2058981627792415_5242947216022485647_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZMC8bYcTd-EAX9Il_JB&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBSHlXKb-UFU2JmBtBkFR_XFcqRIF5mu23DdVvPHgVBzw&oe=6593020C	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402659868_850107776899201_5711472716511672418_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kAZUMaASOrIAX_zkeGc&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB5gizTOpkQ6jmk-gFdFgH9V901ihUJQy8rMCqVFFFC-w&oe=65920A20			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69220	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054165		67		830789782389504	3	1.320222321959E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674069360115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969831	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405772706_1987003181670374_2928251633090454598_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kFWy-3Jyb8IAX8Y4LbY&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD21p9Al7pVm3jGglIGuOaQ0u54W7R4hHjg9MxyLlfcYw&oe=65925D15	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405767046_1397414044528411_3781497808730939889_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IVgTSd4yzjUAX8GEJiS&_nc_oc=AQmvrdeoFQ0w1IOxN-aLA7NPZ01VZauOVerlfQKIxBy9njJOc7NgFZYSrUbDtCn6xTXredD8hDlJjNjavNBLzZkK&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCgGh9FOfvtQupLx0tpt8fdVajmWMzlCzupifPICX1ToA&oe=6592CFC5			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68301	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/8/25, 4:06 PM	1703760169	1749416802		67		866503132143586	2	9.8798170229994E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074083780476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016039	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406725632_738628448079938_7396938323920516107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UtI2rSoBtxkAX_xSdSu&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFHEITrkA4tZCU4eakks4ktyYspNnvMlcEbTeEQVHVSQ&oe=6591BAA2	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406754709_327658053364288_4876315505917262983_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D01UXa3bvVAAX9ah1FD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBE1IzSUJtbIX3BPkaNmlXN7FVGVCXbrPmYpPSODSz2hQ&oe=6591DD2E			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66508	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054165		67		882414250249456	1	1.025308692034E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868929800268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_020D24A3799055CC62F16BA97597D0CC_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699148	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412942642_865978971925565_5124061279567868108_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fB5mBINdxAUAX8C4REf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCeZ3wNGSuOge-9tG-n7c_pcQXTpfEp248IQjildPH2ow&oe=65914362	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a bookstore clerk, never fancied athletes. But Knox, a star football player with a secret struggle, is about to rewrite her playbook		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67548	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054165		67		1053496205873363	1	1.9135071557138E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201343803060146		www.novel-oasis.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜<Alpha's Regret : Pregnant Rejected Luna>📜		https://www.novel-oasis.com/share/middle/py2atupib2x4dijspljevmgj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702630050	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411088981_169979712838473_3408845556695610945_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EETjFW_A_csAX9nLaI1&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZLg2EhkLChTgAXyQAY7i_hzgXsb9iedHXoy-MM9sb1w&oe=6591D8AB	person_profile	0					0	3	💔Rejected and pregnant by her alpha mate, she escaped and assumed that he had built a family with his chosen mate, until...&quot;Luna Hazel, the Alpha had been searching for you for five years.&quot;<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> &quot;Hazel, I&#039;ve found my mate,&quot; Ethan declared, his solemn voice echoed through our large and dimly lit bedroom, the weight of his words hanging heavily between us.<br /> My heart sank as I gazed at his devastatingly handsome face, his features etched with determination. Each beat felt like a sharp stab, tearing my emotions to shreds.<br /> &quot;You found your mate?&quot; I stammered, my voice barely rising above a whisper, hoping against hope that he would say otherwise.<br /> Ethan&#039;s grey eyes, once filled with warmth for me, now seemed cold and distant as they locked onto mine. He had been absent for days, leaving me to worry about his sudden change in demeanor.<br /> Then earlier that evening, he returned home with an aura of seriousness and sternness.<br /> &quot;We need to talk,&quot; he announced, his voice tinged with seriousness.<br /> Our relationship was anything but a typical family; our union had been forced after a one-night stand. Yet, deep down, I had always loved Ethan, not merely because he was the Alpha&#039;s son and the future Alpha himself, but because he had a special place in my heart. I had prayed to the moon goddess countless times to grant me the honor of being his mate, but unfortunately, I wasn&#039;t.<br /> The Mooncrest pack, a concealed world within what appeared to be an ordinary estate to outsiders, thrived in secrecy. We coexisted harmoniously with humans, our true identities hidden from the oblivious world.<br /> On the night of my coming of age,I had gotten drunk and ranted to Ethan how frustrated I was that I couldn&#039;t feel the mate bond between us. He was also intoxicated, and we found ourselves entangled in a passionate embrace, this happened only months after he had taken on the role of Alpha. The morning after, I felt the weight of my heart&#039;s desire and impulsively proposed to him, urging him to take responsibility for our actions and marry me. Despite not being fated mates, I believed love could transcend the boundaries of destiny.<br /> Ethan looked conflicted, his brow furrowed as he pondered my proposition. &quot;But I&#039;m not your mate,&quot; he stated calmly.<br /> &quot;It doesn&#039;t matter, you don&#039;t have a mate. It&#039;s been five years since you came of age, this would be the sixth year, which would mean you don&#039;t have a fated mate,&quot; I tried convincing him.<br /> Throughout the wedding preparations, Ethan displayed cooperation but remained emotionally distant. I clung to the hope that he would eventually love me, just like my parents, who weren&#039;t fated mates, my mom and dad weren&#039;t fated mates but had grown to love each other, after my dad died, heartbroken mom followed. She was completely heartbroken and couldn&#039;t do without him. Being fated mates wasn&#039;t necessary, Ethan would grow to love me.<br /> I was sure, so very sure. We had only been married for six months now. Ethan fulfilled his roles as a husband almost robotically. I was respected as Luna and as his wife, I wanted more, to be close to him as a real loving couple but he was always so distant. But I settled for what he could give, a functional relationship not a loving one believing with time, I could win his heart.<br /> Then, everything changed abruptly. Ethan returned home this evening with a spark in his eyes, unlike any I had seen before. &quot;I need to tell you something,&quot; he began, a mix of excitement and guilt in his voice. &quot;I&#039;ve found my mate.&quot;<br /> My heart shattered anew as he described her, a radiant smile on his features as he described her, he never smiled at me that way. that had never been meant for me. I couldn&#039;t help but wonder where I fit in his life now.<br /> Ethan explained that his newfound mate had been badly injured when they found her and was currently at the hospital, prompting him to leave. With a heavy heart, I watched him walk away, the realization sinking in &#039; I won&#039;t be coming home anytime soon.&#039; that was what he came to tell me.<br /> The next morning was gloomy and dark, just like how I felt. What&#039;s going to happen now? I wondered. What would happen to I and Ethan.<br /> I lay in bed lacking the motivation to leave my room. The sheets smelt of him, I cuddled it unwilling to leave this room dominated by his scent. I remained in bed the whole day feeling sick, drowsy and dizzy.<br /> I had my meals there jn my bedroom lacking motivation to move about.<br /> On the third day, I lay there wrapped in the sheets that clung Ethan&#039;s musk and ice scent, my mind filled with uncertainty about the future for Ethan and me.<br /> Lying in bed, I clung to the sheets, which still carried his scent. It was an unwillingness to leave this room that seemed dominated by his presence. However, the sound of three raspy knocks interrupted my thoughts.<br /> &quot;Good morning, Luna. The chores have all been completed. We got a call from the Alpha&#039;s office. He forgot some documents, the deeds of a land? It&#039;s in a blue file, and he has sent Adam to have it delivered,&quot; my house servant, Martha informed me.<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll go myself. Tell Adam to wait; he&#039;ll drive me to the office,&quot; I instructed, mustering the strength to get up and face the day.<br /> A part of me yearned to see Ethan, to understand his thoughts and the implications of his newfound mate. I clutched the documents in my hands, feeling the weight of my responsibilities as Luna pressing down on me.<br /> Once dressed, I rushed downstairs, acknowledging the greetings of the servants as I passed by them. &quot;Where to, Luna?&quot; the driver, Adam, asked as I gracefully got into the car.<br /> &quot;The company,&quot; I replied, my heart pounding heavily in my chest. I needed to see Ethan.<br /> The drive to the company was short, but it felt like an eternity with the weight of uncertainty on my shoulders. As we arrived, I walked into the magnificent building that housed Ethan&#039;s company. It stood tall and imposing, a reflection of the man who owned it.<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> Making my way to his office, I hesitated outside the door, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. When I finally entered, I found Ethan seated behind his desk, engrossed in his work. His presence still had the power to render me speechless.<br /> For a moment, I stood there, admiring his broad shoulders and handsome features. However, his gaze met mine, and any warmth I had hoped to see was replaced with disinterest.<br /> &quot;I brought the files,&quot; I said, my voice steady, placing the documents on his desk.<br /> He nodded, acknowledging my gesture but saying nothing.<br /> &quot;Have you had lunch? We could eat together,&quot; I suggested, my heart hoping for a chance to talk, to connect with him again.<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for that; I promised Bella we&#039;d eat together,&quot; he replied, and a pang of jealousy struck my heart at the mention of his mate&#039;s name.<br /> &quot;Bella?&quot; I questioned, unable to hide my curiosity.<br /> &quot;My mate,&quot; came the curt reply, and I felt a mixture of sorrow and bitterness rise within me.<br /> &quot;You remember the conditions that led to our marriage, right? It was all a big mistake. As for Bella, she&#039;s been through a lot. She was being trafficked, practically hidden and in captivity when we rescued her. That was why it took me this long to find her. I have a mate now, Hazel,&quot; he said, his eyes holding the truth of his love for Bella.<br /> My heart clenched as I listened to his words, understanding that our relationship meant nothing.<br /> &quot;You want to announce her as your mate?&quot; I asked, my voice quivering slightly.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t. At least not now. She&#039;s too weak to be Luna. Apart from her injuries, she&#039;s a gamma. So she&#039;s weak. I can&#039;t cast you aside; the pack will not approve of it. I still need you to stand in as Luna. It&#039;s not a request but an order, I am ordering you as your Alpha,&quot; Ethan stated authoritatively, his eyes burning with passion for Bella.<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; I nodded demurely, my heart aching with the realization that I would be living in the shadow of his true mate.<br /> &quot;What about me?&quot; I whispered, unable to suppressing the pain in my voice.<br /> &quot;I only married you because of the mistake. You were never my mate, Hazel. I&#039;ve found her now. Know your place,&quot; he said coldly, and I understood that there was no room for me in his heart.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ll be well compensated. Don&#039;t worry.&quot;<br /> As I sank into a nearby chair, I felt my dreams shatter into a thousand pieces. It had only been days since we had grown closer, shared moments of intimacy, and I had foolishly believed it meant something more. But now, it was clear that he belonged to her, and I was merely a temporary placeholder.<br /> Turning to leave, my heart heavy with sorrow, a lady rushed past me, heading straight for Ethan&#039;s office. Our eyes met briefly, sense of déjà vu washed over me, as if I had seen her before.<br /> Hurrying into the office, Bella threw herself into Ethan&#039;s arms, and my heart ached as I witnessed the depth of their connection. Ethan held her tenderly, his voice soft and caring as he spoke to her. There was a love between them that could never be replicated with me. That was the mate bond, it&#039;s the real thing. I&#039;ve been with Ethan but he never looked at me that way, but he just met Bella but there was clear and burning love in his eyes.<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll wait outside,&quot; I murmured, my voice choked with emotion, unable to bear their intimacy any longer.<br /> &quot;Wait,&quot; Ethan called, his tone still cold but firm.<br /> Turning to face him, I braced myself for whatever he was about to say.<br /> &quot;Hazel, this is Bella, my mate. Bella, meet Hazel, we are married. She&#039;ll be performing the Luna function for now until you&#039;re safe,&quot; he introduced us, his gaze softening as he looked at Bella, and becoming detached as he glanced at me. Ones body language couldn&#039;t lie.<br /> Bella regarded me with a smug smile, and I could feel her disdain for me, understanding that I was an obstacle in her path.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sure we&#039;ll get along,&quot; I managed to say politely, though my heart felt heavy with pain.<br /> &quot;Thank you,&quot; Bella replied, her words laced with underlying tension.<br /> I turned to leave, deciding to take the stairs instead of the elevator. The empty stairwell provided a quiet sanctuary where I could finally let my tears flow freely. Ethan and Bella were a perfect fit, destined for each other, while I was merely a replacement, a fake. The real mate was back now.<br /> My heart ached for the dreams I had foolishly held onto the hope of a loving and functional relationship with Ethan. It was now clear that he would devote himself to his true mate, Bella.<br /> Heart hammering in my chest and holding back tears I walked away.<br /> Just as I got to the stairs I heard someone call out my name. Turning, to the caller, it&#039;s her Bella walking towards me with a menacing and mean look on her face.<br /> **<br /> The moment Bella was informed of Ethan&#039;s wife&#039;s visit to his office, she hurriedly left the hospital heading there. Curiosity and a desire to assert her position as his true mate fueled her actions. Bella wanted to see what Hazel looked like and make it clear that she was the one destined to be with Ethan. As she approached, she couldn&#039;t help but feel a strong wave of anger, sensing Hazel&#039;s presence as a strong and capable werewolf. It was intimidating, compared to her, she was a nobody. It was clear, she didn&#039;t need anyone to tell her. Looking at Hazel she felt a bitter surge of anger, she would have to compete with that.<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> She studied Hazel as Ethan introduced the both of them. In front of her stood an attractive and ravishingly beautiful she-wolf, and Bella couldn&#039;t help but compare herself to her. Bella knew she was no match, physically or in status, and that she could never compete with Hazel. She was merely an ordinary gamma, not fit to become Luna. The only confidence she had stemmed from the mate bond she shared with Ethan.<br /> Determined to secure Ethan as her mate and husband, Bella knew she had to get rid of Hazel. She needed the Luna position for herself. Ethan kindly offered to take Hazel back to the hospital and asked her to wait for him to finish some business. This provided Bella with an opportunity to carry out her plan.<br /> As she pondered how to remove Hazel from the picture, Bella realized the challenge she faced. Hazel was a reliable and beloved Luna; the pack spoke highly of her, making it almost impossible to win their acceptance. Frustration and self-hatred overwhelmed Bella, fueling her determination to find a way to claim Ethan as her own.<br /> Instead of waiting for Ethan, Bella decided to follow Hazel as she headed for the stairs. Seizing the moment, she approached her, calling out to her in a cold and unfriendly tone. With no one else around, Bella dropped the act of being sick and fragile, revealing her true self.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t be shameless, Hazel,&quot; Bella retorted sharply. &quot;His mate is back now; shouldn&#039;t you leave? The only reason he hasn&#039;t offered to divorce you is because he pities you. You should take the initiative to end things. I am his mate, not you. Stop hoarding what&#039;s not yours,&quot; she spat, her anger and jealousy evident in her words.<br /> Hazel looked taken aback by Bella&#039;s sudden change in demeanor.<br /> HAZEL<br /> Frustrated and fed up with Bella&#039;s smug smile and public display of affection with Ethan, I walked away, hoping to escape her taunts and irritation that now fueled me. However, she relentlessly followed me, seemingly intent on provoking a reaction. My initial sadness turned to a surge of irritation; how dare she talk to me this way?<br /> Unable to bear her presence any longer, I turned to face her, my head held high and my fists clenched in an attempt to appear brave and resolute. &quot;I am still his lawful wife. You may be his mate, but not everyone gets married to their mates. You can remain his mistress. I didn&#039;t hoard nor did I steal. I&#039;ll remain Luna, doing what&#039;s right for the pack,&quot; I asserted firmly, determined to stand my ground.<br /> Her once beautiful face contorted into a mask of bitter anger and rage. Deep down, she knew I was right; Ethan may shower her with love and emotions, but I was still his wife, the Luna. She wasn&#039;t fit to be Luna, fully aware of her ordinary gamma status and the vast difference in our wolf bloodlines. My parents possessed a strong and noble wolf lineage, making me a perfect fit for the role of Luna, a position of royalty. On the other hand, she was an ordinary gamma, the weakest in the wolf hierarchy.<br /> You&#039;re a mistress, that&#039;s all.&quot; With that I turned to leave.<br /> She walked faster stood in front of me blocking my way to the stairs,then she started backing off slowly, heading towards the stairs.<br /> &quot;What are you doing?&quot; I snapped in frustration, witnessing her sly smile as she continually walked backwards until she reached the edge of the stairs.<br /> Suddenly, she let out a chilling scream and allowed herself to fall, dramatically rolling down the staircase. I stood stunned<br /> I couldn&#039;t comprehend what had just happened. She had fallen, and the chaos that ensued was overwhelming.<br /> She threw herself down the stairs and fell. She lay at the end of the stairs writhing in pain. &quot;Help, she pushed me.&quot; She cried.<br /> &quot;What?!&quot; I snapped, feeling my frustration and irritation intensify.<br /> Upon closer observation, I noticed that Bella wasn&#039;t badly hurt; she had taken care not to fall in a way that would cause serious injury. Ethan rushed out to her side, his concern evident, and I felt a pang of jealousy that he was giving her all his attention. He threw an angry gaze in my direction.<br /> Bella was carried out of the building and into a car to be rushed to a hospital. I followed behind, instructing Adam to follow Ethan&#039;s car. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and amazement; just what was she up to? I knew I hadn&#039;t touched her. The smug smile she gave me before releasing herself to fall from the stairs flashed before my eyes, and suddenly it all became clear - she did it on purpose to make me seem evil and make Ethan hate me.<br /> At the hospital, I waited in the waiting room while Bella was taken to the emergency ward. She had badly bruised her calf, but she concealed a smile in my direction, mocking and taunting me. Enraged, I couldn&#039;t hold back any longer and walked into her room.<br /> &quot;You did it on purpose! I never pushed you. Admit it!&quot; I yelled, my anger boiling over.<br /> Before I could reach her, Ethan stepped in, grabbing and shoving me away. The betrayal and disbelief in his eyes cut deep. &quot;How could you hurt her?&quot; he growled. The hospital belonged to the pack, and people were all around, witnessing this confrontation.<br /> &quot;Not only did you push her, but you&#039;re also denying it! Have you always been this way? Cold-hearted and wicked? You could have killed her!&quot; Ethan&#039;s words echoed in my ears, and my heart shattered at his accusations.<br /> Sitting on the cold hospital floor, I felt humiliated and lost, while people peered through the doors to see what was happening. The pack, who once respected and admired me as Luna, now saw me as a spiteful woman trying to harm my husband&#039;s mate.<br /> &quot;Get out. Right now,&quot; Ethan ordered, his voice filled with anger and disappointment.<br /> I stumbled off the floor, shock and confusion overwhelming me. &quot;Ethan, believe me, I didn&#039;t do it. I never pushed her,&quot; I pleaded desperately, but he seemed unwilling to listen.<br /> &quot;Go home and wait for me,&quot; he instructed, and with a heavy heart, I obeyed, walking away stunned and unsure of how to salvage my relationship and reputation.<br /> I truge down the stairs still in a daze, I couldn&#039;t believe what had just happened.<br /> As Adam pulled into the driveway of our gated mansion, my mind was still in turmoil. I exited the car almost robotically, my heart heavy with the burden of the truth that had been twisted against me.<br /> As I passed the servants, I couldn&#039;t even hear their greetings. The whispers about the incident followed me like a dark cloud, painting me as a villain in the eyes of the pack.<br /> In the solitude of my dark bedroom, I grappled with my emotions, trying to make sense of the situation. I knew I had to explain everything to Ethan, to make him understand the truth. Bella, just what was she up to? Framing me up like this wasn&#039;t necessary.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> Ethan tightly held onto Bella, his body trembling with anger. He couldn&#039;t believe Hazel would hurt someone, but he witnessed it firsthand when she tried to harm Bella, his mate.<br /> &quot;Ethan, I&#039;m okay now. It&#039;s just a small injury. When she pushed me, I instinctively protected myself to minimize the damage. I&#039;m sorry, I&#039;m just so weak,&quot; Bella said, her voice trailing off. &quot;I shouldn&#039;t have followed her, but something seemed familiar about her, so I confronted her, and that&#039;s when she pushed me.&quot;<br /> &quot;What? Why would she be so angry at you? It doesn&#039;t make sense for her to try to kill you,&quot; Ethan inquired, trying to understand the situation.<br /> &quot;Alpha, I want to tell you some things, but please don&#039;t get mad,&quot; Bella said, looking at him intently.<br /> Ethan adjusted to meet her gaze, ready to listen to her explanation.<br /> &quot;For over two years now, I&#039;ve known you were my mate. I was planning to come and find you, but on the night of your birthday celebration, I was abducted. When I woke up, I was already being sold and taken far away,&quot; Bella revealed sadly.<br /> Ethan&#039;s heart broke at the revelation, realizing that he had missed out on meeting his mate for such a long time.<br /> &quot;When I was drugged, I heard a woman&#039;s voice giving instructions to my kidnappers. She wanted me taken far away. And when I met Hazel, I felt she was familiar, so I confronted her. In her rage, she pushed me down the stairs. I was terrified, but I managed to protect myself,&quot; Bella lied, trying to make her story more convincing as she broke down sobbing.<br /> Ethan froze upon hearing her words, shocked that Hazel had tried to kill Bella not once but twice. He now understood why Hazel had kept them apart, purposely preventing them from meeting as mates.<br /> He remembered Hazel&#039;s obsession with him since their teenage years, always seeking his attention and constantly being around him. However, he never imagined she would go to such extreme lengths to get rid of his mate. She had convinced him to marry her, assuring him and very certain that his mate was dead.<br /> &quot;Get some rest; I&#039;ll be back later. I need to take care of something,&quot; Ethan said in a constrained voice, filled with anger. Bella nodded, hiding a small smile, knowing her plan was working.<br /> Ethan believed Hazel intentionally kept them apart and married him, which fueled his decision to divorce her. Bella felt pleased with herself, as she knew Ethan&#039;s reaction was going as she had planned.<br /> While he walked away, he made a call to his Beta, Chris. &quot;Arrange a marriage annulment, I&#039;ll be divorcing the Luna.&quot; He instructed.<br /> He hadn&#039;t planned anything drastic, but the revelation of how she had kept them apart ticked him. The feeling of being a fool and manipulated by her over took all other emotions he had for her.<br /> The documents were made ready in minutes and he drove off late that night to their gated mansion.<br /> HAZEL<br /> I was just settling into sleep when the doors swung open, and Ethan walked into our bedroom. &quot;Sign this,&quot; he instructed, flinging a blue document on the bed.<br /> Curious and puzzled, I picked up the file and read the bold words &quot;Marriage Annulment.&quot; &quot;Ethan, what&#039;s this?&quot; I asked calmly, trying to keep my emotions in check. &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me? You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bella&#039;s my mate, I&#039;ll get married to her officially by next week. You have until then to sign that, the rejection will take place tomorrow,&quot; he replied in a restrained voice.<br /> My heart sank, and a knot formed in my stomach. This couldn&#039;t be happening. &quot;Do you love her?&quot; I found myself asking, wanting to know the truth. &quot;Did you ever love me? Or even come to like me?&quot;<br /> &quot;No, you were convenient, at least that&#039;s what I thought till it came clear to me that it was all your plot, keeping Bella away, staying around me while I was drunk and trying to kill her yesterday!&quot; he retorted with anger in his voice.<br /> My eyes widened in disbelief and hurt. &quot;What are you talking about?&quot; I shot out of bed, running towards him. &quot;I never pushed Bella. She threw herself...&quot;<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot; Ethan interrupted, furiously grabbing my arm and pinning me to the wall. His fingers tightened around my arm, digging into my skin. His body was shaking with anger, and his gaze was filled with disdain. &quot;You&#039;re a mistake, getting married to you was a mistake. I fell for your plot. You purposely got me drunk that day and probably drugged me that night, right?&quot;<br /> My head dropped slowly as tears filled my eyes. I was guilty of that. &quot;I&#039;ll only give you a little bit of honor because of the service of your late father, for harming my mate, your Luna. You shouldn&#039;t be allowed to live. I need you out of my home by tomorrow. Bella will be moving in,&quot; he said, releasing his grip on me as I fell weakly to the floor.<br /> It&#039;s hopeless, he believes her, even if he didn&#039;t, I didn&#039;t have a place here anymore, not in his heart. I&#039;d hoped to win his love but that would never happen now.<br /> &quot;Are you okay, ma&#039;am?&quot; James, the family butler, asked, helping me up. I took a pen and signed the papers. I ran after Ethan as he got into his car and called out, &quot;Wait! I&#039;ve signed it. I hope you&#039;re happy together.&quot;<br /> Ethan took the files, got into his car, and drove away. James stood beside me, offering silent comfort.<br /> I spent the night packing and organizing my things. I decided to give away most of them to the kind helpers.<br /> Morning came, and I hadn&#039;t slept at all. James and Martha helped me with the final preparations. James said, &quot;Finding your mate is a happy thing. He&#039;s so in love. The Alpha never hated or disliked you. It just wasn&#039;t meant to be. I hope you find your mate.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s good you&#039;re not pregnant; it would have made things messier.&quot; He added<br /> Confused, I asked, &quot;What do you mean? What would have happened if I was?&quot;<br /> James explained, &quot;The first child of the Alpha must come from his mate, not a rejected one. Having the Alpha&#039;s first child outside of the mateship is complicated. In most cases, such children might just be aborted. If the lady had the child, it would grow up with the Alpha and his mate, though most likely as an illegitimate child by the pack, if the Luna accepted the child. In most cases, though, the child was just aborted.&quot;<br /> James excused himself, leaving Martha and me alone. She held my hands, and concern filled her eyes.<br /> &quot;Oh ma&#039;am, you didn&#039;t ask for your ginseng dose last month,&quot; Martha said softly. &quot;You usually have menstrual cramps and request those soups, but it&#039;s been weeks now, and you haven&#039;t asked for them. You also haven&#039;t had your time of the month yet, have you?&quot; she inquired, urging me to consider the possibility.<br /> The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been preoccupied with everything that was happening, and it hadn&#039;t even occurred to me. Could I actually be pregnant? Counting back, along with the morning sickness and tiredness I had, it seemed possible. I looked at Martha in horror, and she seemed to understand.		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68123	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054165		67		923104379147872	2	2.3139807788105E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216182180123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310313	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410235465_684082286855954_3373861216131586462_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T0tCX7I-k98AX8yaU-v&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBND9PMMt9knksZ7Y_7arjyzYVjKpnUVqUGYMjzD1faeA&oe=65918C3A	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410036453_735654957949419_8653639442300412375_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XOtVrkGRB-cAX-I0N02&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBPfHvrl_KCfx_b3-wRVerZp76Ib0S-yu_C-waq-cH_aQ&oe=6592260B			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67612	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054165		67		1054021952462998				1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101538409405008		0	Savvy Saver			120204553993050170		savvydime.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.savvydime.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702565686	1.0153840940501E+14	Savvy Saver	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411218626_879025503718005_5319578744321553378_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G5FxGIyK7cUAX8kNHoh&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBvGfOKguracYxQlm8kYeJU7Gd1FyNS0nWuI3d83E_Fqg&oe=65924D61	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Savvy Saver		1066	https://facebook.com/100086035737104	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68997	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054165		67		748305747118700	1	6.8499231674373E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105122141682658		0	Readyer Lifestyle			120201228247710261		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1701081705	1.0512214168266E+14	Readyer Lifestyle	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406205356_894276391888236_4863255365001942255_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1giRMNlVtRsAX_uXMdU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDB8ZoGKZ9E9KLrwJNBIhw8JWnhvHM8_KxrKR3uTDGM6w&oe=65932658	person_profile	0	Readyer Lifestyle	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406183610_693385799436248_4009189366328808738_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=83cvjkSqjW0AX-DVPM9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA0x9PC3BUoVRPAYW_dBt1sEeNr6RLHF57qrSpn6Rg4cA&oe=6591FCEB			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		Readyer Lifestyle		4485	https://facebook.com/ReadyerLifestyle	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69514	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054165		67		326736486773579	1	6.697238653171E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611898000115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722976	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403856108_3469760076670116_261194245149952802_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rNMvNaTxUfkAX_9JQ5c&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfAZ8t2ur2uXccBNDOyznKaoRRU04yfsLv5ntOJU5fjKfA&oe=65930F28	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403735765_889272402725234_208945437340467263_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aNCSEigiYVwAX80xDDm&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCBw5auY-0kP2nVZYC38_XYIbkBhO6PnCfpxWZgTskAhg&oe=6592E35D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69187	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054166		67		1331513304154684		1.0142185298623E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145433280740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Opens Up, Breaking Her Silence Before the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806368	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404599841_889874839188162_3878948551838351048_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uMfTEVEc-oQAX9sQrib&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfChz7E3D9G9SwkDcET3yfXN823tq8W9NfTPVWO830w9Ww&oe=6592AA0B	person_profile	0					0	3	Long-Hidden Truths: Joanna Reveals Husband&#039;s Story and Behind-the-Scenes Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
67780	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054166		67		1469884903574525	5	1.3989916943323E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548088009		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494400	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410008796_1809094646284515_7928628037517995281_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WJ7PLZJA7IAAX-OlCIK&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBE1B6GvxK_imFzP-rL3sMe2pII7hIygBFS4HomwOpNIg&oe=6591BF64	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409958833_956304529496568_9185256513361301674_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LPhLBly-JxoAX9YCIJ1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDYyrHq11Xu6Mgmpw61NhOPMdDwdJio4LXlYEe9jvyFg&oe=6591A707			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
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66390	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054166		67		1429897601216422	1	3.649767793966E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	505582332845919		0	Joanna Galant Photography			120201848659960168		joannagalant.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Contact Me Today!	321-466-9323 or click to learn more	https://www.joannagalant.com/		1701971889	5.0558233284592E+14	Joanna Galant Photography	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408027459_368534298894654_2299967014260476098_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mL5QX8Ve4AkAX8bYi_9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA50WxkGw3_Ioa0FxxXPb8K0c22xvQaSUOiHe4eMJ1hcg&oe=65931CC1	person_profile	0	Joanna Galant | Family and Kids Photographer	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407947073_1019661419258376_4222974164618522599_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o94d_YR1oAEAX8-uyNt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCsfMu_sJjwSl2McYIRmA3EUO1xbgiRGbCRabDXBFsByA&oe=65918BEB			0	3	We bring a unique and creative perspective to photography. Capture the beauty of your family through my lens!		Joanna Galant Photography		6759	https://facebook.com/joannagalantphotography	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66442	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/14/25, 8:04 PM	1703760157	1747271055		67		724689752591408	1	2.1041450203970E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1557901304441461		0	Joanna Buchanan			6537950188148		joannabuchanan.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannabuchanan.com/collections/holiday-tabletop		1702493591	1.5579013044415E+15	Joanna Buchanan	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409720308_385351977163901_1630728005167430099_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1GrtM8RAkpUAX_9KewU&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDJ6WkUzUfoWac4vQrSU65QMZBdiswvzKCfPMYZlBh2cQ&oe=659265D9	person_profile	0	JOANNA BUCHANAN Home Décor	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409213752_746379454002126_4794074198350611392_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6JeWNieDJdEAX9eMD7E&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBXtOXMP45Ct5JM8olawhwhmR04isAiQvNaKJsQD92HlA&oe=65914650			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Buchanan		1848	https://facebook.com/joannabuchananofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67835	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054166		67		1399560120992053	1	7.6821794351297E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	165414600540210		0	Along the Gravel Road			6514580607444		eventbrite.com	Buy tickets		NONE	event	Walton Fest	https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walton-fest-waco-tx-tickets-776262200137?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete	https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walton-fest-waco-tx-tickets-776262200137?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete		1702484452	1.6541460054021E+14	Along the Gravel Road	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409591439_911329503889497_5479416572495903541_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uWGv44LVfncAX85AArA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB95Kj3zXX5WU9U9BOaJ1o5kryM_lebidgO0GPQFKivng&oe=65920C82	person_profile	0	Along the Gravel Road	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409806548_1377381666202020_8123895881819225658_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j41JGZ_3EhoAX-tIaHJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAOUMVxgoGqGrnuzf15oFL8QBBgnI7VqpC_kJrmMrTwZA&oe=65919CE7			0	3	Way Down Texas Way is where you want to be March 9-10, 2024, for the WALTON FEST!!<br /> <br /> The cast from The Waltons are loading up the old truck and heading to Tucker Hall on March 9/10 to Waco, TX for a THREE-PART WALTONS FEST YOU WON&#039;T FORGET!!<br /> 1. A Saturday &amp; Sunday Meet and Greet<br /> 2. A very special Saturday Night &quot;The Mountain Remembers&quot; Dinner, honoring all the actors that have gone too soon <br /> 3. A Sunday Breakfast with the cast<br /> <br /> The Waltons original cast members scheduled to appear are: <br /> Eric Scott (Ben Walton)<br /> Leslie Winston (Cindy Walton)<br /> Kami Cotler (Elizabeth Walton)<br /> Mary McDonough (Erin Walton)<br /> Jon Walmsley (Jason Walton)<br /> David Harper (Jim Bob Walton). <br /> <br /> Saturday Night the Mountain Remembers Dinner will take place at 7:00 pm. The dinner will feature fried chicken, Texas BBQ and all the fixins! Ticket price is $150! Limited tickets will be sold!<br /> <br /> A special Breakfast with the Cast will take place Saturday at 9:00 am. Ticket price is $100 and only limited tickets will be sold!<br /> <br /> We will host a cast meet and greet on Saturday 10-5 &amp; Sunday 12-4. Ticket Cost is just $10. The cast will be available for photos, autographs and other merchandise for purchase. Such a fantastic setting. Meet &amp; Greet &amp; again , tickets are limited! <br /> <br /> OR, enjoy the weekend like a celebrity yourself AND be our VIP GUEST!!<br /> The weekend VIP Experience Package is limited to just 50 people, and it includes the Meet &amp; Greet on Saturday &amp; Sunday, Dinner &amp; Breakfast sitting directly at the table with cast members, the Sunday Morning family photo sessions &amp; a souvenir swag bag. <br /> The Weekend VIP Experience Cost is $500.<br /> <br /> There will be a family photo session with the Walton Family in front of the Walton house backdrop at 11am on Sunday morning. The photon session will be with Ben, Cindy, Erin, Elizabeth, Jason &amp; Jim Bob - AND of course YOU and your party. Cost is $90! It will be printed out and put in a souvenir sleeve. Spots will be limited!<br /> <br /> It all happens at Tucker Hall, 7767 North State Highway 6, in Waco, Tx! Not far from the World-Famous MAGNOLIA Silos - of Fixer Upper favorites, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines!<br /> <br /> For tickets: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.com%2Fe%2Fwalton-fest-waco-tx-tickets-776262200137%3Faff%3Debdshpsearchautocomplete&amp;h=AT2VE1JS_06LQMKfzCDS3w8b7YxgcgEL9KOEmzWLnVqHXN5OWPxbRaSZcbMsKyd1lDUoB4BAve4TLpRDeWx5r8N_sw9cqbXIPbgYvAxtuvziwfS164aqQq9bMUZ-x6d34kEaEbgkxYOnz1EYQguZJJ6ORQw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walton-fest-waco-tx-tickets-776262200137?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete</a><br /> <br /> For information email: gravelroadmarket&#064;gmail.com.		Along the Gravel Road		1730	https://facebook.com/gravelroadmarket	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67914	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054166		67		313970524882133	1	7.1180003424345E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411471290044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458262	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409586363_1535846680685482_6157641047348634177_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=64yRtA6qrZkAX_xp81h&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCs8xm8HNScZwcy70Ko9IykKnkT7VfHv9pbagVtrUaFlw&oe=659238D7	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409755877_275562015115341_7390653589507349688_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FEd1vzQB3EAAX88n8M9&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAYDm5hRJz3ULu56ssZDQQRwG9DE-S7j3EbETybtWrWPQ&oe=65925277			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69597	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054166		67		187791187656568	5	8.5894191571687E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201778904010250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677851	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404641104_695922715605664_4661830556968240599_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z4uoTqIzfScAX_6r-46&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBY99A1TAXDytkTh1RvwG7yXHJwGRJv3E7OAH29hUsHCA&oe=65927F5E	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69851	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054166		67		2418649851674598		5.559146662118E+14		1703664000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	111862640665344		0	Jada Simone Jewels			120201926160030594		jadasimonejewels.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Jada Simone Jewels		https://jadasimonejewels.com/products/rhea-bracelet-stack?utm_source=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&utm_medium=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&utm_campaign=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&utm_content=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&utm_term=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D		1700694299	1.1186264066534E+14	Jada Simone Jewels	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404914311_1784174442034826_8002781726190378763_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=thblrxO6TM4AX-cYfFr&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCSpBgUNZHMK3wuaxOf3GNSHeuJWkIySzZf81b6-B68Hg&oe=6591AC7C	person_profile	0	Jada Simone Jewels	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404983174_360024569845972_1068181675371299888_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ACSXRl3IU74AX-l3mws&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBFvaVu51Lwk0TXltSnz_F50CR9kZRZhrhEkvYq50j3gw&oe=6592313B			0	3	✨ Treat yourself to some wrist candy ✨		Jada Simone Jewels		5883	https://facebook.com/JadaSimoneJewels	0		SHOP_NOW						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66785	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054166		67		768511625095743	3	8.5905531262535E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104893872451761		0	Sierra College Information Technology			120204182783910296		getskillstoday.com	Learn more		NONE	video	IT Certification	FREE Info Session	https://getskillstoday.com/		1703419713	1.0489387245176E+14	Sierra College Information Technology	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414162343_401219655674903_8553094860226760912_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sNaCwGSVE8wAX866zSQ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCt9WL5hYWpMymtWtYVkYCEbd7-j-2I5M0ICx9snyEkMA&oe=65927537	person_profile	0	Sierra College Information Tec	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412699048_1554131355416271_8047397292925091935_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jDoEdmlGAx0AX-S_oun&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD573TLsKvAl-Hd3YdkB_Ee5wrvBLqNGpt0K2aMDlZfBQ&oe=6592E8B6			0	3	Level up your IT skills at Sierra College! Join our Jan 22nd program for continuing education.		Sierra College Information Technology		21	https://facebook.com/SCITDept	0		LEARN_MORE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
67458	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054166		67		224451197354736	2	3.6235990970517E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774770050385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633136	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410038365_1043829103612724_6343600471018942386_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3og3X7_jcDoAX9afl8D&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAaL2WSrm5ndf1pcsA3QQS1HQ_9dH3oFVYeLa1X4_-8dg&oe=6591651F	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409970519_853597623128443_8342490516947574585_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m_ZCPxWSO7AAX9DgSpM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC0cPy5Hbyv7L331oUXhVjhdPMKa35N9tkhiQ6y_OE8rQ&oe=6592EA21			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66409	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054166		67		897294055125428	1	2.4307308522779E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1557901304441461		0	Joanna Buchanan			6500332427748		joannabuchanan.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannabuchanan.com/collections/holiday-tabletop		1701169446	1.5579013044415E+15	Joanna Buchanan	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406275476_1058516291848504_2266348753443372921_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HOe60nxj7CQAX9i8mSG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZzVfiwuPt_yS0h15lEL3DIqWBccrjXH2L7lNAqH_RTQ&oe=6591A364	person_profile	0	JOANNA BUCHANAN Home Décor	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406273360_1523320775165388_1636355061706045710_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QpOamf8XgYEAX9ybZdF&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUTsLjVjCf7tgGC9QbUtVqjv9c2vcXWdJp8-wecGZCZQ&oe=65930734			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Buchanan		1848	https://facebook.com/joannabuchananofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68965	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054166		67		1313481512690995	1	1.697895560697E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300668840596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151758	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404794717_859197255947973_4825104114748548063_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8NTmsgruqnAAX-netkp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHCio3RbOUexQRdpGChnCE6Ly61bccVUY1OARzI8Iklg&oe=6591E2B8	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404724161_1450309865519627_4779252252226274206_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LlK6rT9abPEAX8gylEI&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHezGZNIHOWH7Hs1FnM4gH3cgfry4z1nHO7qWHn18oZg&oe=659231C5			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69181	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054166		67		358457513214609		1.0142185298623E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145447080740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Opens Up, Breaking Her Silence Before the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806391	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404606819_602220625311000_7535080674722233445_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oe7MO8xZzUQAX-zxPNW&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHd3nXgmpdRGMwRQiFHMn2vteFIUR_5xBoRPZ3n1l3iA&oe=65920CA4	person_profile	0					0	3	Long-Hidden Truths: Joanna Reveals Husband&#039;s Story and Behind-the-Scenes Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68322	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054166		67		7618741204822477		3.3839384883275E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074057930476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015923	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406772101_762433099237673_3373739273146062255_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wwleGyuWnEMAX90ARj2&_nc_oc=AQnAnDUThPOZAJtjCk2rS83spWvzcnWTN4IrdFgL2mqH8-dHyvF9Pu4Ea5acu7SWQYs&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDrPIw39j0jS69WImSOAHIulNp-Bd5g6kumOmNuelSdUA&oe=65926E8D	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408419748_1484628842081363_540158276726758297_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=30hPqr-qZ88AX-a7rBX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3Ak0eSFkRDrWr3Pu-7bdPWeZFFVblWqGuIta90GnYOA&oe=65930F55			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67086	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054166		67		871205744741615		2.1117062204031E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	328690820916913		0	Jim Fisher			120202082026630705		morelifesales.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Discover How Top Agents Are Getting Off The 'Buying Leads' Hamster Wheel	Life Agents: Watch this video if you want to sell more IUL and Annuity - GUARANTEED	https://morelifesales.com/learn-more		1703101082	3.2869082091691E+14	Jim Fisher	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412757483_391736086590259_8778141672396934190_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f8t66WS_bqsAX869S8w&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAOzggH3feC8gbOcxZTt0uqPc8aprREnz9p0s46vGO3SQ&oe=6592A214	person_profile	0	Jim Fisher - Jucebox	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411051824_372232652150767_7599483623122461093_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PTHI-L9q78oAX-jzTrc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBiRldeTJbR7vrmYkvwbSoGDlWxWSMlWd_k4kCKzdEfHg&oe=65923D39			0	3	“I’M SO TIRED OF THE BUYING LEADS HAMSTER WHEEL!”<br /> <br /> I see it all the time…<br /> <br /> They’ve been told by their IMO that the way out of their mess is more leads (and better leads).<br /> <br /> And what’s the result?<br /> <br /> ❌Agents drop out of the business…<br /> ❌They bang their head against the wall…<br /> ❌They keep buying more leads in search of the “best” leads<br /> <br /> But there’s a controversial and surprising truth…<br /> <br /> If you’re only focused on buying more leads, you won’t consistently close IUL and annuity like top 1% producers do.<br /> <br /> Why?<br /> <br /> Because there’s something that top 1% producers know that most agents don’t.<br /> <br /> Leads are important, sure.<br /> <br /> But how you convert that lead is more important than who the lead is.<br /> <br /> And that’s why I created Agent Shift.<br /> <br /> After proving this system with 1000 agents (and guess what…I actually use this system myself), I’ve realized there’s only 3 things you need:<br /> <br /> 🌐 Custom-Built Lead Generating System<br /> 💰 Proven Selling System<br /> 📈 Customized Coaching and Support<br /> <br /> So if you want to get off the ‘buying leads’ hamster wheel, then click the link below to see if you qualify for our Agent Shift program in just 30 seconds!		Jim Fisher		1204	https://facebook.com/jfishercoach	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
69294	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054166		67		774605387761330	1	6.7381300487736E+14		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632064840115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796883	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404619211_321743887387704_7131448377130505579_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3TNGJl_vOUgAX_z0iJ_&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJ99P_8uMoP46CfJ56EfEN5_ZSVcVRq9JIHCdAtmzBng&oe=65915795	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404630719_2522395171273358_4530853579731081284_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WsM7lonjRgcAX9CMIk2&_nc_oc=AQnO4lj6M5Xy77Vp-XMiwDFpCDHhVS2CJS7Tw-LdW8aBrXs3y2Fsr2t-wqam5JZ6Vsw&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBkjWlQJFx77jpo7wWAFE9KWDCCHT8Q6-T8K2jQajHSwQ&oe=65919C88			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67687	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054166		67		698711785698278	1	8.8277591650897E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	156012997601512		0	Joanna Feldman			120202665658260126		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/feldman_joanna		1702070713	1.5601299760151E+14	Joanna Feldman	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409197472_1867433557023054_2300698607242154713_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AGiez5Yia28AX-G08rz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCIiXl6ZXjNtdZAEgVUcklJn7HZHE6pqqpS2UD1fHL_Lg&oe=659193B0	person_profile	0	Joanna Feldman || TOP LIDER • NETWORK • Aloesowe Petardy 📲	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409591747_368529699014850_6983023629022999062_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-Pkw75jOaWAAX-4oOXw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAyhA3ElkWpsX9GxhjtLVJRbLxO4r2Z-IztRzJxrb_amQ&oe=65915A53			0	3			Joanna Feldman		0	https://facebook.com/61553286580270	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67170	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054166		67		1085542402568600	1	9.4622900359411E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475802980743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977115	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410956895_274199665653400_7748308768343459745_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5q7LIp4iHhQAX8HCsg4&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDh_jC-Bun4SCaciyen7B53z5nP6o79bINJKavIjXCu8A&oe=6592E4A7	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410959091_835735205017141_6786103035121437991_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=asRlqhdwaX8AX-siyzx&_nc_oc=AQnXbOoCbTbfRTfnYBjejKP6zwYyo9Rh0AH2ga8yAxzuoCBqDjqgxS_1iQtbPSIm5x4Qk-R2bsdz8py9bYON9nUo&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDeIV9sIyy6mXqoZLRSbpXqhuNWEev0CwoJkDKzJGiO1Q&oe=6592BDDC			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68152	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054166		67		2793350004138337	2	6.2046944346265E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498173600278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287787	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409536016_222374774232505_8301639972843371638_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0gLB_qOSMGUAX94FMEq&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDPs-bTLAJ12d_BZOK2vc3qkGZAsl22Lx3xskMMAaI65A&oe=65919DE3	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409665440_682093044030352_2582738063934915882_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RDFXxbXZL0gAX-Zo-QH&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQg9zKpGeyMnSuaaQVtFNoM8_kFq7j0kZZ3r9y_hKEdg&oe=65929393			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69302	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054166		67		1002960107478439	1	9.1477925953811E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632221910115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796960	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403706042_1696649900868368_8647809954420587578_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wohz0aZVo2EAX-dj4Qh&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCVZybGqMj8DsiLN006X6czpvsGWlIKzmORIFUUW6qgyA&oe=65932465	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404924174_1395886697947294_3990456986382679429_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RWqqx8FHfd0AX_WGEPS&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDqhclwVbjMfwZao2DRjRJWS_K6WpFDdUfE1FqL1ztJrg&oe=65932842			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
68234	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054166		67		683574713934748	1	6.7101061850574E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155287280476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094592	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408766973_236005432838202_4588692010416318520_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3LHIzH57zdYAX8oTxd2&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA26mOYEuFfPcy2MrKazs8Zx2NoxZBuHytWmQw9xib1Gg&oe=6591B9C7	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408816933_2346091905578590_8958343998912382784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_rg4o_E1RE8AX9QB-3S&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD5EUaKyZ1ylOPJNE-lxkLz1U8ZS-rO989VO8E6i93fMA&oe=659202CA			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
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69537	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054166		67		1521784001930510		2.2170545485052E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207691710403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724097	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404575547_274782311855068_8816608493321486824_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p1jCozHbjWQAX-HWBIn&_nc_oc=AQnxC58-zza8B6W81CHrzgK7JDTbR39O7Y5iGci-QSIXXKgp9jBdQg7xPfXfyUxLGNa2zNIAM5h7OYgabHkstBTs&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDqMQ7s39o-z-n4FhZ7fYJ7uza7dz7Fsctb8OKPqjeksQ&oe=65926FE4	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404879579_1062969448159525_7477348340560381216_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sEloXdJgj_YAX9_n-sK&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBz_VeApCZAOwpV8FwBUi-_msjyVjBpoRcswXjsChXGXA&oe=6592A95D			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
66775	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054166		67		898105668428172	1	1.0607753050677E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	89827839379		0	Concord Church			6517012275958			Send message		NONE	multi_images					1703433794	89827839379	Concord Church	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413977286_1038834963900513_1360184349090159942_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=76V6ScChTFgAX_rGzfo&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDc0XijFaO14Jqv-5tWFtcLrpi0WiMvhI4BEJW9R7vc1g&oe=6591F5E4	person_profile	0	Concord Church Dallas	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414150816_1085035672636906_6616756692694712357_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BAMKRNRTOL8AX9xcXs_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDlMRVWDe818xwM1r0Z-6MqcHPMZtcLoJc-hG1dcT9XTg&oe=6592BF28			0	3	🏁READY. SET. REVIVE🏁<br /> Let’s start the new year off, ready to GROW!<br /> Joanna January 1 and 2nd at 7 PM for power, packed preaching and worship.<br /> Dallas make your way out and invite everyone near and far..<br /> 2024 we are READY‼️‼️		Concord Church		28422	https://facebook.com/ConcordChurch	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
68154	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054166		67		913604570200156	2	7.3828715763484E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498172560278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287774	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409129430_733649608822766_1013003183479207908_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yhl6tR9ehF0AX-brPDh&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA8ue4v8F1sPyLC1Un4BtHTYcPwRI2aK6z80O9itdj82Q&oe=65921BEB	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409202883_634184128916268_7278473264280025907_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=78YNDc3MPVYAX-kFXz7&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAF_h22y8R0D6XTWqquLWlQc7e7OFG2zgcrvMozeN54wA&oe=65931072			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66653	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054166		67		890095749163551	1	3.1823259087298E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	397154533957957		0	Joanna Rodriguez - Bilingual Realtor - Richmond VA			6526461378336		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joannarvarealty		1703569676	3.9715453395796E+14	Joanna Rodriguez - Bilingual Realtor - Richmond VA	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412722516_1325743141421417_9131633178758495194_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T3JOEBcP1WgAX-D82Ir&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCMTkmVF9QPsnwCD6b0jEgCZs4cdLquJv1tJ-MsX4qCAw&oe=65926CE8	person_profile	0	Joanna Rodriguez	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414125359_760104419273174_1542196082189970401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=twZn9mahdrYAX9Ig4X6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB8n4RlpdWsoILstoPPRK86xcO8RFm0tD7-9E7LsCRVag&oe=65916305			0	3	Mi trabajo es hacer que las personas vivan la vida de sus sueños desde el primer dia que se convierten en propietarios de su nueva casa 🏠 <br /> <br /> 🙏🏻 Amo profundamente lo que hago y estoy enfocada en ser 1% mejor cada día.<br /> <br /> En lo que va de año, mi equipo y yo hemos logrado que + de 200 familias sean dueñas de sus hogares 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 después de transitar un plan de compra adaptado a las necesidades de cada una.<br /> <br /> Es un trabajo arduo y lleno de mucha satisfacción. Soy afortunada por poder vivir al 100% mi propósito.<br /> <br /> Si tú también estás listo para comprar tu casa en Richmond VA, entonces este video es para ti.<br /> <br /> Cuéntame en los comentarios cómo es esa casa que tanto anhelas y te responderé dándote el paso #1 para hacer que ese anhelo se convierta en una realidad 🙌<br /> <br /> Joanna Rodriguez<br /> Tu agente bilingüe en Richmond VA<br /> The Strum Group<br /> Long and Foster<br /> 804-337-1471<br /> <br /> #rvarealestate #rvarealtor #joannarvarealty<br /> #thestrumgroup #bilingualrealtor<br /> #bienesraices #virginiarealtor #homesweethome #newyear #richmondva		Joanna Rodriguez - Bilingual Realtor - Richmond VA		1099	https://facebook.com/joarodrvarealtor	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69765	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054166		67		3568914973355889		8.9788543133228E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721115290167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679000	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404549215_1715815735586018_265815704509471861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w6MJY-G4Zg4AX__KV9Q&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvrytkXDUXPgs--jHC5d0hSqu_YOCBQJQD8i1aFDE6tw&oe=6592D782	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68390	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054166		67		333720226040828	1	3.5612625706676E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997311630476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940825	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408013335_355936587090489_9180921881294142631_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rX-n8MN5asEAX9e66IQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAYg5NS3CGyY4rn82EVMqjzRhmgSlIH0gb0-2UFTJ4PmA&oe=6591DEF7	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408680791_1493653454544428_4129730173115789256_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DOjQP-2W2xIAX-L8N3_&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA_2HySseOxtoKMk5B7nwcDBG6hiU9-Ub2ZTes3M1fKXA&oe=659241D6			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68184	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054166		67		1406160186775644	2	3.3376776531968E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204870518510427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702210271	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409442181_836549865152176_7428728961072717726_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PmrSNN77o64AX8P8vt8&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAZ7R_7Co_ZZqlY8-MjJuhwokBr_IzOcBRW1S-Z-mkAjw&oe=6591B989	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406491889_1801835350254273_5878368394895663714_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ayqIgZq4kXAAX9HCu5c&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfChOpQnpH6xfOwhuchWehoCIKs87hicvWt8QzG7Ec141w&oe=65917BE5			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
69138	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054166		67		1780867335690475	1	8.8834834954001E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281156770596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068514	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406308593_236942165909202_2121659490068076760_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=icRU-oUIuEoAX_dtGJ3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBBd3p2-o3BDJkJlSdmCIJCnUIOnXh0dfPkEUGYFqPQLw&oe=65923310	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406238031_1419491742243339_4924496276233847866_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g2uvSJtX12UAX_s86Ck&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDH7hO7_Jrc8gzl_j-DjO-JBTlbguxQiFw9eUTzWrqDzg&oe=6591816D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68533	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054166		67		2701788933306887	1	1.4618180313982E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	577112035777814		0	Joanna Stanecka			120203384095420664		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/joannastanecka		1701766240	5.7711203577781E+14	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407931529_317086697809119_8373962328190345954_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=o1M5oN-eX48AX_vLt50&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA27Jcqm6EYD9f11jRB8_z1d9a_ANIat8GjM6sGOLoPjQ&oe=6591EDD9	person_profile	0	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407988827_1856198391508621_5267210568438092192_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vyBDJrEDJGIAX-co22C&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDkfs2YloTtO6wSKNgM7Nl8mG37PHj7N9p3lw8u51GGiQ&oe=65930C11			0	3	🌲Kolędy. Carols. Weihnachtslieder. Pastorałki⭐️<br /> <br /> 8.12 Literaturhaus Wiesbaden 19.00<br /> 14.12 Bistro Zwischen den Polen Bonn 19.30<br /> 15.12 Ostritz Marienthal Kokopol 19.00<br /> Kompetentz Koordinationszentrum Polisch<br /> 16.12 Europejskie Centrum<br /> Pamięć Edukacja Kultura 17.00<br /> Stalag Zgorzelec- Görlitz<br /> 17.12 Polnisches Institut Leipzig 17.00<br /> <br /> Powoli rozpoczynamy trasę z „dobrym słowem”, „płomieniem pokoju”, „dobrą nowiną”, kolędą rzewną, kolędą witalną i pastorałką skoczną. Wybrzmią świąteczne wibracje Marlene Dietrich, Zbigniewa Preisnera, Seweryna Krajewskiego i Agnieszki Osieckiej. Koncerty kończymy czułą wspólnotą i gromadnym śpiewaniem najukochańszych utworów Czasu Oczekiwania. <br /> Będzie dawna stolica świata zza żelaznej kurtyny- Bonn, będzie i miasto Marka Hłaski czyli Wiesbaden. Będzie muzykowanie na granicach państw, aby rozpuszczać granice w sercach i umysłach czyli Görlitz , Zgorzelec i przesłodkie Ostritz na granicy polsko- czesko- niemieckiej z klasztornym opactwem i winnicami, będzie i Lipsk.<br /> <br /> Slowly we start the tour with &quot;good word&quot;, &quot;flame of peace&quot;, &quot;good news&quot;, a rousing carol, a vital carol and a jumping pastoral. Christmas vibes of Marlene Dietrich, Zbigniew Preisner, Seweryn Krajewski and Agnieszka Osiecka will resound. The concerts will conclude with tender fellowship and thunderous singing of the most beloved songs of Waiting Time.		Joanna Stanecka		2065	https://facebook.com/joannaaktorka	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
68320	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054166		67		2517005311813849	6	3.3839384883275E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074055800476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702015902	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408040881_872253514451459_44431598158128653_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BONykMoJ2wEAX_L4RcL&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKo7wX0grWuFAnOht6_86WipG9yWtohB_ETKNULzrf8g&oe=6592CE60	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408027860_840301831173799_6104578534699348159_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FrI_CwnSREAAX8ycF-f&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCVsfqGqmgvkAPkWWDK0xaqGEPxyW6iiSWLHhiV1KCIhg&oe=65925856			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68567	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054166		67		326383076874379	1	3.1700957399595E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108496948606039		0	Pebbles Underground			120202276402780354					NONE	multi_images					1701708655	1.0849694860604E+14	Pebbles Underground	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407679130_901291147809490_2131392305267868983_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iSIv__NFFgQAX_mqKZV&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCmpSJAynhV4ZhcNUB6ZNv4jlRwL3t54U7PnCtMjYMGrA&oe=6592BA59	person_profile	0					0	3	The last program of the year is out! <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpebblesunderground.art%2Fpgm7%2F&amp;h=AT02U3nymZzrScaTTc0qhew3EoGYKsDJlmCIqHbYoTz91GFYtFu1cWzOFMoXGmTc7jMByJz3ZskjnutGXwDKVsLDbpqzQ_s3GqfN5_v2Gf1UOtiQVZrbpI0PeMTPV0U9RcEx7GsaQNaAajhdDolO9EEo166mRYv0W_OPb5tP5kg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://pebblesunderground.art/pgm7/</a> streaming till December 15. We’ll refrain from imposing our curatorial views on the audience, and let the films shine bright and speak for themselves. Let’s just say we’re honored to have these gems in our final yearly issue.<br /> <br /> Enjoy the program, and don’t forget to support your favorite artist by voting for their work! <br /> Presenting 🎥<br /> “HUSH” Tianming Zhou, USA, 2023<br /> “Arcadia” (Martwa Natura) Małgorzata Paszko, Poland, 2023<br /> “Reliquat” Alix Galdin, Canada, 2022<br /> “the lucid dream of the last poets (the threshold)” Eleonora Manca, Italy, 2023<br /> “the lucid dream of the last poets” Eleonora Manca, Italy, 2023<br /> “Soup Frog” Ethan Folk, Germany, 2022<br /> “A Peeling” Dimitry Saïd Chamy, USA, 2022<br /> “Flights” Anne Gart, UK, 2021<br /> “OvO” Benjamin Evan Williams, USA, 2022<br /> “Wet” (Molhada) Giovana Chiconelli, Portugal, 2023<br /> “Silence IV” (Լռության կաթիլային) Anna Grigorian, Armenia-Canada, 2023<br /> “Seafood Market” Maisie Luo, USA, 2023<br /> “A_biography” Alexander Schellow, France-Germany, 2017<br /> “Monolith” Teri Carson, Mexico-USA, 2023<br /> “1439” Jack Furtado, USA, 2020-2023<br /> “Turner” Joanna Mamede, Brazil-UK, 2023<br /> <br /> #experimental #pebblesunderground #officialselection #program7		Pebbles Underground		232	https://facebook.com/pebblesunderground	0								1701676800		View Edit Delete
69690	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054166		67		645600740984746	5	1.0156560028262E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721035170167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678881	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403723303_340445045354355_4047403071000238198_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pRsfrS4YYjEAX9xf6LC&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAaa2on1ubGZI9fjs2WzckR1r4OSbRXN4M1QLqRj501Sg&oe=65925703	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67975	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054166		67		1495783954323451	1	7.6533038540604E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434521180465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447846	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410352030_1042521330297532_6441940917494482826_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-Ta8LpkGf5gAX-awixn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmC_h7Ezz6CCMY4WaZ6aR7KkNlG8rSN2s7Z2HiMMi22g&oe=6592EBCA	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409204607_306171505723671_6150893896138982534_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dYDprVl5xEYAX8Z4s0R&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB_U7OUQK4r7NEb6-VQc8FGmOw881W2ihzPP9LClem-jg&oe=6591B70A			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69134	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/9/24, 2:30 AM	1703760174	1725867058		67		1547304199370636	1	2.9729270195114E+15		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690714760115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055853	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403734729_6923393034406263_7140601785445060604_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JMUX9itrZzIAX_Lboir&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZlQwfq-ibtBmLD1v3Oscx2c1f__km0VVX_tbvOBcpHA&oe=6592DEED	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403776942_889326835756501_6466656151559867539_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X16Dqjp8qaUAX-lavFc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCIvbTok8gsqeE1IQgdlTDuI3-Qql024bi7pCBuJb-FCQ&oe=6592E653			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67477	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054164		67		787675196706714		3.0455943190674E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103677768679700		0	No Filter Advanced Esthetics			120202717600910499			Send message		NONE	video	Book now!			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"quick_replies":[],"text":"Hello, are you interested in Lymphatic Drainage?","ice_breakers":[{"title":"Hi! Yes, I would like to know more about Lymphatic Drainage"}]}},"image_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"template","payload":{"template_type":"generic","elements":[{"title":"","buttons":[]}]}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"Gostaria de obter mais informações","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hello, are you interested in Lymphatic Drainage?"}},"video_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"video","payload":{"attachment_id":""}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"Gostaria de obter mais informações","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hello, are you interested in Lymphatic Drainage?"}},"user_edit":true,"surface":"visual_editor_new","template_id":"1255473405055607","phone_number":"+14158028620","template_version":3,"ice_breakers_edited":true}	1702651480	1.036777686797E+14	No Filter Advanced Esthetics	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410713799_729088348759792_5126347032967198119_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tCxTM7HD9PkAX-Y-Bhw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCseIM6bL0sgVpzbaZ_VWwXsOS3dhoJracz_RymRJ4vOg&oe=6591E91A	person_profile	0	No Filter - San Mateo Face and Body SPA	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410677608_2106798149658145_16848826007730241_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DHQBjxc6W5gAX8Eo1AP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjSmS1vXxX-G6t8ppUiChqkqwdNgzO7xQXCN1RJFDRug&oe=65919DB2			0	3	Lymphatic Drainage helps with swelling, recovery, boost immunity, decreases stress and much more! Come try this amazing massage. <br /> <br /> Book now!		No Filter Advanced Esthetics		167	https://facebook.com/nofilteradvanced	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
66647	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		1161303091503253		8.851472866062E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204766592910062		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703571454	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414694428_1157918918507539_7063864139759919613_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZnfY7JmjwfYAX96bg1q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAshQxHSVsRwT2_7dguZCWpyUfuzHQKKejMxYxN_s0dUQ&oe=6592ECCD	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414692220_1084246382841323_1624898836958271752_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wUUYI8x52VMAX_g3PQu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNhmsQcDpU5rX1QTYUKd31iCBSezUsnGYMuQyeeE-d3A&oe=65917F28			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69510	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		270905632184363	7	2.114637285704E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207914770403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724615	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405505653_885735599603382_3653690071565610593_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eGsN8ydC43kAX_ZXo_x&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfD272YykLGe0rn-QBMoQfEhpZLUH3VW2-QjLMTeSQHsOA&oe=65921D89	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405518263_671746091793229_4955108026423738268_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JIVSR3nQnMkAX8HIB26&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCH1uu9XL6qUjeuiTMyI_byrsx5wBT3KojseqqgThlh3Q&oe=6591FEBD			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68543	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		345869524818825	4	1.8125626292586E+15		1701936000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	131920553340233		0	Family Gift 13			120201671484290403		myfamily-gifts.com	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTION	The best gift for loved ones	https://myfamily-gifts.com/joanna-db09		1701748917	1.3192055334023E+14	Family Gift 13	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408216103_332322879428213_9193540902136850592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lRAZykog-PIAX_Rj2xJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfACR3mlSiSEVYqF8Qo1PuWhI_NXO-qopq4JX0emFkN53Q&oe=65918277	person_profile	0					0	3	Find your perfect, thoughtful gift here!<br /> Order now: &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyfamily-gifts.com%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1eqG6xFgqaMivNYrmnj99NC_B-LjnQyUhjOwdSTcROOfXnmD-y9TTz9CeQ3NnE0RFPlDHzTe_bIlSsXglRzF9aXJQEljuISEY08i-GxPVgyhWXYcrgb2wSkpwZofdcBEDrN2JZ8vN8xJdn3tKM6jcyam9ptNNHQNvMrzt9wiI" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myfamily-gifts.com/collection/joanna</a>		Family Gift 13		16	https://facebook.com/61551888543646	0		SHOP_NOW						1701763200		View Edit Delete
68346	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/18/25, 4:17 PM	1703760169	1750281446		67		24365551489758907	2	3.4061387871021E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6585777583409		joannavargas.com/booking	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/collections/new-york-facials/products/triple-crown-facial-1		1701966869	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408709722_320545190823840_5162978834132073208_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yeO-C_CIm_gAX-c1NLp&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDLfQOOxUtTHMORMPwzPcJwDC-Mnt7msrLys3OxM0alqA&oe=6592887F	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408650546_161203730416914_5502720775113219097_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RHe_YjsydysAX9uz_uB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB39t59DBSjnJ6KKIyFwvZzSi-zfLFiJYrapXTKv8NcOA&oe=6593183B			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69162	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/5/25, 2:10 AM	1703760174	1751699402		67		159687873898178	4	8.7190420110368E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145418420740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking Silence: Joanna Gaines Shares Her Voice with the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806344	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404591673_1427873564754539_72644179127480439_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yUxgqLk37FAAX-9i5uc&_nc_oc=AQkee1FkUKpq_uzwPHEuBgZqDKsYX0_H0cjm3VqUV0qiUwF_2IvgjEd4LRLWtzTzFI7aRwnnwGJkDJAyWSvT8pnN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB84vGBt_Gc1LL22YtA4-1BXxqCwNuqZdT_kKYhCz4wqg&oe=65922F0B	person_profile	0					0	3	Long Kept Secret: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband as Behind-the-Scenes Show Drama Unveils.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69559	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054166		67		1489847295138612	3	8.0224168165832E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201611859640115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700722770	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405067424_1048990389675810_2322541919125525464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gp776mrWNp8AX_ZCt61&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDDlncUjmQMzonFy8B13Z_GCVjLMYbtfpR_MvjMWOr8HQ&oe=659316CF	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402661079_7485680441456355_396166741755821054_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vWMBYj1fg78AX99UR-t&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCY0w66zZyIZxQdAO710qSy7qYDzMdz0Y7oNv8SCNhSEQ&oe=6591B205			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69593	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/5/25, 6:54 AM	1703760176	1749124477		67		183494674842130	4	1.0995041845666E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101404241952511		0	Trivia.com - Lifestyle			120200721427720167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679731	1.0140424195251E+14	Trivia.com - Lifestyle	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403057964_1015805766315707_9148496957681327356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=47HDV5Zhy00AX9tpO6n&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAdy_F8xNql530G_vue8RNmtPig9N7RadWIJN-DELK94A&oe=6591B7A7	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com - Lifestyle		388	https://facebook.com/100082447938895	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67595	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/17/24, 9:52 PM	1703760164	1729219940		67		672009678456438	1	6.7255111828593E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107614042433214		0	Household Expertise			120201926001490576		homeknowledge.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Your DIY Destination	https://www.homeknowledge.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702555037	1.0761404243321E+14	Household Expertise	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410149338_339322292202296_9005478757483325503_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O83_YU-I4AkAX-auyTr&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBjDUueEhSPldnZ5bfHnU7JIgyOvV2Bd13GbSNN_0iBjA&oe=6592EE80	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Household Expertise		858	https://facebook.com/100095775841967	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67701	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/17/24, 9:52 PM	1703760164	1729219941		67		393177086469451	1	1.5901912317518E+15		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108484955594251		0	Home Made Simple			120203017127650782		homeknowledge.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.homeknowledge.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702470460	1.0848495559425E+14	Home Made Simple	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409437164_315797094709306_9132857903401069376_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wFMxf_oSF98AX_a-ar7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCqJiLDv4HTx76neJLe6VMshG1su2n0CoSrbN2EXn9nCQ&oe=6592FFC7	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Home Made Simple		586	https://facebook.com/100093319959534	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67893	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054166		67		707718144659432	1	1.0093812668225E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411480120044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458329	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410636123_817161303548194_2279011940796304614_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e2t85kIeKecAX9648zr&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCJnCPx_19waIHqXfqbwi7wLDtw433Yh-Dwlay-tGUgOQ&oe=6592A2AB	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410623655_1440348296511127_8408837649451726132_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_ZulB8eITZ8AX-4e55O&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBUo9B8r92sqChhtwV9b_K12VmivB7wAuEWYF6nJwTRxw&oe=6591491A			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68648	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054166		67		286335207170378	1	3.8337891435543E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	508546962512227		0	California Catholic Daily			120203687455250749		cal-catholic.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Sister Joanna at L.A. Mission College	Sister Joanna: "I was already engaged. When I left my vocational retreat, I knew, 'Ok, it’s not marriage. Who am I lying to?' " Interview on March 16, 2023 with Sister Joanna, who is studying child development, outside the Campus Services building at	https://bit.ly/46y5w1Z		1701116191	5.0854696251223E+14	California Catholic Daily	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405514902_1341266093262459_4797617952426983346_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OWK8BrQzmZ4AX95JzbE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCEEwk0egQEdDjbrWR3Iq-KlFP5iklmw8jYV7JkdtIozw&oe=65930FAF	person_profile	0	California Catholic Daily	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405958522_1069757601118717_3779357878982221181_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cexfWDLDEScAX8BFAZw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCy54doujniNL4779FanmSzKpxzZ0yEIAxOz7I99ByfMA&oe=6593276A			0	3	🎙️Interview on March 16, 2023 with Sister Joanna, who is studying child development, outside the Campus Services building at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar.<br /> 💭👩‍🎓👨‍🎓 Join the conversation. If a student were to ask you who Jesus is, what would you say?<br /> Sr. Joanna: That’s a little bit of a trick question, but I would say He’s our Redeemer, our Savior. Some of the students don’t believe because they grew up without the faith. <br /> <br /> Read the entire interview here <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F46y5w1Z&amp;h=AT3Q81caA29Nu-y-lY3qDrCPkwIejp5f8zwU_djerzWgKSXGZn8GhEf22YmuocVgn8mu4LTmXc6HsBGAZxOK0TUVDzD9i48kuzDy4Hf4EETQ0VHtvJr1kt0Nz1a9mh8HJ6gtE7xBjQp8QjCDIIDYoXrjr-hVHCMhltCBSobLJCM" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://bit.ly/46y5w1Z</a><br /> 🎥 Watch on Youtube. <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DrfTIPgu-qWg&amp;h=AT0PartOnFhZqvukS3lMJVvWAwDmowwbDt5aG5HvD0kOSdRu_msvL_sX5zWhKUoEcUX4BbCf3UtUvLdjMlFQfsAtACFEu0f56rVs3LUH6pqyj1SveNhZNTQz-X__1kVQeg-_dj5I6uTauz2ihfCqQhBcwA1X2sHxerVvhCQEzqk" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfTIPgu-qWg</a><br /> <br /> 👉<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cal-catholic.com%2Fsister-joanna-at-l-a-mission-college%2F&amp;h=AT3cxC6IGq7C01e2X8RA7ZR_e3WR35Jb7iSN33zZ6Dc2dTYXFFh97J_-_zZ8pJS-R1-leXFw2zrqScyxFjzC6WbQI1hSpSIIYY-cPOpCN_VQieVrDjaHGec7o0npqXEhKKWKKpmsJvHgOMYQd9QmwF3aygFEnhgz-RD6z2jP6MQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.cal-catholic.com/sister-joanna-at-l-a-mission-college/</a>		California Catholic Daily		14432	https://facebook.com/CalCatholic	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69763	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054166		67		1054204359257765	5	8.9788543133228E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721115290167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679000	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404549215_1715815735586018_265815704509471861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w6MJY-G4Zg4AX__KV9Q&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvrytkXDUXPgs--jHC5d0hSqu_YOCBQJQD8i1aFDE6tw&oe=6592D782	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68621	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/27/25, 8:23 PM	1703760171	1745803414		67		1529731931159158		3.622513731536E+14		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202285755680275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667314	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408109540_1428336381226182_5843504017062703838_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gZ_BNi0uMF0AX_16V7J&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAM153xgzDDejldZIkrPi0wOHZheZay035EMm_HFdaWzQ&oe=6592410A	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
66386	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:23 AM	1703760157	1742995383		67		852571993538162	1	2.4750723804526E+16		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	130264507048538		0	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store			120205090138360651		joannadahdah.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannadahdah.com/product-category/holiday-picks/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}		1703245717	1.3026450704854E+14	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414046586_1711139036076558_6390650303817027035_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JTplprKHNu8AX85fFKk&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA1j7rR9RgfR3rEyR3_2lqvoWMee2myN5vhiclAmWWRlw&oe=6591DCA6	person_profile	0	JOANNA DAHDAH - Fine Jewellery	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412972099_710847227689065_6169707577509469688_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6ZxPBPIv0qMAX9GHVS2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD4HVrZjyYwGaa4l1qutz1lSf2TG3GnZ__h55X7rdx54g&oe=6592B94D			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store		2428	https://facebook.com/joannadahdah	0		SHOP_NOW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
66504	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:23 AM	1703760158	1742995417		67		1718921291967701	1	8.8613172297643E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868931940268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_2B2B9370334076465D1C42D232FE1D3C_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699160	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415194466_1342428612943741_2482449233994819821_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6lFoSZj4tFEAX9xCVUb&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzDXDR3gSBkAyAbRthHURCKWbsfbZqVc5tJA_LGxfWAA&oe=6592F5A3	person_profile	0					0	3	He’s on a self-imposed celibacy vow. She&#039;s sworn off jocks forever. When Knox and Joanna cross paths, their unexpected chemistry ignites a romance they never saw coming		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66510	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:24 AM	1703760158	1742995444		67		204269366013094	1	3.3586400588779E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107752924707206		0	Montana Real Estate			120204336007810275		homes.com	Learn more		NONE	image			https://www.homes.com/real-estate-agents/joanna-harper/bmvg3j8/		1703696542	1.0775292470721E+14	Montana Real Estate	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415227814_1319333659466365_2472899562876513445_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=omxwhM1B9WoAX94WwII&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA9j9dbYBYmdoXk3WMS6D2CdWsuEiwq0Fp3fw1NFP6J9w&oe=6591DE74	person_profile	0	Homesnap	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415228191_380509521145395_6631306421991203149_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yvuOpW-0yyMAX9Y4XZL&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCNd118LnpFV0KgugUyZMgf7bhf5ne9FetDAvcQ5vf8iA&oe=65920AF1			0	3	Joanna Harper is having an OPEN HOUSE for a 4 Bed / 2.5 Bath home this weekend, SAT &#064; 12PM - 2PM in Bozeman, MT		Montana Real Estate		536	https://facebook.com/HomesnapMontana	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66531	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:24 AM	1703760158	1742995462		67		3759539217658307	1	1.5544800617569E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361678340579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657253	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414453097_221137811040669_3801041505223566043_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V1wld5huLeAAX8qgd4x&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAEeEvFUEEjqBmpZiD4lSj2eK4zkP-CEF79FH2IQW4l-g&oe=6592D2B6	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414461716_2025810874454269_4066159634729692004_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BNBZ5d2ZECUAX-xASvT&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB2WZWY6AFTHBm2Z0Xp4ApPtZLIFeWXnAKiI8-NcfkAnw&oe=6591DD79			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66568	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:25 AM	1703760158	1742995501		67		2027152884318622	1	3.3427204458731E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106004372283305		0	Johnson's Furniture, Longview, TX			120204200708680439					NONE	video					1703608149	1.0600437228330E+14	Johnson's Furniture, Longview, TX	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412882063_1095408388260215_7416554531800684695_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IPnudWEes0IAX_lbioQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBn1s9pq9YibaBET2rKCL4ksrqm_DvsfeyYeSk74wHn4g&oe=65916786	person_profile	0	Johnson's Furniture, Longview,	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414651146_867966334807971_1708808661188581036_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AqdBW8TKWmcAX8U3ln0&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBvup8rDnlvBo44pOLvpn3sXzcJzY3oEofL3PR4EsQK9w&oe=65920E88			0	3	✨ Don’t Miss The Year End Event! ✨<br /> <br /> 60 Months Interest Free Or Savings Up To $1000! Combined With FREE Local Delivery!		Johnson's Furniture, Longview, TX		3177	https://facebook.com/JohnsonsFurnitureLongviewTX	0								1703577600		View Edit Delete
66570	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:25 AM	1703760158	1742995508		67		1552547945580494	1	1.7370620501495E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	115924127782563		0	Retrofy			120205524590970744			Get directions		NONE	image	Celebrate Your Home Decor		https://facebook.com/retrofy1		1703604083	1.1592412778256E+14	Retrofy	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414702907_1089337288863229_5595023008838495365_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vCyRG-M9q4cAX8-5FdC&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCC8dNETTV16gqJ1YCC3j7uLotVksRFhmHsDEu-2T8gkQ&oe=659203FE	person_profile	0	RETROFY	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414664482_2530639977118950_4839488836513235307_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TkrEPFEOJOwAX9FUbMO&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCf2Ro1zEcuh_H7m2HSaXwinbIZnosHyB1ptw5im-9dfg&oe=6591D527			0	3	Hey y&#039;all! Nathan here, bringing the insider scoop on how to elevate your home from basic to upscale without breaking the bank. Say goodbye to those cookie-cutter pieces and hello to vintage finds that exude character, instantly turning your space into an envy-inducing haven.<br /> Imagine this: You step inside, and boom! Your home isn&#039;t just a spot for chores; it&#039;s a work of art. Picture a fusion of Joanna Gaines&#039; charm and Marie Kondo&#039;s finesse, exploding into a glorious display of vintage allure. A sleek mid-century vanity set that could make anyone swoon, paired with a quirky Art Deco lamp casting Gatsby-worthy mood lighting. You&#039;re not just decorating; you&#039;re curating an ambiance, a narrative that shouts, &quot;I&#039;ve got discerning taste, and it&#039;s far from ordinary.&quot;<br /> But here&#039;s the beauty, y&#039;all – vintage isn&#039;t solely about looking fabulous (though trust me, your neighbors will be green with envy). It&#039;s about quality that endures. Crafted to withstand generations, made with genuine care and craftsmanship, these pieces aren&#039;t your flimsy, assembly-required disasters. We&#039;re talking real wood, genuine artistry—things that&#039;ll become family heirlooms.<br /> Sure, there might be a chip or a faint echo of its past lives, but that&#039;s what makes them uniquely yours. Each imperfection tells a tale, whispers of joy and shared moments. It&#039;s not just furniture; it&#039;s a conversation starter, a slice of history that makes your home unparalleled.<br /> So ditch the mundane. Bid farewell to the disposable. Invest in something extraordinary that resonates with your soul. Join me on a treasure hunt! Explore our showroom at 22 Depot Street, Suite 15 in the Market Square Mall in Potsdam, or peruse our online sanctuary at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fretrofy.one%2F&amp;h=AT2Tw1iCrHoRz3BtKKxJrNAC7Gh3CKp99ee9VIhhQ0aCC2zYyRTeHIKyTJGupByn1wVrtwj0G9BPZ0GoFoAm2vz-jmg1phi9043rFZcEI_3YZW5_LO6IybaMWZnjYSa53q6v6tElpkRkEFZhqp5qyw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://retrofy.one/</a> These vintage treasures fly off the shelves, so don&#039;t stand on the sidelines—embrace your impeccable taste. Gather your crew, pop some bubbly (because celebrating your fantastic home is a must!), and let&#039;s transform your space into something legendary.<br /> #LongLiveRetro #VintageVibes #ElevateYourSpace #NostalgiaMadeNew<br /> Remember, your home is your sanctuary. Elevate it to royalty status with timeless treasures today!!!		Retrofy		273	https://facebook.com/retrofy1	0		GET_DIRECTIONS						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66766	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:26 AM	1703760159	1742995561		67		1341875100022138	1	8.7377770752843E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	182725085101823		0	Chapel of the Hills			6551678583524			Call Now		NONE	video	Chapel of the Hills Livestream				1703453117	1.8272508510182E+14	Chapel of the Hills	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414648066_274472818959027_2286497429611701129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J4Qu7G0SklIAX9tOZ9a&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDQIXObaoAZ5Of_qBL9IAiJzu-Cbdl4X-G6Tn202qXKbw&oe=65930442	person_profile	0					0	3	Good Morning Chapel! Welcome to church.		Chapel of the Hills		754	https://facebook.com/chapelofthehills	0		CALL_NOW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
68284	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/6/25, 11:52 AM	1703760168	1743958352		67		1372379220316158	2	2.9949278909666E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672500670427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030349	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409044271_761673175777704_4353711233996880010_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VMM_qhIoTAwAX8tUBUI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCWMbTjDWDHaIGZENbPVdZ79cECdT9zBMf-hNMF_FcFMg&oe=6592A02C	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409012511_1380437755914672_1042691725804128424_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xyDuZLactRUAX8kMOjI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD1zL9BhXeATy7NQaZ1TD5WsS8iPHF-GiHfD40pgijVLg&oe=65923C1A			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69211	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:59 AM	1703760174	1749650342		67		906223427736902	1	7.3747727174166E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	697572940381116		0	Academy of Energy-Reiki,Kroniki Akaszy,Spiritual Life Coaching			120202298937500299					NONE	image					1700989045	6.9757294038112E+14	Academy of Energy-Reiki,Kroniki Akaszy,Spiritual Life Coaching	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405693346_1000771127887647_5221317754447506169_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A-mlNgDopIoAX8goX2z&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCW9DcQWl3l96MhdE7IeWOU7frMy8PNIAEVSiJg5mr5vw&oe=65930DBA	person_profile	0					0	3	WITAJCIE CUDOWNI 🫶<br /> <br /> &quot;Jest tylko jedna przyczyna ludzkich porażek.<br /> To brak wiary w prawdziwego siebie.&quot;<br /> William James<br /> <br /> Każdy z nas, uzdrawiając siebie, przyczynia się do uzdrowienia świata. <br /> A im więcej w nas samoświadomości, współczucia i wewnętrznej równowagi, tym więcej na świecie wiedzy o życiu i zrozumienia dla siebie i innych... <br /> <br /> ☆Dlatego, nie bój się siebie, zacznij poznawać siebie, uzdrawiaj swoje wnętrze i podążaj ku samoświadomości. <br /> ☆Świadomie zdecyduj, że chcesz zaprowadzić spokój i równowagę, wewnątrz i na zewnątrz siebie. <br /> ☆ Rozpoznaj, co nie jest w zgodzie z Tobą I zastanów się, jak możesz to zmienić. <br /> ☆Weź odpowiedzialność za swoje życie, pamiętając, że sam jesteś jego twórcą. <br /> ☆ Zaakceptuj, że nikt nie jest odpowiedzialny za twoje uczucia i reakcje, jak złość, bezsilność, strach itp. To twoje uczucia, stworzone przez Ciebie. <br /> ☆ Pracuj nad rozpoznaniem, dlaczego się pojawiają i jakie przesłania ze sobą niosą. To cenne wskazówki. <br /> ☆Postaraj się wycofać swoje osądy. Uznaj, że druga osoba, przez którą cierpisz, nie mogła zrobić nic innego, jak tylko działać całkowicie nieświadomie. Dokładnie tak, jak każdy z nas w przeszłości. <br /> ☆Wybacz sobie i innym brak świadomości i niemoc w tworzeniu dobra. Zaakceptuj to, co się wydarzyło, jako część swojego życia. <br /> ☆Ufaj sobie i słuchaj swojej intuicji. Twoje zaufanie wesprze Cię w wyborze właściwego kierunku i realizacji planu twojej Duszy. <br /> ☆ Odpuść i pozwól odejść przeszłości, przestań trzymać się na siłę starego. Pozwól swojej Duszy działać i zaufaj, że przyszłość ma ci wiele do zaoferowania! <br /> ☆Akceptuj, wybaczaj i odpuszczaj wszystko. <br /> ☆Jednocześnie oczyszczaj swoje życie i uwalniaj się z sytuacji, które nie pozwalają na odczuwanie wewnętrznej równowagi I prawdziwego szczęścia. <br /> ☆Rozwijaj to, co pomaga Ci wzrastać, wypełnia Cię radością i wewnętrznym spokojem. <br /> ☆Kochaj i akceptuj siebie takim jakim jesteś i uwierz, że świat stoi przed Tobą otworem a Ty zasługujesz na wszystko co najlepsze. <br /> ☆Poczuj wdzięczność za swoje istnienie i radość z obecnej chwili. <br /> ☆Zaufaj bezgranicznie swojemu Boskiemu Ja i uwierz w jego boskie prowadzenie. <br /> ☆Pozbądź się lęku przed życiem, przed stratą, przemijaniem i zmianami w życiu. Przed wszystkim czego do tej pory się bałeś. <br /> ☆Działaj w intencji miłości, nie tylko do innych, ale też do siebie. Ty też jesteś swoim bliźnim, dlatego dbaj o siebie! <br /> ☆Kochaj siebie bezwarunkowo, ale nie wywyższaj się ponad innych.<br /> ☆Poczuj się naprawdę dobrze ze sobą. To podstawa spełnionego życia dla nas wszystkich. <br /> ☆Bądź wdzięczny za wszystko, bo wszystko cię rozwija i uczy, we wszystkim można znaleźć mądrość. ☆Kieruj się prawdą i miłością. <br /> Joanna Sanders❤<br /> CUDOWNEGO DNIA KOCHANI 🫶<br /> Miłość we mnie pozdrawia miłość w Tobie 🥰<br /> ŚCISKAM I ZAPRASZAM<br /> Szkolenia-warsztaty-sesje<br /> ➡<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.academyofenergy-crd.com%2Fp%2Fkursy-szkolenia.html&amp;h=AT1RPJ0Wz9Yo0k-OFGt1EUoPOZRDnj13SFKxfSIYgAft7OGTJ3kmfFPTzoXe2dCc6Pp2VsPlwPW6CBWltpESFWIexED2VP4KYAAuraSp-0cx6mejgYf25UdOJ-h9U323XX3-CBhhgJwCJa9Su_dk-vTsUsjma3vjbr7QFjMG4Lk" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://www.academyofenergy-crd.com/p/kursy-szkolenia.html</a><br /> ➡<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Facademy_of_energy.crd%2F&amp;h=AT0iGXT0RI8VCBIDYHoumYtGA_OgQX4xydSswFl5Ltn5WMLdIdstsFfXtWxsJZB2wvxONMyfjFIyTp-1jC1eTCkofo1h2oVi1Sv7soYRSbv2aMmhah2GGs6moAlpgk30f4IX1pEB9z9qkERmbtvigtXeFBFKVqa0hGfVzuVU4LgWlJ2UwOgzlj5L" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://www.instagram.com/academy_of_energy.crd/</a><br /> ➡<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AcademyofEnergy.CRD" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/AcademyofEnergy.CRD</a><br /> <br /> Zapraszam również serdecznie na nową grupę dt.<br /> ** ROZWOJU DUCHOWEGO **, każda istota która pragnie się rozwijać duchowo odnajdzie na niej coś dla siebie -od Podróży Szamańskich poprzez Reiki, Kroniki Akaszy ,Numerologię, ThetaHealing, Kosmologię Majów i wiele wiele innych .<br /> Razem tworzymy jedność ,razem możemy wzrastać ,razem tworzymy piękno 🥰<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/682341140005590/" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/groups/682341140005590/</a><br /> <br /> #przekaz #przyszłość #zaufanie #wszechświat #przekaznadziś #słowanadzieńdobry #niedziela #weekend		Academy of Energy-Reiki,Kroniki Akaszy,Spiritual Life Coaching		4619	https://facebook.com/AcademyofEnergy.CRD	0								1700985600		View Edit Delete
67176	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	9/26/24, 7:14 PM	1703760161	1727396096		67		7016851168380076	1	6.9038510319194E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475741030743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702977038	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412415298_1366113007443470_3956399996216946239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xuqdtqx3dlEAX9sBnfI&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCWk_1bLtq5Casq4M0PLzkubzPQFb22pqbfDFgf27SnnA&oe=65929277	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412084759_269788169090068_4034997395979685768_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8YeJpbjLqHcAX8nTyhl&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCJ37BLKtgB3FTRkRkBmma0D0BIGLj76B-nSHhVwgIiEQ&oe=6592FA8C			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
66804	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/9/25, 9:19 AM	1703760159	1749478771		67		379214581294447	1	1.0758490305287E+15		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	195577023629386		0	EMCO Producciones			120203321427770465		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/emcoproducciones		1703359216	1.9557702362939E+14	EMCO Producciones	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412789292_802744498279537_2150875631467194313_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Yek3RyG3GdAAX_sKegS&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDcJvBhiJJUtpjOnFAAfGnYVoSGh_V-gT4bcodNWWNlhQ&oe=65918CEB	person_profile	0	EMCO Producciones	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412824623_709784517791508_1592809251217100669_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cR2l3Fm-1sMAX9_xupc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBq68KwzdTwdLDg-VH2Dq37YcNpjzX4VKoSn_WLrXMCAA&oe=6592D1B7			0	3	Joanna de Ângelis highlights nature as a reflection of divine harmony and advocates for respect and environmental preservation. In her teachings, she emphasizes that responsible care of the environment is fundamental for spiritual development, considering that the connection with nature contributes to the elevation of human consciousness.<br /> <br /> Joanna de Ângelis destaca la naturaleza como un reflejo de la armonía divina y aboga por el respeto y la preservación ambiental. En sus enseñanzas, enfatiza que el cuidado responsable del medio ambiente es fundamental para el desarrollo espiritual, considerando que la conexión con la naturaleza contribuye a la elevación de la conciencia humana.<br /> <br /> &#064;divinewildvisions<br /> <br /> #DivineHarmony<br /> #NaturePreservation<br /> #SpiritualDevelopment<br /> #EnvironmentalRespect<br /> #ConsciousLiving<br /> #NatureConnection<br /> #EcoSpirituality<br /> #GreenAwareness<br /> #SustainableLiving<br /> #HarmonyWithNature		EMCO Producciones		6	https://facebook.com/emcoproducciones	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
67459	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/21/25, 1:18 AM	1703760163	1747808331		67		688517223387299		3.6235990970517E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131765466694785		0	FavorNovel			120204774759830385		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	image	Romantic novel💗	Read good romance novels and dive in Love stories.	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhangyue.read.favornovel		1702633134	1.3176546669478E+14	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409894314_1028448024938213_4298550755956503976_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FkJ0oD3hyPUAX-_MqG4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGO70o7ODKLOus-GP-6DDSLtzzQvM6JT13zrFYnYmx1Q&oe=659195F4	person_profile	0	FavorNovel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409748445_574800908145740_1896866908856461225_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CzPvKYxhNo4AX_3GCDw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBeN_PXxYP_MXEkJlmF8ONLm-GQJvWZKOJ8iU-qV4FSjA&oe=6592AC3E			0	3	Chapter 1 His Death<br /> &quot;Tristan Duran died.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s said that he died of illness. You were betrothed to him before you were born, so the Duran family insists that you should marry him.&quot;<br /> &quot;There&#039;s no need for a wedding. I&#039;ll have someone take you to the Duran&#039;s place. You&#039;ll be Tristan&#039;s wife from today on.&quot; Miranda Shulman, her stepmother, took a sip of coffee on the sofa, looked up at the rustically dressed girl, and continued lightly, &quot;You should know that we brought you back for this marriage.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; Renee Fletcher, with dejected eyes, replied in a low voice.<br /> She knew that she was back for the marriage between the Fletcher family and the Duran family. The Fletcher family couldn&#039;t bear to see Joanna Fletcher suffer in the Duran family, so they brought Renee back from the countryside.<br /> At the age of 15, Renee learned that she was a true member of the Fletcher family, while Joanna took her place and lived with the Fletcher family for fifteen years. Joanna was intelligent, outstanding, and beautiful, and the Fletcher family had fond feelings toward her. For her sake, the Fletcher family left Renee in the countryside for four years despite knowing the truth.<br /> The Fletcher family finally brought Renee back today, only to let her marry a dead man on Joanna&#039;s behalf.<br /> Miranda checked the time and said, &quot;The Duran family&#039;s cars should have come. You can leave now.&quot;<br /> Renee pursed her lips and muttered, &quot;My dad and my brothers...&quot;<br /> &quot;They are all very busy and don&#039;t have time to see you,&quot; Miranda said with a frown. &quot;Don&#039;t you know that it&#039;s Joanna&#039;s graduation ceremony today?&quot;<br /> Before Renee could speak again, Miranda impatiently urged, &quot;Alright. Just go.&quot;<br /> Several luxury cars were parked outside the Fletcher&#039;s villa. Renee got in one of them and left the house where she stayed for less than thirty minutes.<br /> Miranda watched as the cars drove away and sighed, &quot;What rotten luck.&quot;<br /> Marla Woods, a maid of the Fletcher family, said, &quot;Renee&#039;s biological mother died long ago. You didn&#039;t have to come to see her.&quot;<br /> Miranda sneered, &quot;So what if her biological mother died? Everyone knows that I&#039;m the hostess of the Fletcher family, but I don&#039;t have any children of my own. Anyway, Renee is a legitimate daughter. If I didn&#039;t come, others would gossip behind my back.<br /> &quot;Well, let&#039;s not talk about this. After what happened to the Duran family, who knows if Renee can survive there? As her stepmother, I have to come to see her for the last time.&quot;<br /> ***<br /> The Duran family, boasting a history of hundreds of years, was the most prestigious in Ampleshire. Now, their mansion was permeated with a solemn atmosphere with flags hung in the hall. Servants were dressed in black, and many guests came to offer their condolences. It was truly absurd that Renee came as Tristan&#039;s wife.<br /> &quot;Is that Mr. Duran&#039;s wife? She should&#039;ve just come back from the countryside. Look how vulgar she is,&quot; a guest whispered.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran&#039;s grandma loved him dearly. He didn&#039;t get married when he was alive, so she decided to marry this girl to him after his death. That&#039;s why... This girl is unlucky.&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think so. Since Mr. Duran is dead, she can live longer in the Duran&#039;s place. But if Mr. Duran was alive, I bet she couldn&#039;t live here for more than three days!&quot;<br /> Hyman Hayes, the butler of the Duran family, seemed to have not heard these discussions. He led Renee into the mourning hall and said expressionlessly, &quot;Mrs. Duran, please kneel and guard the coffin here.&quot;<br /> Renee obediently knelt on the cushion. As she looked up, she saw a black coffin and a black-and-white portrait in its front.<br /> Chapter 2 My Fiancée<br /> When Tristan was alive, he was influential in Ampleshire. He was unpredictable, ruthless, and tyrannical, being the terror of all people. After his death, he still looked murderous in his portrait.<br /> But he was good-looking. One could see his sharp features even from his portrait. His cold and emotionless eyes made people dare not look at him, so very few people noticed a small mole below the corner of his left eye.<br /> Frightened by the look in Tristan&#039;s eyes, Renee lowered her head. Hyman said, &quot;Mrs. Duran, I have something else to do, so I&#039;ll take my leave.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Hyman then left quickly. Renee remained kneeling in place. Everyone who came to offer comfort would take a glance at Renee, either indifferently or curiously. It wasn&#039;t until late at night that the mourning hall quieted down, and the servants had gone to sleep in their rooms.<br /> Renee was left alone in the mourning hall. Tristan&#039;s coffin was less than three meters away.<br /> Renee didn&#039;t have any food or water the whole day, and her knees were sore from kneeling. After confirming that there was no one around, she stood up and gently pounded her knees.<br /> It was already June, but Renee still felt a bit cold in a thin dress. The wind brought a faint floral fragrance. Renee touched her stomach.<br /> She was starving.<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes were glued to the fruits and pastries on the table. After hesitating for a while, she walked over, bowed with her hands clasped together, and said softly, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Please lend me an apple. I&#039;ll pay you back later.&quot;<br /> She reached out. When she was about to touch the apple, her wrist was grasped by a big hand with distinct joints.<br /> Renee was startled, with goosebumps on her back. She hurriedly said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry. I&#039;m starving. I...&quot;<br /> She thought she was caught by a servant of the Duran family, but after she apologized, she heard a casual but pleasant voice say, &quot;Did you get my permission to steal my apple?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> Those things were for Tristan. Why did this person say that?<br /> Renee stiffened and raised her head little by little, only to see a tall man.<br /> The man wore a black shirt and had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a faint smell of blood. His face was handsome and sharp, and there was a small yet inexplicably beautifu mole under the corner of his left eye.<br /> Renee widened her eyes and said, &quot;You&#039;re...&quot;<br /> Tristan arched an eyebrow and glanced at the petite girl in a rustic dress. Her long hair flopped over her face, making it difficult for Tristan to see her clearly. Such an ordinary girl would easily get lost in the crowd.<br /> &quot;Are you my...&quot; Tristan paused and continued, &quot;fiancée?&quot;<br /> Renee burst into tears and sobbed, &quot;I&#039;m hungry. Boohoo... Why are you so stingy? I just want to eat an apple, but you turn into a ghost and scare me...&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s cry was so loud. &quot;Tsk.&quot; Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth with one hand and put the other around her waist. Then he lifted Renee onto the coffin effortlessly and said in a deep voice, &quot;Stop crying, or I&#039;ll break your legs.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded with tears in her eyes.<br /> Tristan loosened his grip and asked, &quot;How old are you? Can&#039;t you tell whether I&#039;m alive or dead?&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Hide in the Coffin<br /> Only then did Renee realize that the man in front of her had a normal temperature, and he felt a bit hot.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re not dead...&quot; Renee hurriedly turned to look at the coffin where she was sitting. &quot;So...&quot;<br /> Tristan glanced at the coffin and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I&#039;m also curious about what&#039;s inside. Do you want to take a look?&quot;<br /> Renee was so scared that she threw herself into Tristan&#039;s arms. &quot;No, I don&#039;t... Put me down...&quot;<br /> Tristan thought that Renee was like a bunny kicking its legs. He wasn&#039;t a good person in the first place, so he asked coldly, &quot;Do you know what other people say about me?&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> &quot;If you make me angry, I&#039;ll have someone put you in the coffin,&quot; Tristan threatened in an arctic voice. &quot;You&#039;ll be buried alive.&quot;<br /> Renee was shocked.<br /> Tristan lifted Renee down the coffin. As soon as Renee found her footing, she wanted to run away, but Tristan took her by the collar and pulled her back. &quot;Stand here and watch.&quot;<br /> Renee didn&#039;t want to see what was inside the coffin at all. She said in a low voice, &quot;Mr. Duran, this is your coffin. Don&#039;t you know what&#039;s inside?&quot;<br /> &quot;I just came back from finishing my work,&quot; Tristan sneered. &quot;I didn&#039;t expect to attend my funeral.&quot;<br /> It seemed that those people really wanted Tristan to die. They got some false news and immediately held a funeral for him.<br /> The coffin wasn&#039;t sealed, so Tristan could push the lid open easily. Renee closed her eyes right away, but Tristan sneered, &quot;There are just a few clothes. What&#039;s there to be afraid of?&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyelashes fluttered. She screwed up her courage and opened her eyes, only to see a few clothes in the coffin.<br /> Before Renee could speak, she heard footsteps. Tristan frowned and looked outside the mourning hall. The next thing Renee knew, she was pulled into the coffin.<br /> Renee opened her eyes wide. Tristan rested one hand on the coffin and climbed in. The coffin was more than enough for a person, but it was too crowded for the two of them. Tristan was tall with long legs. When he closed the coffin, Renee was forced to curl up in his arms, and she could hear his heartbeat.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot;<br /> Tristan covered Renee&#039;s mouth in the darkness, forcing her to swallow her words.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s strange...&quot; a voice said in the mourning hall. &quot;Where&#039;s the girl from the Fletcher family?&quot;<br /> &quot;No one wants to stay in the mourning hall in the middle of the night. She may have gone somewhere else.&quot;<br /> &quot;What bad luck...&quot; someone spat. &quot;Why are we assigned to replace the wick?&quot;<br /> &quot;Stop that,&quot; said the other person in a low voice. &quot;When Mr. Duran was alive, everyone was afraid of him. Now that he&#039;s dead, he may have turned into a ferocious ghost. If he hears what you said...&quot;<br /> There was a moment of silence, followed by a rustling sound. The two servants should have replaced the wick. &quot;Let&#039;s go. This place may bring us bad luck.&quot;<br /> As the sound of footsteps faded away, Tristan moved his hand away from Renee&#039;s mouth. Renee&#039;s face turned red. Tristan asked, &quot;Why do you smell so good?&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned.<br /> &quot;Do you wear perfume?&quot; Tristan frowned.<br /> The two of them were jammed in the narrow coffin. Tristan spoke in Renee&#039;s ear, making Renee&#039;s ear redden. She grasped her hem and said, &quot;No, no.&quot;<br /> But she indeed smelt good.<br /> The air was filled with her sweet scent.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran...&quot; Renee began in a low voice, &quot;Why do we have to hide in the coffin?&quot;<br /> Chapter 4 She&#039;s My Wife<br /> &quot;If they saw me, I&#039;d make headlines tomorrow,&quot; said Tristan coldly.<br /> &quot;But...&quot; Renee stated seriously. &quot;You don&#039;t need to bring me along.&quot;<br /> Tristan was rendered speechless.<br /> &quot;Tsk. I forgot it,&quot; he thought to himself.<br /> Renee moved uncomfortably. &quot;Let&#039;s go out.&quot;<br /> Tristan pushed open the coffin and climbed out of it. Renee was sweaty, so her soft hair was plastered to her fair cheeks. She panted heavily and leaned over the coffin, looking pitifully at Tristan. &quot;Mr. Duran, I can&#039;t get out on my own.&quot;<br /> Tristan leaned against the coffin and casually remarked, &quot;It&#039;s none of my business.&quot;<br /> Renee was about to cry in anger. &quot;But you pulled me in...&quot;<br /> Tristan remained indifferent. &quot;So what?&quot;<br /> Renee snapped incredulously, &quot;You&#039;re being unreasonable!&quot;<br /> No one dared to talk to Tristan like this over the years. Renee had just returned from the countryside and hadn&#039;t seen much of the world, so she didn&#039;t know how influential Tristan was in Ampleshire and dared to accuse him.<br /> Tristan narrowed his eyes and bent over to look at Renee. &quot;I can help you out.&quot;<br /> Renee&#039;s eyes lit up.<br /> Tristan smiled, &quot;What did you just call me?&quot;<br /> Renee bit her lip and replied, &quot;Mr. Duran. Everyone calls you that.&quot;<br /> &quot;They&#039;re not related to me,&quot; Tristan said. &quot;You&#039;re my wife, not one of them.&quot;<br /> Renee was stunned. &quot;What should I call you then?&quot;<br /> Tristan raised his eyebrows. His handsome face appeared alluring in the moonlight. &quot;Think about it yourself.&quot;<br /> Renee blushed.<br /> &quot;Mr. Duran,&quot; Shelton Quinn, Tristan&#039;s assistant, called out. When he saw Tristan, he breathed a sigh of relief. &quot;What are you doing here? The news of your death has spread. Everyone is anxiously waiting for you.&quot;<br /> Tristan said, &quot;I&#039;ve never attended my funeral before, so I wanted to experience it.&quot;<br /> He glanced at Renee, who was still sitting dumbfounded in the coffin, and turned around to leave. &quot;Since they&#039;re waiting for me, I have to...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish speaking, Renee choked out, &quot;Honey... Boohoo. Please help me out...&quot;<br /> Tristan paused. Shelton widened his eyes and repeated, &quot;Honey?&quot;<br /> Tristan laughed and looked back at Renee. &quot;So you know what you should call me, right?&quot;<br /> Renee was worried that Tristan would leave her in the coffin. Her nose turned red from crying. She extended her hand and pleaded, &quot;Honey...&quot;<br /> Tristan suppressed his laughter. Renee did whatever she was asked to like an obedient bunny.<br /> Tristan reached out and helped Renee out. When he turned around, he saw Shelton&#039;s surprised look. &quot;Mr. Duran, I didn&#039;t know you liked this.&quot;<br /> Shelton began to imagine what Tristan and Renee did in the coffin.<br /> Tristan&#039;s face darkened as he asked icily, &quot;Don&#039;t you know her?&quot;<br /> Shelton was enlightened. &quot;Oh, she&#039;s from the Fletcher family...&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm.&quot; Tristan placed Renee on the ground. Renee wiped her tears when Tristan pinched her soft cheek. &quot;Don&#039;t tell anyone that I&#039;m still alive.&quot;<br /> Renee nodded.<br /> Her cheek was quite soft and tender, so Tristan pinched it mischievously again. Seeing Renee scrunch her brows, he finally let go of her and stuffed the apple into her mouth. He said cheerfully, &quot;Shelton, she&#039;s my wife from now on, got it?&quot;<br /> <br /> Book ID：4897		FavorNovel		541	https://facebook.com/FavorNovel	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68810	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 12:18 AM	1703760172	1745817523		67		3620656951556726	1	3.6328516272764E+14		1701504000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118760431268839		0	lookporcelaingirl			120202162166540681		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/lookporcelaingirl		1701282226	1.1876043126884E+14	lookporcelaingirl	https://scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/358377870_1425775771603663_8927361842888995981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=kqmJK4WO36oAX_DmEVl&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfB9tYX-XN5iLQW0WyMetf86tl8l7gOZMDlvQ_J_E3LpuQ&oe=6591804A	ig_ads_identity	1	em.	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404766185_1021751882226845_973144084653914441_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P0MKeckoZzUAX87HVaP&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzWf86uKXkWl8OjCZmFvgd4ugRQYVSRtrSFxPnsavyfQ&oe=6592E035			0	3	rzeźbione f a s c y n a c j e.<br /> <br /> &#064;jolawachelfotografie <br /> &#064;joanna8grzywacz <br /> &#064;monikaturekfashion <br /> &#064;marta_ruta_hats <br /> <br /> #photosession #artsession #sesjafashion #fashion #model #modelka #photography #sesjaproduktowa #sesjamodowa #fashionphotography #fashionstyle #retro #retrostyle #retrophotography #fashionmodel #polskamarka #martarutahats #oplotka #streetphotography #warsaw #warsawmodel #fotografiaartystyczna #art		lookporcelaingirl		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/lookporcelaingirl	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68161	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 11:17 AM	1703760167	1743005834		67		1031428471402891	2	3.6443256627351E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974536780427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287523	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409684176_1054543759210636_3449602207202701849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6uVPoPNkZ9kAX-XF8IG&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0pj39i0oGPkNotbrj5mC3qXHj7E4Nkw5hUa9NwpQnhw&oe=65923891	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406524762_721662042893687_4084809078580757484_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IvkTCKR1Hy8AX_T4xKu&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwFr_iLVWuMJrW8JgrTTWyrZAc8Gu89W0m4e1mzI4P9g&oe=65928013			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69895	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054166		67		356696707030114	2	6.6594709219474E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579117500115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632978	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403634264_321913350594675_952459680819678627_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WXSXylF9d_UAX-PD8YD&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAEIvTKeUhnPr7lQmBWNJasyfv0xjZUjKMskF6mKP-Ehw&oe=65929BB2	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625002_780967940460889_162067888614681400_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4ij75boO1TAAX8uoFuZ&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfANA4KCsa8H0Kgylpj4ZHafE0YfnFRp5N3hi4YMLDjVtw&oe=65925678			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69331	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/21/25, 4:12 AM	1703760175	1747818771		67		2039247023100491	1	8.7181772794013E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632221380115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796744	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404879781_306661032275499_8015898750098994883_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SjGNbJBd4IoAX8SPZle&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCFSLgRtrSDnJ5baD30rp4XcuqkBHixFURVhcqm4N2NIA&oe=65930F5F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404840655_1808064866291847_6161347477596004543_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TkRzrFwjep0AX8DX_cn&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgWaqT2ZRw5jJDog8HI9bpI02Q570-m4is6v7vJ_KmFw&oe=6591C128			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
67080	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/21/25, 4:35 AM	1703760161	1747820131		67		1346542246003083		3.4606443483918E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	235613043245259		0	Alla's Yummy Food			120204742670050768		allasyummyfood.com	Sign up		NONE	carousel	Alla's Yummy Food		https://www.allasyummyfood.com/online-cake-club		1703108393	2.3561304324526E+14	Alla's Yummy Food	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412640263_1079051830078501_6314480602619943579_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nVqXnsbo9qUAX-Qx7Pd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDKDe8RmpnVVqmsC27BCLA-RYWUu71cdipaq0B-bPMGKA&oe=659197CB	person_profile	0	Alla Driksne | Online Cake Academy	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412640110_1002742251027457_8222277900957006816_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MHV5lYRVcr4AX_lN0Ct&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCbYpRbvemKjMhuHeeJaax7QegACY0RQosUHX4RIbd-Ng&oe=65923DD5			0	3	Are you looking for a way to elevate your baking skills and your business? Perfect! It’s time for you to join 100+ beginner, home, and professional bakers in my Cake Club! <br /> <br /> When you sign up, you’ll gain access to:<br /> <br /> ☑️ Exclusive recipes for beautiful, high-end cakes<br /> ☑️ How to master taking amazing photos from your smartphone<br /> ☑️ Business strategies to help you baking business grow<br /> ☑️ Access to my must-have Mastermind Sessions<br /> <br /> …and SO much more!<br /> <br /> If you have access to a kitchen and a love for baking, Cake Club is for you. Let’s bake, learn, and grow together. 🎂 Flexible payment options are available!<br /> <br /> Join Now and Transform Your Baking Journey!👇<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.allasyummyfood.com%2Fonline-cake-club&amp;h=AT1tTgks-4x5yEQuOLG1puMtZD-78-u7lSOexX5aoEr-sno_ulzVIRhiL_haX1Nqm_01Ek3uKJFMsaeKST-L9vRuSRBKdqkTtYglzVavBd2RmI8OBGzcngT5vklnQmLZeAybygSQcVZ84Kj8aCeWQA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.allasyummyfood.com/online-cake-club</a>		Alla's Yummy Food		274053	https://facebook.com/allasyummyfood	0		SIGN_UP						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67699	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054166		67		1033629754529195	1	1.0399798372521E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120202080028530218		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/03ncalhtwf43osqtpog3bjmg?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702541105	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409890517_1152270752417969_5000526840164957011_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KGAQb76yNsEAX-UY_Kz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAX8ovnTXnt3k2daKlTJ3t5XiBTdTGi2-lbJwxUX0yhYg&oe=659242C0	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409724637_298490319819183_6080768548118496441_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jRIHHdLmQ9kAX9knZFj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCB4oXysyFRnoGNn-fVnGEMoGnx8pFIvuCzb9lR8XNDLg&oe=6592886B			0	3	❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69599	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/7/25, 3:22 AM	1703760176	1744014159		67		192813123904955	5	1.3699666969605E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201778998720250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677962	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404501919_1399764947592984_5324204061772205548_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c9ePsZcglVUAX9OZRNl&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfAXouibHbwJ7AAM8AZZbN_mSOGyyD_8Mco1vlHRc5PhWw&oe=65933ED7	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67365	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/9/25, 8:27 PM	1703760162	1749518832		67		387198293688713	2	8.7389821094686E+14		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	157384851487469		0	Joanna Rengel			120203129112710024		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/joannarengel_corp		1702669822	1.5738485148747E+14	Joanna Rengel	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409713215_903004374868608_5522920007288516723_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S92Og3spnsUAX8hh9IM&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCzCvYi6I1rE5ZLhdvhFvOoy7R5hiiYOCmxPZOSbH4tlA&oe=6591C9F5	person_profile	0	Coach Creativa & Espiritual	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411074597_1121517919259522_8093983271554060386_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VpE_yXDEuPIAX_a8JP2&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCq_lYlTYJw51acRD1SWeIl7nJPtFQPM-B5uCydZMRz4Q&oe=65921FFB			0	3	Me convertí en mi propia evidencia de que siempre puedo elegir con miedo y no por miedo. No sabía que estaba dando ESE primer paso para mi transformación personal, y por esas decisiones que en su momento me aterrorizaron y hoy hacen todo el sentido, siento una admiración y respeto profundo hacia mi misma.<br /> <br /> ✨✨ Faltan 15 días para que termine el año, puedes verlo como un factor de estrés, o una oportunidad única para asegurarte de cerrar cómo quieres empezar. El 2024 viene potente y mágico, intenciona cómo quieres vivirlo. <br /> <br /> ✨✨ ¿Cómo quieres despertarte el 01 de enero? sientes que quieres generar cambios, quieres materializar tus sueños, quieres empezar un nuevo hábito o tomar una decisión en tu vida. En el momento que estés leyendo esto: es el día perfecto para dar el primer paso. Es momento de accionar ❤️‍🔥<br /> <br /> 👉🏻 Estoy abriendo cupos limitados para sesiones de coaching, mi forma de trabajar es por medio de Mentorías 1:1 o grupales, con contenidos, activaciones y ejercicios en módulos subidos a una plataforma más soporte vía chat. <br /> <br /> Del 0 al 100 es para ti si:<br /> <br /> 💘 Tus sueños son más grandes que tus miedos.<br /> 💘 Estás dispuesto a invertir en ti mismo.<br /> 💘 Tienes ganas de brillar y ganas de despertar en todo sentido.<br /> 💘 Llevas mucho tiempo posponiendo muchas cosas en tu vida y estás listx para tomar acción.<br /> 💘 Quieres generar nuevos hábitos en tu vida, desde cambiar tu alimentación, tu mentalidad, reforzar tu espiritualidad, despertar tu creatividad, mejorar la relación con el dinero y manejar tus emociones. <br /> 💘 Te sientes estancadx, frustradx y abrumadx con tanta información sin aplicar. 😮‍💨<br /> <br /> ✨✨ Y si sueñas con emprender y trabajar más profundo desde el amor para conectarte contigo misma te invito a registrarte en mi Marterclass gratuita aquí: <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joannarengel.com%2Fregistro-entrenamiento-intensivo&amp;h=AT0VU0HDaPenGyFop3RzhtR-nvgwddzLR9ApCQzhN0RWvu4YBfAowdmbI9_aUeZecgfdH_cbBoK2vWYMPUAedMjehrgPdDNhS61oPK8-VXRuQNZZ8CrTGp-jnfZFZxoYDVwPalyN1PGO3VW1QsFwQessY-0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.joannarengel.com/registro-entrenamiento-intensivo</a><br /> <br /> ✨✨ Más información lo puedes ver en <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joannarengel.com%2F&amp;h=AT2Btj74FPRrouOCqOFj_k3Ia647CR6XotM8cVA06LzPvwGgNqMtITU7JKw69-jf4UZD1aah7UH5k-9TmPx6P4JxZrHA7o2FZBe_rhNIIMmVs9CkV5RVox6hahacN2PFMNwRJ5OgKsmGcZqv1a8Qlf5Q4bY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.joannarengel.com</a> o escríbeme por interno. <br /> <br /> Vamos a vibrar desde el alma y a hacer que las cosas ocurran ✨✨<br /> con amor, 🫶<br /> <br /> Joa.<br /> <br /> #healthcoaching #amarseparaemprender #mentoriaonline #coachingonline #masterclass #mentoringprogram #coachingemocional		Joanna Rengel		1141	https://facebook.com/joannarengel	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
70096	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054166		67		230470193391335	1	7.3978121150897E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090839410403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700545136	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404228108_1798635430568160_3271331159362878154_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IYRWxUEP2vIAX8yXtLf&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD96X8_H64h0n4XXEZa80ovFyaRMSQx9D3shHgIWZPcrg&oe=659280AF	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404656088_374650261654537_6970626905700958038_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1YpOxz66beMAX9iPqIJ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBcR_agLIu3ULvto9H2xUmorNWr19fxM_ZP8boNtyr1Jg&oe=659254CE			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67135	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/24/24, 11:41 AM	1703760161	1729770062		67		910355873950412	1	2.9514115352913E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	0	1	220515471292758		0	Joanna Lindenbaum			6303042109758		pages.applieddepthinstitute.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://pages.applieddepthinstitute.com/shadow		1676977276	2.2051547129276E+14	Joanna Lindenbaum	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/332472625_878357766579263_4329694115454934069_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GKPMJc-RipUAX-w86JJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCliWWnuKYreAEW5Neyq8uSv7rpYepLbPWQoJaXC2YWOg&oe=6591C8A5	person_profile	0	Transformational Leadership | Trauma Informed Coach Training	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/332511814_1388655521888166_715729593111582713_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iMRDk1acygIAX-3dfn8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2ON2o2KBpGMkWPvP8uPeC5Y25uQygMKd2YL33MxWMOw&oe=6591C00E			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Lindenbaum		5549	https://facebook.com/womenhealingtheworldwithjoannalindenbaum	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67602	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/18/25, 7:33 AM	1703760164	1747571601		67		977082763514125	2	9.865378626115E+14		1694415600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23858688503130562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości	Dla kobiet kochających, czułych, z sercem, dających z siebie za dużo które powtarzają te same niechciane historie w relacjach ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI Natychmiastowy i trwały sposób, aby ODKRYĆ I NA ZAWSZE POZBYĆ SIĘ bolesnych, trudnych, nieuświadomionych wzorców i schematów, ...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1693688333	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/374262180_207368435438827_5763664930283400073_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K0hK13bL514AX-qROFl&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB4T547yxxgPqilKyV0LVxVpVRDgavZO-fH-phetSzSgg&oe=659148BD	person_profile	0					0	3	🔴O co chodzi z tymi ( bolesnymi) wzorcami miłości?<br /> Twój związek lub jego brak, to odbicie Twoich “wewnętrznych” wzorców miłości.<br /> Czym właściwie są wzorce miłości, i skąd się biorą?<br /> <br /> A co ważniejsze, czy jeśli są dla Ciebie “bolesne”, prowokują trudne <br /> i nierówne relacje, to czy możesz coś z tym zrobić?<br /> <br /> Czy też już raz na zawsze jesteś na nie skazana?<br /> <br /> Na ile w ogóle masz wpływ na te wzorce?<br /> <br /> Skąd się biorą?<br /> <br /> Twoje wzorce miłości to odzwierciedlenie często relacji w Twojej rodzinie.<br /> To odbicie Twoich “trudów” dzieciństwa.<br /> <br /> Odbicie ukrytych dynamik relacji z matką, ojcem.<br /> <br /> Które nie zawsze wyglądały jak “groźne traumy”, a jednak sączyły się do Twojej podświadomości.<br /> #<br /> Czasem nie wiesz, że byłaś “kochana boleśnie”.<br /> <br /> Byłaś uczona, że masz z siebie dawać,<br /> że masz zasłużyć,<br /> że masz czekać,<br /> że taka jaka jesteś, jesteś do poprawy, korekty, zmiany, naprawy.<br /> <br /> #<br /> Byłaś “odrzucana”, bo nie tak jak być powinno, niewystarczająca dobra.<br /> Zbyt…<br /> Za…<br /> Niewystarczająco…<br /> <br /> #<br /> Byłaś za wcześniej dorosła, ponad miarę.<br /> Matkowałaś rodzicom.<br /> <br /> Żeby być akceptowana starałaś się bardziej.<br /> Dawałaś z siebie więcej.<br /> Ukrywałaś co czujesz naprawdę.<br /> <br /> Różnie…<br /> <br /> #<br /> <br /> A dzisiaj Twoje relacje pokazują Twoje podświadome bolesne wzorce miłości.<br /> <br /> A to<br /> * dajesz więcej z siebie i dopasowujesz się do jego planów, celów, czasu,<br /> dopasowujesz się do - nie wiadomo czego,<br /> <br /> * jesteś niewidziana,<br /> <br /> * Twoje potrzeby są umniejszane, ignorowane,<br /> <br /> * matkujesz, ogarniasz,<br /> <br /> * jesteś tą trzecią/ na boku…,<br /> <br /> * jesteś zdradzona,<br /> <br /> * on nie umie się zdecydować,<br /> <br /> * on pojawia się i znika…<br /> <br /> 🔵<br /> <br /> On<br /> taki sam, ze swoimi bolesnymi wzorcami…<br /> <br /> Prawda jest taka, że możesz to zmienić.<br /> <br /> Jak?<br /> <br /> Kiedy świadomie na to popatrzysz, zidentyfikujesz całą misterna grę w niemiłość.<br /> I uznasz, że to jest.<br /> I, że jest w Tobie.<br /> <br /> Kiedy uświadomisz sobie, że masz moc, aby to zmienić.<br /> Bo świadome popatrzenie w siebie i uznanie tego co było, jakie było, bez osądu daje moc.<br /> I ZAŁOŻYSZ, że to co stare i bolesne NIE musi Cię obowiązywać.<br /> <br /> Kiedy zaczniesz siebie postrzegać jako<br /> chcianą,<br /> kochaną,<br /> szanowaną,<br /> ważną,<br /> szczęśliwą.<br /> <br /> Kiedy zbudujesz swoją wizję kobiety/ Bogini.<br /> I tylko tym się staniesz.<br /> <br /> To jest możliwe.<br /> I realne.<br /> I od Ciebie wymaga- tylko jednej rzeczy.<br /> <br /> DECYZJI. Że chcesz dobrej miłości.<br /> I jesteś gotowa zaangażować się w ten proces.<br /> I wiesz, że zmiana w Tobie odzwierciedla się na zewnątrz.<br /> <br /> Zacznij tutaj<br /> Warto odczarować bolesne wzorce miłości. Być jedyną, najważniejszą. Priorytetem. Zacznij ze mną. Kliknij i odbierz 1 sze wideo<br /> a potem dołącz do kursu<br /> Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT01Jh9P8KHsd_4xZYRM6XRiayOGd8LNs5gzsSdsn0cahrdSTHhd8Ed9D7gfNcPA9z7g6THsZQIlLLX5FS2JyidqZJ6H6_TSNLCzzfpEVj2SeN_svFaXDjNG3Atsbo9-W4UrGrXxhZsGQcC68Ij4qIltroI2Vkbn_8mY7Lspgm0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1694156400		View Edit Delete
68632	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/9/25, 9:39 PM	1703760171	1749523197		67		1091842358919814	1	1.3891942020322E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109089991869818		0	Oasis Heating & Air Conditioning			120201060505280167		app.oasisheatingandac.com	Get quote		NONE	image	Satisfaction & Price Match Guarantee	Schedule your FREE estimate today!	https://app.oasisheatingandac.com/		1701590718	1.0908999186982E+14	Oasis Heating & Air Conditioning	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407462838_730181878550275_5634595488799533765_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d0SHSDt9WFoAX-4Dwan&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEhLr88eL7-QEVcuUf1kUwbbs6V76-eaTgnvOgZZDK6w&oe=6592F8D4	person_profile	0	Oasis Heating & Air Conditioning	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407732602_727832462147217_3043005760940651426_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tcNxoW2kwdUAX9pK8tX&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCeKT-Cc9cYsbxu0CKhZJQ0IFWZlLv86nlGpTybK09r6Q&oe=65915976			0	3	🌟 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗩𝗔𝗖 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲! 🌟<br /> <br /> At Oasis Heating &amp; Air Conditioning, we check all the boxes homeowners are looking for:<br /> <br /> ✅ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 &amp; 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Our certified technicians deliver top-notch service.<br /> ✅ 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴: We offer the best value for your HVAC needs and will match or beat our competitors&#039; prices.<br /> ✅ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: We offer a range of solutions tailored to your home.<br /> ✅ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 &amp; 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲: Expect friendly and prompt assistance.<br /> ✅ 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 &amp; 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀: Peace of mind with our 10-year parts &amp; labor warranty.<br /> ✅ 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Stay comfortable, conserve energy, and save money.<br /> ✅ 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: We&#039;ll guide you through every step of the process.<br /> <br /> Don&#039;t settle for anything less! <br /> Tap &quot;Get Quote&quot; or call Oasis at (760) 891-9871		Oasis Heating & Air Conditioning		143	https://facebook.com/oasisheatingandac	0		GET_QUOTE						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68053	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	12/22/24, 10:58 PM	1703760166	1734929911		67		1749564562211324		2.9873383587064E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140225069170076		0	HistoryNow			120207706234650456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702389737	1.4022506917008E+14	HistoryNow	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408230933_1039972947434648_8610532371262002157_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SetSWeHCf0kAX8rqgiL&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCpvIHOrvrO_lZednjQyhBJBvW45vhVm1izXQykN-ixOw&oe=6591F9BC	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		HistoryNow		293	https://facebook.com/61551862348233	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
69340	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/21/25, 10:16 PM	1703760175	1747883814		67		782017110169323	1	3.7935460133636E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120200360108840122		website.novelbars.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥Read More Chapters👉👉👉👉		https://website.novelbars.com/share/middle/whua31xndyremjbxijcrpp5v?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700883501	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405880301_194103283768923_2043211889081886724_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PyOTzOcvmZMAX-hmI2D&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBPFga7lcBJL-Nu7L67kGvvQulnjOIofFnu1Yk-cPNl-g&oe=65919610	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405893050_1545761599497341_8487465142295837944_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KS7ujNyCR1YAX--ofnb&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAZ0W1oLWkng3WfEn19iNC2I3nUlfCGv68q5mawl28Pqg&oe=6592DBA6			0	3	He took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn&#039;t have her number.<br /> Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number.<br /> Now, they&#039;ve been separated four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records.<br /> But it seemed that he could still contact her through Messenger App.<br /> She left four years ago, though. He didn&#039;t delete her in Messenger.<br /> Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna.However, she never texted him once.<br /> At first, he thought she could not live without him.<br /> He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back.<br /> Only now had he discovered that this was not the case.<br /> Joanna was actually a very proud person.<br /> Bruce&#039;s face darkened, and he found her Messenger account.<br /> Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school.<br /> She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars.<br /> People would be amazed when they saw them.<br /> It was a pity that he couldn&#039;t see her eyes shining like stars anymore.<br /> Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed &quot;Hello&quot;.<br /> It was the first time he had reached out to her.<br /> After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment.<br /> As an arrogant and paranoid man, Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others.<br /> An hour passed.<br /> Bruce still hadn&#039;t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride.<br /> He thought, &quot;How dare this woman not reply to me!&quot;<br /> &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> Bruce sent a second message in anger.<br /> After waiting for a long time, he still didn&#039;t receive her reply.<br /> Now, things got worse.<br /> Bruce was completely irrated.His face was dark and grim.<br /> &quot;Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.&quot;<br /> Actually, he didn&#039;t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;Yes, sir.&quot;<br /> Since he couldn&#039;t see her in private, he planned to meet her in the company.<br /> He thought she dared not miss the shareholders&#039; meeting.<br /> <br /> 🔞🔞Can&#039;t Stop Reading This Novel 👉👉👉The Return of His Unrivaled Ex-wife		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68461	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054166		67		329280173385203	1	2.5032520565207E+15		1702022400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	113745823383431		0	kimberley.joanna			120201648908000249		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/kimberley.joanna		1701886275	1.1374582338343E+14	kimberley.joanna	https://scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/309066088_1267147980687113_3769485699294236454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=pmAgBr_zqLcAX_Ki4r0&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfD17kvYHlqgHhu17WlF28oIhpIb7wQG2JYR1eiXF2bY9w&oe=65916FCF	ig_ads_identity	1	Kimberley Joanna	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407695387_885194993046179_8780672697960963527_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GrUmwHXOUTsAX-25Pkv&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDCqp6vhJLucFi7YWtH20fmkW8X9Qj3PyQN9FPgtrVryw&oe=65930547			0	3	New flashes searching for a Home, send Email or Dm if you are interested ✨still some slots left for Berlin 14-16! <br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> <br /> artist #femaleartist #blackworktattoo #woodcut #woodcuttattoo #abstracttattoo #inked #tatted #abstract #wannado #illustration #procreate #tattookrefeld #tattoogermany #blackink #undergroundtattoo #undergroundartist #holzschnitttattoo <br /> #artobscurae #onlythedarkest #ttism #contemporarytattoing #germantattoers<br /> #onlyblackart #ignorant_tattoo		kimberley.joanna		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/kimberley.joanna	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69542	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054166		67		1063484818149376	1	3.5559725048229E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207942080403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724580	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405020592_214900721638280_3338978065311893105_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q6QKFiZAlyEAX8tuagL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAFLko2ep_ZO3g9zmpT1SEdsStxsMvnhlMXVwf9VraExg&oe=65918728	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405007305_596679792543534_1263220741716865671_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pIy0Z21RqeEAX-GZUQ9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-uD4T1R_tEuFIskXCESGQ-jhDg9h8EC4R_losm25mzQ&oe=6593374D			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67136	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/8/25, 2:37 PM	1703760161	1744141022		67		673008911374589	1	1.2387697803855E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	0	1	220515471292758		0	Joanna Lindenbaum			6303042095958		pages.applieddepthinstitute.com	Learn more		NONE	image	FREE DOWNLOAD: Working with Shadow	In this FREE teaching guide, you’ll discover the myriad of (sneaky) ways the Shadow expresses itself.	https://pages.applieddepthinstitute.com/shadow		1676977585	2.2051547129276E+14	Joanna Lindenbaum	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/332751817_5842332162531008_4263345032893336266_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fYUSUD8HK8UAX_o2j1x&_nc_oc=AQlY8z3sjjOgEZGSVH0Eqq6E4MJz_e7Og53roww8kPiU7FMr_xgXXgvDO8ud-Agf7wFJnf_lylFzL9as79aRMcbs&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDkGafyBPdJQ6v4hZ1xKrp-CZodnHkfk1C_10tx4AaFBg&oe=65929F77	person_profile	0	Transformational Leadership | Trauma Informed Coach Training	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/332573604_877855953479179_7717019972327610270_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=21x4_dq-ydoAX8z10PX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAAXaADTiDzIl5Tb2rG35xKiLomOhC4CFpjxoe5PsZZpQ&oe=6592B046			0	3	Ready to more powerfully harness the profound power of Shadow work? In this FREE teaching guide, you’ll discover the myriad of (sneaky) ways the Shadow expresses itself.<br /> <br /> You’ll gain a reverence for the roots of shadow in the work of Carl Jung, and feel more excited than ever about the potential to become masterful at dancing with The Shadow in its many elusive forms.<br /> <br /> Dancing in the shadows with our clients is among the most sacred work that we do as healers, coaches and transformational experts.<br /> <br /> As a 20-year teacher of the deepest skill sets for human transformation, I take a stand when I see this sword wielded without the deepest respect for its power.<br /> <br /> And so I wrote this introductory guide to open for you the first gates to understanding it more. Use it with love. 👇		Joanna Lindenbaum		5549	https://facebook.com/womenhealingtheworldwithjoannalindenbaum	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66748	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/8/25, 1:52 PM	1703760159	1744138322		67		380397921172372		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203128158990274		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703489999	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414176383_878743977285655_1372703432590950985_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QFliLC61ZdYAX8vAK9Y&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7CWDGpoXHXO1yc3dMT-4FoW8x1SIj-rjddcOEfLorWg&oe=659234FF	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414243225_6743212889139547_3825117580747219377_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0yor-HaNDIEAX8V5z8O&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCw9UEVqwRdOUNYOe1LqsEGGago3KLYp8WlXRUUqEOhug&oe=659284E1			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67663	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/22/25, 6:59 AM	1703760164	1747915150		67		1395388981060802	1	1.0829524828381E+15		1702800000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	128974413451587		0	Family Shirt A4			120202579690120128		mfamilyshirt.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D6	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilyshirt.store/joanna-things-d6		1702604647	1.2897441345159E+14	Family Shirt A4	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411255027_1577431266395952_6585456246712826229_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VUFohW94kdYAX8-Xir0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHLLrOvrvo3kvXosD4LMGq2sMpP3N5_CVOugGcK2FoKw&oe=659172DC	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilyshirt.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0c-cl2SCpoNjeD3pFZXtbzGYpgn4OwqMBZwbdApPSIBHF6r10xqiraBKpCQ_WOPE13hvc1QGoE7LFLqvRMNmGPSrzuHLK3Vqzv9McdllKRWkLB9swtEa4qAGA8uF_U4P2kIUfHuPQjEyicHhTXlw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilyshirt.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Shirt A4		31	https://facebook.com/100091515813852	0		SHOP_NOW						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67671	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054166		67		1606529126811836	1	3.3129626956709E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	108594095633452		0	Pilchuck Family Dentistry			120202671802320379		snohomish.pilchuckdentistry.com	Book now		NONE	image	Need Dental Care? We've Got You Covered!	Call today for exceptional dental services in EVERETT	https://snohomish.pilchuckdentistry.com/new-patients		1702576845	1.0859409563345E+14	Pilchuck Family Dentistry	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411071605_1362780961273116_9093172307171422129_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n3dVwin6O6gAX8C3yqn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCk9RDl8UoKXdOk2xtTzS2uVzxIFyYT2ZOnQALOqInKpg&oe=6592A455	person_profile	0	Pilchuck Family Dentistry	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411162429_25255833064007620_5553173373446858348_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9f1_-T6CossAX_gHvy3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwFnTcOpWIW9Xkf67OkpWbtgA6b5P31OOYP0eKKKLKTA&oe=6591E81C			0	3	Hey Snohomish community, I&#039;m Dr. Huy Ngo, or Dr. No – your friendly dentist on a mission to keep your smile in top-notch shape! <br /> <br /> I&#039;ve been passionate about dental care since 2009 when I earned my Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS). <br /> <br /> Later, I pursued my dreams at Roseman University, graduating with a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) in 2018.<br /> <br /> Pilchuck Family Dentistry is now serving Snohomish and its surrounding areas. <br /> <br /> I strive to provide top-notch care for you and your loved ones, offering a wide range of services from routine check-ups to cosmetic procedures. Your dental health is my utmost priority.<br /> <br /> As a mom of two adorable kids, Kai and Joanna, I understand the value of gentle and compassionate dentistry for the whole family. <br /> <br /> When I&#039;m not perfecting smiles, you&#039;ll find me enjoying cooking, hiking, gardening, and creating cherished memories with my loved ones. <br /> <br /> Don&#039;t wait – book your appointment today, and let&#039;s achieve a smile that lights up your world!		Pilchuck Family Dentistry		6	https://facebook.com/100094510184320	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69242	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/22/25, 7:42 PM	1703760174	1747960945		67		1293863108026644	1	1.6535964084161E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104032362672695		0	CMG DailyStuff US			23862140090220046		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1700975051	1.040323626727E+14	CMG DailyStuff US	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404688593_258535100214274_3149205172489956487_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zwT7S_83iogAX9Em1aq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA7U8wXagdaHczGIzc3Aq8KidSzZdzwChhd7Dw5fWBahA&oe=65920E90	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG DailyStuff US		94	https://facebook.com/cmg.dailystuff.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1700899200		View Edit Delete
66507	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:23 AM	1703760158	1742995427		67		1044562550094988	1	3.5657249029192E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868930430268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_D8B11B36AD8E5FEFA0D861E9CCF3C380_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699146	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414648377_1556170925117994_5809813413598977148_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ESxJuNytfI8AX_GWA96&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCCbGCZ7XHqKq-mmfbF5hgi3ihzB9G8LH621YBZk59jZQ&oe=65931A2B	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a bookstore clerk, never fancied athletes. But Knox, a star football player with a secret struggle, is about to rewrite her playbook		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67023	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054166		67		292992607055061		2.8484499086294E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202911883960160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703140709	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411442219_1875145249606278_4005065892169020501_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HMh6pH-2S74AX9wvh5k&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAW8BeyZ3iK8ITai3dIDX7OzpsjVl-Vjd6DMDgA3cgyqQ&oe=6591D149	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67082	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054166		67		895489355141320	1	6.3549224192165E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	979264992171116		0	Patrycja Misiewicz			120203060089900270		vod.patrycjamisiewicz.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Co sprawia, że mężczyźni starają się bardziej?	Kurs otrzymasz w formie tekstowej, audio oraz wideoprezentacji. Dzięki temu możesz przerabiać go w najlepszy dla siebie sposób.	https://vod.patrycjamisiewicz.pl/bogini-nie-stawaj-na-glowie-tylko-na-piedestale-reklamy/		1703101232	9.7926499217112E+14	Patrycja Misiewicz	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411707114_1541986553235430_1099731166356522643_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z3rCFy9MDy4AX8ZVZS2&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCfLRYQs8XvcTax2C4OYBSQBH_lA_AdFkWdVureKnyjag&oe=65928ED1	person_profile	0	Patrycja Misiewicz (Pami 🤍)	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411956464_357688157122866_3780899570294527675_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QII9g2DsH2UAX_H6mXf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDeZ96jUuYoHRQMisAq3kJ4c_vV4SI9MYUkap_OmmUgrQ&oe=659191AE			0	3	Gdy wypuściłam kurs „Bogini - nie stawaj na głowie, tylko na piedestale”, odzew po nim przerósł wszystkie oczekiwania.<br /> <br /> Mamy na pokładzie 19503 kobiet, które ukończyły tylko ten JEDEN kurs.<br /> <br /> Część z kursantek jeszcze nie zdążyła go ukończyć, a już zauważyła pozytywną zmianę w zachowaniu swojego partnera. Ich relacje zmieniły się o 180 stopni.<br /> <br /> Natomiast nadal nie widzę Cię w naszym gronie. Pewnie zadajesz sobie pytanie, czy to odpowiedni kurs dla Ciebie i czy powinnaś dołączyć, gdy masz taką świetną okazję.<br /> <br /> Od kiedy wydałam kurs, otrzymałam od uczestniczek masę wiadomości. Dzieliły się swoimi opowieściami, wyzwaniami i przede wszystkim – sukcesami. Niektóre z nich prawie doprowadziły mnie do łez! 🥹<br /> <br /> Zobacz, co powiedziała Joanna:<br /> <br /> „Nie przeczytałam jeszcze wszystkich pdfów, ale te, które przeczytałam, uważam za mocno wyczerpujące temat. To nie lanie wody, którego nie lubię, ale konkrety, które lubię ;) Podoba mi się, że podajesz przykłady, aranżujesz sytuacje – łatwiej na nich wyobrazić sobie daną teorię”<br /> <br /> A to Magda:<br /> <br /> „Wiele zagadnień nie jest mi już obcych, ale to tylko potwierdza, jak są skuteczne, na Twoich przykładach też łatwiej się odnaleźć. Jakbym widziała siebie w pewnych sytuacjach.”<br /> <br /> Spójrz jeszcze na opinię Pauliny<br /> <br /> „Oczywiście już zamówiłam SSB kurs. Twoje porady w mailach, w poprzednim kursie Bogini nie stawaj na głowie…naprawdę są bezcenne. Masz rację pisząc takiej wiedzy się nie znajdzie nigdzie indziej w internecie, jedynie głupstwa, które zamiast pomóc, jeszcze zaszkodzą. Jestem Twoją fanką, wspaniale wiedzę potrafisz przekazać, tak dalej Patrycja 🙂🙂🙂”<br /> <br /> Dołącz już teraz &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fvod.patrycjamisiewicz.pl%2Fbogini-nie-stawaj-na-glowie-tylko-na-piedestale-reklamy%2F&amp;h=AT0rpXCrNsVj6ZeAf-Cea0GESbHKK5en9-LbddkY9fCbX3LJe9bwyzYQYwhbVp-Q2HBnERUX9TKr1Vx9zJWHk8PWoAyciw1bOsXMDWuqZltE17ZO6tFAElpCRMWqoCZVR2eagzJOljQi06AP6IMiqI6_yYIlcm3P15d-Ng" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://vod.patrycjamisiewicz.pl/bogini-nie-stawaj-na-glowie-tylko-na-piedestale-reklamy/</a>		Patrycja Misiewicz		12656	https://facebook.com/patrycjamisiewiczpl	0		LEARN_MORE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
66498	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054166		67		325685567044907	1	4.1244341778514E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868933670268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_A1BD21AAD920A719EC9998E53FCE474F_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699160	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412956384_371025602274991_4847789512249127343_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZwXR1gLWqk0AX8AHAz0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC6v9PNVTqBglZuJNpK5d3nFar7_ey1w7vuBMztPLEQwQ&oe=6591880C	person_profile	0					0	3	He’s on a self-imposed celibacy vow. She&#039;s sworn off jocks forever. When Knox and Joanna cross paths, their unexpected chemistry ignites a romance they never saw coming		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67746	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/22/25, 4:55 PM	1703760164	1747950949		67		912247563578465		6.6481315887783E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590550920209		joannavargas.com/booking	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494667	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409761982_760237999476040_6802496355375344639_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kB3fBOr28KMAX9bzA6z&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCUhXvQ3PzDm5wBk6qL9pVuQscLKGYOLCpL4zOj5LCYRw&oe=6592891C	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409761326_910627387280679_8984870165086288904_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ECcWUgztzGUAX_PmP1U&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBmpQtPm9JOrpzBvGAunkKZAXUcSI1rlfCv9S1GXp-ONw&oe=65917EF9			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69426	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:51 PM	1703760175	1743036703		67		373868988498266	1	6.7072223183808E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	107090068642820		0	Book Lovers Hub			120200815340580645		dynamic.chereads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Search <The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake>❤️‍🔥🔥		https://dynamic.chereads.com/noah-ssg/wn/202303091/27109457006677105+1+4+facebook?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}		1700818564	1.0709006864282E+14	Book Lovers Hub	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405741170_1060418088475539_5331880884418487137_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Vl9GgR4Zh04AX9dimJM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBdri_DXDAI9szl-KL9_zx0JnoOpmMjKAiVKWFG86idmw&oe=65925AFF	person_profile	0	Book lovers hub	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405086118_670293638568055_8097387378722292808_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gIea6PJz6rkAX-1uknb&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCTQ4Ll-UQDxjOllv2jR74wfJ9UbYT1aYQAiiqU7INjrg&oe=65923CE1			0	3	Manhattan,New York city.<br /> 8:06pm.<br /> In the vip ward of a hospital, a tall silhouette of a man was seated on a cushion. His long legs that were cladded in an expensive Italian shoe, sprawled out, while looking at his neat three piece customized tailored suit he wore, gave off the fact that he was wealthy.<br /> The expensive Rolex watch he wore fitted around his wrist perfectly and gave him an endearing look, on how dripping expensive everything he was wearing was. <br /> Everything about him could only scream one thing. <br /> Money! <br /> Power! <br /> Dominance!<br /> The cold look on his face as he tried hard to not lose his temper, made him surprised because he knew that he didn&#039;t have such self control right now, not for the situation at hand that had landed him here late at night in Weill Cornell medical center.<br /> It gave off the notice to the gossiping lips of the female nurses, who couldn&#039;t help but keep his name out of their lips, as every now and then, he could hear them outside the ward, as he had his mind prepared about the news that would probably be scrolling around the news headlines about him by now.<br /> Well, it wasn&#039;t everyday that someone of such high social caliber, would grace the hospital, especially at this time of the night that it was rare to see such a man, with the exception that he wasn&#039;t here because he was injured, nor needed to see the doctor.<br /> But rather, he was here because of the young lady that was sleeping on the hospital bed, a few meters away from where he sat. It was appalling that he sat and watched her sleep, the way a lover would do to the loved ones, while hoping that they get better.<br /> But no! The woman in front of him was not his lover, nor a family member that would warrant that he gives her such attention. One that anyone who knew him better, would confess that he wasn&#039;t a man who had such a loving heart, but just like they always say, there&#039;s a first time for everything.<br /> As he wanted for her to wake up, he could slowly feel his patience running off and all he wanted to do was to jerk her up, and have her repeat what exactly was the significant conversation that had brought them both here.<br /> &quot;Sir?&quot; Leo, his personal assistant called for his attention, and for the first time he looked away from the red hair who was sleeping soundly, towards him, his face showing how annoyed he was, for him to interrupt his thoughts.<br /> But he had to remind himself that Leo was one of his trusted men, and the only one who could put up with a jerk like him, so he snapped at him, arrogantly.<br /> &quot;What? Don&#039;t tell me that mother is not feeling okay, I have a lot on my table right now,Leo.&quot; He said, his cold green eyes searching Leo&#039;s own for the affirmation that he had settled everything, that brought them out here before coming over here.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s not the point,sir. Unfortunately your grandfather has been notified about the situation.&quot; <br /> It was like a bee stung him, when he heard Leo tell him that his grandfather knows about the woman lying on the bed, and he wasted no time standing up, pushed him to the wall before grabbing him by his throat.<br /> &quot;Who told him about her? I had everything covered, how did it get to that old snake?&quot;He roared, but the door had to open at that moment and the doctor in charge of the young woman chose this ungodly hour to walk in.<br /> It made him move away from Leo but not without his eyes, threatening to kill him if he didn&#039;t get away from his sight, before he snapped at the doctor, he was done waiting.<br /> &quot;I must say doctor, I am a man of little patience, but now it seems to me that you think this is a joke, but if i were you i would do everything in my willpower to wake that woman up right now.&quot; The young man pointed at the sleeping lady, it was very evident in the tone he used towards her that he loathed everything that made him be here tonight, but it&#039;s not as if he had a choice.<br /> &quot;Actually Mr.Russo, i am afraid i can&#039;t release the result of the test without the young lady being involved here too.&quot; Dr. Rosalie said, as she looked at the intimidating eyes of Giovanni Russo, the youngest billionaire to top the business world, before then looking at her poor girl, who had no idea what trouble she was in because the young man seemed not to have any intention of being here more than just a night.<br /> But it seemed luck was on his side, because as intimidating as he looked, she couldn&#039;t let that fear overrun her instincts to do what&#039;s right, because as soon as he was about to say something else, the young lady was up and rubbing at her eyes, before she finally looked at their way.<br /> Marissa Diàz.<br /> That&#039;s her name.<br /> Her eyes widened when it fell on Giovanni, and the doctor could finally see what this was all about. But she could do nothing, since Giovanni could wipe her whole existence from the earth and that of her family, thereby she behaved.<br /> &quot;Well, look who finally decide to wake up?&quot; Giovanni said, unamused before he strolled over to where Marissa sat on the bed, his hands itched to strangle her to the wall, and get the truth out of her at a faster pace.<br /> But he reminded himself of the possibility of what she&#039;s saying being the truth, and besides a doctor was here after all, so he waited but rather smiled at seeing that she was scared of him.<br /> That&#039;s right, darling. You should be scared.<br /> He grinned, before looking at the doctor beckoning the woman to do her thing, to which she walked over to where Marissa sat, with her breath hitching up while she prayed in her heart if there was a god out there to hear her prayers.<br /> &quot;The results are out, Miss Diàz and i guess congratulations are in order.&quot; Doctor Rosaline said, and looked at Marissa who touched her stomach and on cue, she smiled at her.<br /> &quot;Congratulations Miss Diàz. You are pregnant.&quot;<br /> Chapter Two: Marissa, The Loner And Introvert Is Going To A Party.<br /> &quot;Finally, it&#039;s a wrap.&quot;<br /> Marissa said with a yawn, as she loosened the apron around her waist, while getting her clothes from her locker room, in a haste to get home to the comfort her bed provided. She needed that desperately since today was a long day, and she couldn&#039;t wait to close her eyes even if it&#039;s just for two hours.<br /> The young lady worked as a waitress at a famous diner in the city, it was a competitive work in the sense that the popularity the diner had attracted a whole lot of customers, and ofcourse interested workers who wouldn&#039;t mind taking up the job at working at &#039;Malcolm&#039; diner had made the employees over there, to step up in their work of they wanted a place right there.<br /> Marissa Diàz is an orphan, well that was what she told everyone, because considering how terrible her relationship with her mother had gotten over the years, since the death of her father. She ran away from home, to escape an abusive mother who remarried just to curb the loneliness that spranged up at the death of her father.<br /> Marissa didn&#039;t have the best life like any other girl out there can boost off, having to fend for herself at the age of sixteen, the daily struggles and battling with depression and loneliness were the only constant things happening in her life.<br /> Whereas the young lady has lost the zeal that there would ever come a time where things would get brighter in her life, just like every other girl out there, Marissa always wished for the Barbie girl lifestyle, but as always it&#039;s always a wish that never comes true.<br /> At a point, when she experienced her first heartbreak, when her first boyfriend, Ryan was banging another girl on her bed, in her room. She fell into depression and the zeal to live was gone until she met her,Sasha.<br /> &quot;Boo!&quot; <br /> &quot;Sasha what the hell is wrong with you?&quot; Marissa said, touching her chest to calm her racing heart, as she looked at her side to see her best friend laughing at her scared face.<br /> She does this everything, and she always falls victim to her playful tactics. Marissa got annoyed with her laughter, as the other girls who were present in the changing room were already leaving for the day. She took her bag and flung it at her, but she caught it &quot; You do this every time.&#039;&#039;Marissa said with a frustrated grunt.<br /> &quot;And your face gets me everytime, Marie.&quot; Sasha said, coming closer as she took her clothes from her hand, while Sasha wrapped her arm around her neck as they both stood in front of the mirror.&quot;You look horrible.&quot;Sasha confessed.<br /> &quot;This job is draining the life out of me, but i need the job i can&#039;t seem to bear the thoughts of going astray one day and Mr.pere….&quot;<br /> Marissa&#039;s anxiety about her work took over, and she couldn&#039;t help it ,but as always Sasha was in cue to stop her.<br /> &quot;Hey, sweetheart. It&#039;s okay, nothing is going to happen okay. You are just being paranoid about this work, you need a break.&quot; Sasha suggested, but she looked at her immediately to tell her how impossible what she was asking for wouldn&#039;t happen.<br /> &quot;Girl, am just kidding, okay.&quot; Sasha laughed, before she relaxed her mind.&quot;But i just want to tell you that no matter what happens, I will be here for you Marissa, you have got absolutely nothing to worry about, okay?&quot;<br /> Marissa tried to control her tears, but she wasn&#039;t strong like Sasha. Every girl needs a best friend like Sasha. God! She didn&#039;t know what she would have done without her.<br /> Sasha didn&#039;t really have a pathetic life like her, her family were among the middle rich although she hasn&#039;t really gotten to know what exactly her parents do, or the reasons why Sasha works this job with her, the only good reason she got out of her was that she needed a distraction from family problems.<br /> Marissa said nothing but hugged her,&quot; what would i do without you?&quot; She asked rhetorically, while Sasha rubbed her back lovely.<br /> But their moment were ruined when the door was swung open, and a<br /> an angry looking Mr.Peters asked from the doorway.&quot; Ten minutes more and you get to sleep in here, Marilyn.&quot; <br /> &quot;It&#039;s Marissa, Mr.Peters, and thanks for the update though.&quot;Marissa said with a frown on her face, she watched as he left before getting rid of her uniform. He always gets her name wrong and did she forget to say that Mr.peter hates her?<br /> &quot;So, do you have any plans for the weekend?&quot; Sasha asked, a little giddier than she is, and Marissa didn&#039;t need anyone to tell her what this was about.<br /> Sasha was a social butterfly, unlike her who would rather spend her free time reading romantic novels, watch binged horror movies and sleep for the rest of the day.<br /> Unlike Sasha, Marissa could say that she hated being around people, she preferred her free time and Sassha was not going to coerce her into leaving her comfort zone, no ..no. it&#039;s definitely not happening.<br /> &quot;Oh! Please don&#039;t tell me this is what i am thinking about is?&quot; Marissa said, while she took her purse and they were out of the diner.<br /> &quot;Seriously Marissa, you didn&#039;t even let me tell you what it is before showing that you are not interested.&quot;Sasha complained, giving her puppy eyes so she could give in.<br /> Marissa looked away from her, but she hopped over to where her gaze was.&quot; Fine, what is it about?&quot;<br /> &quot;My brother&#039;s birthday is on saturday, i got invited, but i don&#039;t want to go alone. You know my family and i had been having issues…&quot; Sasha paused, trying to find the right words to express what exactly she wanted to say.<br /> &quot;And you are taking me along for support.&quot;Marissa completed her words.<br /> &quot;Yeah, Sweetheart. I heard my elder brother would be present and we aren&#039;t the best cliqued brother and sister. So please, Marissa. Come with me, I promise it will be fun.&quot; Sasha begged.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t know Sasha, you know party and stuff aren&#039;t my thing…&quot;Marissa tried to complain.<br /> &quot;I know sweetheart, I know, but it&#039;s time you stop wishing to find the right person by just reading romantic novels, Marissa.&quot;<br /> Marissa rolled her eyes when she understood what this was about,&quot; I am not dating any of your brothers, Sasha. I am not good with people.&quot;<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t say that yet, you would love it, Marissa.&quot;Sasha clapped her hands, while making a dreamy face. It was evident that she had something planned in mind, but Marissa wasn&#039;t prepared for any of her match making plans.<br /> &quot;Yeah, as long as you keep the men away. I&#039;m good.&quot;<br /> &quot;So, does it mean you are coming?&quot; Sasha&#039;s loud voice was heard, as her overexcitement made the passerby to look at the both of them, earning a cautious look from Marissa.<br /> &quot;Do i look like i have a choice?&quot;The young lady said, and Sasha yelped in excitement, making Marissa worried, because for someone who said that it was her brother&#039;s birthday, she&#039;s over excited.<br /> She didn&#039;t know if that&#039;s something to be bothered about, but she had to let her wandering mind rest. She gets worried easily but making going out with Sasha would not be a bad idea..<br /> So yeah, Marissa Diàz, the loner and introvert is going to a party!<br /> Chapter Three: Where Is Giovanni?<br /> New York city.<br /> ~~~<br /> &quot;He&#039;s running late again.&quot;Edward Russo complained for the third time, to his wife who stood besides him, while trying to keep a happy face while all is not well.<br /> Apparently, they were under pressure seeing that very soon they were going going to take the words of insults thrown to them because of their immature son, Giovanni Rosso, who had refused to be on time for the private services that was being hosted in their hometown by his grandfather, has been an active member for a long time since the death of his wife.<br /> Standing besides a worried Edward Russo, who turned to look at his father engaged in a conversation with an important guest, who was doing a good job keeping his mind away from noticing that Giovanni wasn&#039;t here yet.<br /> His ever so lovely wife, Amrita Russo. The first daughter in-law to grace the family and proved her worth to the family both in business, and everything.<br /> She was the apple of the man&#039;s eyes, besides her who was trying so much not to show how panicked he was, but right now when she tried to speak up on behalf of her son, she was tackled arrogantly by him.<br /> &quot;Come on, huni. He&#039;s probably on his way here, you know how Giovanni is, am sure Leo knows the best thing to do is to make sure he&#039;s here by all means.&quot; Amrita tried to calm Edward, when it&#039;s just for these few minutes that the reporters were busy doing a job to interview everyone present and Giovanni is not here yet.<br /> The last thing that they want right now is another scandal, that would tarnish the image of the Russo corporation. Their son, Giovanni, had made it his primal duty to be on the bad side of the media every single week.<br /> The Russo corporation was among the top five world leading oil mining companies to exist, its original founder Paul Russo was dead, his successor after his son being the man who was the reason they were gathered here today, Christian Russo.<br /> Edward being the first son of the old man, followed by his brother who was not here yet, although he&#039;s sure that his father would not miss having his whole family here, on a special occasion like this. The old man would like to invite everyone of his family, just like old times so they could dine like a loving family.<br /> &quot;It better be just like you said, Amrita. Your son has caused me nothing but blatant headaches in the past few months, I have had enough of his immature ass, it&#039;s time he sits and assumes his responsibility as the heir to the company.&quot; Edward spat, which made her scoff at his words.<br /> &quot;My son? Seriously Edward, you and i both know you also spoiled the boy to the wits, you can&#039;t just pin the blame on me when he starts behaving just like how daddy dearest had taught him.&quot; Amrita sneered, before looking away from him in anger.<br /> He always does this every time, when Giovanni behaves like the spoiled asshole he was, he would rather she takes the blame than him. But apparently, it was no one&#039;s fault that Giovanni was this way he is. The boy was difficult to handle, especially since he came back from the states from his studies.<br /> &quot;Amrita..baby, I&#039;m sorry.&quot; Edward tried to apologize, but then they were interrupted by the all familiar car that parked with a screeching sound that attracted everyone&#039;s attention over to them.<br /> The both of them didn&#039;t need any soothsayer to tell them who it was as the car door was opened by the bodyguard and Micheal, Edward&#039;s younger brother stepped out with that ever proud smile on his face.<br /> His wife, Joanna, was dressed to kill! Today was basically all about their grandfather, but she dressed like she was walking down the runway.<br /> Edward couldn&#039;t help to control his smile when he saw the annoyance that ran across his father&#039;s face seeing her. Thankfully, he wasn&#039;t the only one who didn&#039;t like the b.it.ch.<br /> The reporters were on cue to start taking pictures of them, until the next car to slide in revealed Diego, the second grandson of the Russo Family, Giovanni&#039;s cousin.<br /> &quot;Grandpa.&quot; The bubbly one he was, as he wasted no time to run into the embrace of his grandfather, who was all smiles. No matter how bad everyone&#039;s dislike his mother, Diego was different and apparently the smile keeper of the family. Grandpa loves him.<br /> &quot;Congratulation father, on your new hospital.&quot; Micheal said, moving forward to pay his respect to the old one.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s not my hospital, Micheal. It belongs to the public.&quot; Christian Russo, replied back as a slight annoyance ran across his face when Joanna&#039;s voice was the next to be heard.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, father. You didn&#039;t tell us you were back from the states?&quot;Joanna asked as her eyes scanned across the room in the hope of finding the favorite daughter in-law, Amrita.<br /> &quot;Maybe if you had kept in touch just like Amrita did, you would know my schedules, Judith.&quot;Christian Russo spoke harshly to her, but no one could interrupt him nor challenge him because they knew better not to do that.<br /> Joanna tried to speak up to correct the old man who didn&#039;t know her name, even after twenty years of marriage to his son. But she was held back by Micheal, who grabbed her hand as a sign to shut her up.<br /> He clearly was showing signs of Alzheimer, but no! This was no sickness or whatsoever.She knew that he was doing this in spite to remind her everyday, that she was nothing but a secretary that had seduced her boss, got pregnant and earned her space in the family register.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t see Edward and family, perhaps don&#039;t tell me they might have forgotten about your special day, father?&quot; Micheal teased, a wave of happiness running through him until it disappeared when he heard his brother&#039;s voice at his back.<br /> &quot;Finally, you all are here.&quot; Edward said with a smile, as he watched his brother grit his teeth seeing him and Amrita, until he noticed the absence of Giovanni.<br /> &quot;Since you all are here….&quot; Grandfather tried speaking, until he looked beyond Amrita&#039;s back to see that someone was missing.<br /> &quot;Someone is about to be insulted.&quot; Joanna&#039;s said lowly with a chuckle, but she&#039;s sure that Amrita heard her quite alright seeing how pale she was at hearing Grandpa paused during his words.<br /> He turned instantly to look at Edward and Amrita, disappointment clearly written on his face that his favourite grandson was not here, yet and there&#039;s a big sign that he wouldn&#039;t be.<br /> &quot;The event is about to start.&quot; Micheal reminded everyone, a satisfied grin plastered on his face.<br /> &quot;Father, I can explain.&quot;Edward moved forward, but the look he gave him made him shut up instantly as he bent his head down in shame.<br /> Grandfather looked away from him and Amrita, towards Micheal and his family.&quot; Let&#039;s go in.&quot; While Edward had to leave with anger emitting off him, with Amrita going after him before he does something he would regret.<br /> The question on everyone&#039;s lips, where is Giovanni?<br /> Chapter Four: Narcissist Prince Charming Named Giovanni.<br /> While his parents were taking the insults of their lives at the charity event center, Giovanni Russo was asleep in his room, in between the arms of the girl he had brought home last night.<br /> He sat up with a groan, and pushed the girl away from him when he saw how clingy she was to him. This was what he hated, the ridiculous aftercare after getting what they both wanted.<br /> He&#039;s not a fool, Giovanni knew what women see at just one glimpse at him. A money bank, so instead of falling victim a second time, after surviving the first heartbreak from the woman he loved. He had given up on the quest to find love.<br /> His ex,Angela did him good and that changed everything about him. So instead of being the one who ends up getting hurt by the opposite gender, he would rather the girls fight for his attention which no woman on earth would be lucky enough to get once again.<br /> Giovanni Russo, aged twenty four years. The first grandson and heir to the great Christian Russo. A notorious playboy, who would rather spend all his money drinking and changing his girls like clothes, than to take up his responsibility as his father did.<br /> He&#039;s arrogant, a total jerk who makes everyone around him see reasons why he&#039;s such a loner. But anyway, that&#039;s how he wanted his life to be, the only thing he loved was his parents and his money.<br /> Giovanni touched his temple, a groan leaving his lips at the headache that was forming early this morning, while he scanned his eyes around his room insearch of his assistant, Leo, but the motherfxxker was nowhere to be found.<br /> He tried to sit up, but then warm pairs of hands wrapped around his waist, before he felt the body hug him from behind made him remember that he still has someone here with him.<br /> &quot;Good morning, my love. How was your night?&quot; The girl asked, and Goivanni being the douchebag he was, moved away when the stench from her early morning breathe hit his nostrils.<br /> &quot;Your morning breathe didn&#039;t make me have a good night rest. Get out!&quot; He said coldly, looking around his room for his phone. He needed to call Leo.<br /> The horrified expression on the girl&#039;s face didn&#039;t bother him, she should have known her place to talk to him like this wasn&#039;t just a one night thing.<br /> When he turned around to see that she&#039;s still in the bed, holding the bed sheets up to her chest. He became angry.&quot; Hey, didn&#039;t you hear me, I said get out. We both had a great night, and this was supposed to be a one night thing. So what else are you still waiting for?&quot; He asked, a prideful smirk on his lips.<br /> &quot;I..&quot; The young woman tried to talk, but she was dumbfounded by the cold and aloof attitude coming from him. It was like she didn&#039;t expect that from him, but that&#039;s her hurting herself to say that, everyone knew Giovanni Russo.<br /> The biggest playboy in the city, so she was rather sad that she wasn&#039;t the lucky one to tell her friends that she had his attention.<br /> A bundle of cash was thrown on the bed, and she looked up to him.&quot; That would be enough for your transport, get new clothes and the remaining may keep you from whoring your ass out for the whole week.&quot; He said, a sarcastic laugh leaving his tone.<br /> &quot;Hey! That&#039;s rude of you to call me a whore, who do you think you are?!&quot; The girl yelled, her dignity has been insulted, and in as much as she was here because of him. She wouldn&#039;t allow him to question why she choose to live this way.<br /> How dare him question her life?<br /> Unlike him who had everything, the rich parents, a good life and whatnot. He shouldn&#039;t be an asshole to laugh at her face about her bad life.<br /> &quot;Aww, the b.it.ch had got some fire in her.&quot; He scoffed, before he added,&quot; Now, you would learn to seal your lips, and know when to talk and who to talk to or not. I have low patience for ungrateful girls like you, now get out!&quot; He shouted, this time around with every seriousness that had the girl scurried away for her life, but not without taking the money with her.<br /> He sighed tiredly, as he walked towards his drawer and took an aspirin drowning it down with his drink. Before the front door to his room was swung open and an impatient and worried Leo walked in.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s got your panties in a twists, Leo. If this is about work,I am not leaving. I&#039;m just back from the states, you can&#039;t listen to every single order from my parents.&quot; He said, turning to leave for the bathroom.<br /> &quot;Sir, you didn&#039;t remember what today is?&quot; Leo asked him, gulping a lump down his throat when he looked at the wall clock in his room to see how late they were.<br /> His grandfather is going to kill him!<br /> &quot;What do you mean…&quot; Giovanni&#039;s words was cut short, by the ringing of his phone behind the couch and he rushed up to see his father calling.<br /> What does he wants?<br /> He thought, but the worst mistake he did was by not asking Leo what was happening, by what he meant about what special thing was happening today, before he accepted the call.<br /> &quot;Dad…&quot;<br /> &quot;GIOVANNI AMIR RUSSO! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!!&quot;Edward shouted over the phone, that made him move the phone away from his ears until he caught on to something.<br /> The music playing behind the background, and his grandfather&#039;s voice shouting at his mother. His eyes widened in shock and he cut the call before turning to throw the phone at Leo, who was swift enough to catch it because he always does that.<br /> &quot;Why didn&#039;t you tell me that today was that old man&#039;s day, you fool!&quot; He cussed, before he ran into the bathroom.<br /> Leo said nothing while he took his time to shower, dress up and leave the house with him following behind him, as they drove down to the event arena.<br /> He was used to his ways, Giovanni was never serious with his life and everyone knew that, everyone including his grandfather, who would probably skin him alive today. He&#039;s sure of it.<br /> ------------------------------------------------------<br /> Install our App and search 🔥&lt;The Billionaire&#039;s Beautiful Mistake&gt;🔥 to read more exciting chapters		Book Lovers Hub		19963	https://facebook.com/100083240766650	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69435	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:51 PM	1703760176	1743036709		67		335251459252052	2	7.2171919612122E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632011900115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796595	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404636407_198423493309949_996108326750321544_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Yv09ozOBHQoAX_m0FRQ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNGDibdTJyqRHeeHhELlHYyEJrEvZ1sZEXlPcpwQH3dw&oe=6591959E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404625886_366046225952523_7233046316216855553_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tTO8oG4tpnsAX-h4u5V&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJD_s4C00T4AIbdvy683EZp7GfuqveSfaS9bpWcJ_tdw&oe=6591AA4C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69539	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760176	1743036720		67		907037144485587	1	1.4897908418775E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201208029740403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724771	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403685220_1479067862654336_7207391642747583253_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=H85ynPjUHiQAX92x9ub&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCe8XHxbYEwg1ymsTPI-UEHtec4jSnmk59NDt_YiePN3A&oe=65916838	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403615370_1051174795922585_2561971157327719483_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pyz9xvytJqEAX-w35rT&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAo7v69BoDT9KGxPz6zD1rKRvddOXET7tC6TtF1NY16Og&oe=6592C399			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69589	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760176	1743036726		67		303290659276073		3.3582069914797E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1766516823604324		0	Penguin M.D.			120201779071030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678105	1.7665168236043E+15	Penguin M.D.	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404281049_663826785738975_691301604766854849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TR3naDLlUd8AX9ELT_A&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfBLSQtbpriQR4lCUSZEyVpOSnruCKh5wfklzT_ekCgQiw&oe=6592E151	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Penguin M.D.		2209	https://facebook.com/PenguinMD	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69769	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054166		67		2110861875972784		1.4784743894358E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721418430167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679704	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404571232_367729272457304_8979649860983857110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KVAQO10cB04AX-zLRHU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXSYBk01e-Yc_vflACW3hdUzb9ShL24EI9zHNvTkyPtQ&oe=6592A273	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66977	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054166		67		237434669374158		3.0852168150236E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120766401101493		0	BioBursts			120202829668070756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213146	1.2076640110149E+14	BioBursts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412981536_1728993500913614_6399144092044383556_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tnC3Vv41lU8AX-YVMx6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCyB_Meaz-IBWDBcexG6zzyN4s5zjShdBLNAU9fWv8ABg&oe=65918D7E	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		BioBursts		5440	https://facebook.com/100095312214573	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67240	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 7:51 AM	1703760161	1745844706		67		2074049489618005		2.9387042645447E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120202951487020043		en.lastnighton.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.lastnighton.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-es-lno&src=facebook		1702963132	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412221627_739211344748007_7491053614213984216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WwRixcoK2eEAX_5Whnc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZx2IIq625OK1M_vTlr8N-_BpqpEWP5pn4DM6FZmZzCA&oe=6592EBD4	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702972800		View Edit Delete
69453	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/22/25, 6:50 PM	1703760176	1747957817		67		905876244257747	1	8.3235467198167E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632011080115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796595	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404356969_367449655843266_7527399850069224682_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5ZDxorhGKmoAX9K8ENb&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCdH2fQgDItXlf0Ut4x9aELuyhoiLHc00uWq1lEajpXXQ&oe=65915288	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404330053_3215866082050662_4837917576198418091_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m-PCeu1EHFIAX_KzP94&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJEOZHp1ybEOKSTvIxaDerG50XHjF5cJR92YOhkmv1XQ&oe=6591E1BC			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69637	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760177	1743036742		67		320159540777140	5	6.7252928135758E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779124310250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678212	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625066_3576316099290479_3496808059134504848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hLWqezY30eQAX-_NHV5&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfAqx2IcCe2Tkcc3VKv1CVXHpcLm6T9Wc7bMA0qvmukwFw&oe=6591C72F	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69713	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760177	1743036748		67		846443700599036	5	1.0911569485488E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201778980400250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677939	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402960811_3582056052051476_2480871273265367808_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xVoThCfqRkQAX-WymEp&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCMnBdkDK_V3xljqYKMmdvremQZL1zrL-_p7enkkv5lcQ&oe=65928CB3	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68709	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/18/25, 7:52 PM	1703760171	1750294327		67		707120411109368	1	3.1302240832029E+14		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	127142853819695		0	Namegift Shop 274			120201049444570037		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls33		1701402799	1.271428538197E+14	Namegift Shop 274	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/392954184_344807524840040_1530862720817700610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J0CQW050F3oAX9jlE-Z&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAZXfTnxWPJ_yIC4tA1wRveV_4dSHnC1126coai4NBa_g&oe=65929A75	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls33&amp;h=AT0Zn3VV6k8cJ4XEbH9mAdWjkRwavZQfFMZ_0_1fOy--eUATpLbCHL5gitoaTdEk2SrRfcwUW-mWblwMrSaHwgI_LBUO8_qdTyNtcQaVaxb6iGJuchslldbmEUoqzKs6c32rwQ3XKnVCoD8QoKFPNeBNKxWF2ybsHbygFA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls33</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT29C6a9r9MKEns630L4Op8AhxCkkdnnckpm8rledoASOIlbiy9ZjOc1ffFqBjHVffQoQDimIKDF7M-UqVBV1Ndsi1bslSPn6MGYL8XqQPoUcdjfV1E__WsNEBtPthoDlictD3awzzOpMRc1_sE_4bDFXR1xpthFCQLpgA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Namegift Shop 274		0	https://facebook.com/61552076155592	0		SHOP_NOW						1701417600		View Edit Delete
69999	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/18/25, 7:52 PM	1703760179	1750294329		67		6921288197937996	13	2.0194146629062E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158874840403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633012	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403618322_626679672789923_4413532738675820465_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x6i3ChNiVPIAX-C5p-9&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDvzQ5CeNdjX2JOZPM15UfDv14ZcEPFK436GGcJZjW1sw&oe=65917DDC	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403602194_1045529879925944_7420955283781234216_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xgjBg1mvFMgAX_6kllT&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBspsOMviugRRwZTWdgU66ehYPQcc2mmyCGnbB3z8ppcA&oe=6592D39B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68287	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054166		67		1259951471341245	1	6.7899636100628E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672498260427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030361	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408993347_1066913831110782_2515210093400816252_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TbwJ36lMFnMAX_FLxt0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8NbjVvEqUbdiwXufT6RbqgCpWSM4gUfO_hrdjOKd1kw&oe=65921AA7	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409050166_835813501619041_2625001509811192136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5zSI_XeaqawAX-S-Ix0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwEKJcgj-OdjVX1t9MX7-z1B6qWGTRRB23sC2NjjXLww&oe=6593244A			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67036	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/2/25, 8:46 AM	1703760160	1740926762		67		719161900143411		1.5123013262127E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202911882030160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703140706	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411661327_1350677162222980_4820986752084423162_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dlELTannl1cAX9TDopR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDFwNJ_1plMPxiz0wNAalV34DAqBu8fuPg3kPTDvo_E6g&oe=6591E0B4	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66627	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054166		67		1138215084221087	1	8.8737408286796E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204137145740102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1703580530	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412936061_907597723900294_1231713232757761429_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CMWUrikREU8AX9DqCKr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA368h20t9XKO62XoM6xaTXZkuS7dAVbSFhs0gtHiWx1A&oe=6592C7BA	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412931574_1059311571786706_401063948809233645_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oW_L8BZI-JkAX9tBuo0&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDo7ogCTMNvCtWKK9LttPUrnZFkjQuX5fzs4WcbXiH_ug&oe=6592FFA2			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4993	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69890	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/15/24, 5:09 PM	1703760178	1731712159		67		334460402528607	5	3.0774430217007E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158885080403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633017	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404290093_247144088116723_76580646739366461_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=I672roFaPmwAX8u5E3B&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBm1KGRnoxN7HSy3m4__gEV0z_T9XRUaQttHDXUXUHBLA&oe=6592FCD2	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404648914_1454823732080557_4941030213046407751_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IF7no1Ie2hAAX_W4gaY&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfASp_7p5fKOq0zmnvEG6h00iYSgf7dq4IoslSOSXX0yLw&oe=659170C9			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69840	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760178	1743036753		67		3711081359213692	5	6.7252928135758E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779124310250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678212	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625066_3576316099290479_3496808059134504848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hLWqezY30eQAX_3VBa8&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBM6l6t-cJR3cPuHnZ52cLYIbka9pzuczEQh6jRI3sdfA&oe=6591C72F	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69957	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760178	1743036764		67		1119387009467068	3	2.4809024668697E+16		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579093610115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632902	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404593710_256428767431223_988188365907915929_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZQUC5-_6mMgAX-ciglE&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCC_7KrbMei0yhycz7h7dFwPlBdfL2X9xqiH24_U_x0qg&oe=65925633	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404562051_627245592718607_588792057068544724_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UN2j8COW0QMAX-DMs6b&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA0h21j8La7hKqiLuPwFrnskugyMthRBE7PQDD3iLi8qw&oe=659248B4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70060	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:53 PM	1703760179	1743036781		67		3508019682782862	1	3.6703256598499E+15		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112125680243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554395	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403622154_884893806513164_7734920069309530262_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_r5WiNcY1cAAX8AueV0&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCbChCD8xiX15swxJSjF43nN2TSH4jix3rxgKxl4c3_Vg&oe=6592B893	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402865014_1035703060867947_1547963710593827022_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZECeSPCOraAAX-eKwuO&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDG7GNfjReX5rfZgto3tYpd7vEJHoxabyb5mqIg0D-2kg&oe=65918446			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69696	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 8:34 AM	1703760177	1745847256		67		717675853261240	5	3.5632109572798E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721409990167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679679	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478545_996064758122985_9149296117747152661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hUUWkjfAGPIAX9AKER3&_nc_oc=AQm9kXJqP08iYl9KaGFKJ-Wai2UqqEw9_z0ZEUbDPs7s_UTcoEUozT8riRFhg0QGLTU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAaBU3lG7tdAIKxYG10gu5kC58dXjApAaZFX_UGds9kag&oe=6591F4E3	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68150	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/16/25, 11:52 AM	1703760167	1750092773		67		392104786580979	1	8.7687747412059E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498173650278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287785	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409684058_1091612025332014_706394137633398903_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wZUTWY6gHAIAX_dpXYn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCFxErn6YjOabCHf7_m2A3A-LZWX-J20yTjaOxYBqhkpA&oe=65919E0C	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409629413_895349561858997_3995932322286752875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0e4URHGT9ywAX-DpQ3I&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfArf9l3oR5nqLbefj7keE6RU94i1lhwxSZnWNlkpgfNuQ&oe=65924840			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
70104	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/16/25, 11:53 AM	1703760179	1750092790		67		257521630310532	1	1.0675707109197E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201626339250439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700552130	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404227982_7492889694078884_9083641103596658652_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pyEFtT8FqDUAX_sOUlO&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCYG5wKVS4B2xZVt5qpQbZLzpity7H1vII9m9aLSxIghw&oe=6591A406	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404476501_891384899311504_5742248080146456222_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4boD8dgGi6YAX_KCHm6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD_CCRxQ_yf-saBOjm_NK-OwE2a9O52EBB5Gp8_DtUiCg&oe=6592D949			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69525	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054166		67		662070472745710	2	8.813229635929E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207906930403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724563	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404677746_760192555920811_5393937298751720542_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZMlo_aQep5UAX_Jovcz&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAX1PDQL0K8-n7-C0x2w4FcphUI9Y8C1ySh-Chcc_gcNQ&oe=65925766	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404800086_724246329129268_7102059621555474641_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x7W3hvIge_MAX8g-daC&_nc_oc=AQlBKkRVxf5J3LwcHLGo1bgSF1_kNh8Nq6ukiTTcvS9jH9gsV9yW-Yu2P2L2-AhDNlSxY6u8wHkxlT7REUy_K6zc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB2IBbY_y3rpgRydDtLb-37u52TZYWkvloArCqLfXKQFA&oe=659202B1			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67891	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:08 AM	1703760165	1749553718		67		738245350991978	1	2.4012363896203E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	100602492862162		0	History Nation			120207797431150456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702461802	1.0060249286216E+14	History Nation	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409784870_1595436554606872_6472740468675180119_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=edkUXGbfocgAX-fagbz&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAK0oYnbOy9KgeOTYDu10TBiC6au-HFzRwo8JTVDNqOpQ&oe=6592E678	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		History Nation		3643	https://facebook.com/100087250000253	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67916	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:08 AM	1703760165	1749553737		67		1029293008321981	1	3.7503351503685E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411471210044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458309	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409724826_904287781343709_931961613370822200_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QEa27ZOH2LUAX-pwDWG&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAvZvMj1Lr08fN2TQ5QsrMS4rh4nyxEuJDbHiM0TzCxAQ&oe=6592A92C	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409809202_331708823128148_8656749818251562783_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oI3k-3fffVoAX_nrwDE&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAYjxi9Qx-5ROZCmVDcd8Y2KA-VQljqd6B18cBFSts5Vw&oe=6592018A			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67997	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:09 AM	1703760166	1749553753		67		808870464341279	3	1.040888780364E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120203363476210682		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702450949	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409971421_922449786104125_8849589439186722054_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0A6VZlJ3E2gAX_Y2Y-F&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCN6jiaDKU3wNKr8wW4fTaSntlYdOr4rYA0nQixsukhhw&oe=65925237	person_profile	0					0	3	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68028	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:09 AM	1703760166	1749553760		67		239692115666773	7	6.7743684786976E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120207708897010456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702391608	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409801353_344340434901221_6620016929978417984_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=peDDQKDYEaQAX8Kw6g3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAHppsOsmIhMeM_TAA7RIYtwHFYU-_Qq75oPnzp_i1FBg&oe=65915F9D	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68098	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:09 AM	1703760166	1749553785		67		878654043884160	1	8.5782750603726E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205057956230427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702371205	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409651552_343304404982125_836136154089493767_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-EGZe70RJn0AX_xZpEe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCv-rAvZ6_TEGU5ovsgsM9VoGn8RhuejzQAHDWjrrzQmA&oe=65931DFC	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409646228_1061944621783000_4117247807825124469_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sGnhwaBl9z8AX9NmpRC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA1M2Omozmbxlc0zDZHhfEFkBI7txWS0iw37aCHfaO0Vw&oe=659328A9			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68193	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:09 AM	1703760167	1749553792		67		317907591153941	6	3.7523690827598E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259662750476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180802	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409139734_2909870842477186_8119368352455008717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a9VTpF-QGbMAX9v64Ne&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDYTSzQyf27mN3Hj-vULZRMS0M2mjsJNdRABiQo3sjFTw&oe=6592E9D2	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408461372_912586193099453_2203252972141367140_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pnSXKRMHqpEAX_91GdX&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBZL3AWEydV9xBIegdU3jISA7fiOGL9Ioo81yxSrL0c4Q&oe=6591F02C			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68194	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:09 AM	1703760167	1749553798		67		320081430911436	1	9.2324909598972E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259863160476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702181168	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409544973_270129996061298_688242236727104752_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=r4dr6wBiMfUAX_XomKY&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCetPevcKcMAhr6Qom3_J2BFacsZbgUT3f914o5ZXC5Fw&oe=65925992	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409809200_292769093208466_6355420740923341698_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZgNVf6CGA98AX-tZa-N&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCVAFCbeLffoM4Wu2g1f4uhc3B5ymsrtAfPKyyMoYd9fQ&oe=6592A129			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68195	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:10 AM	1703760167	1749553806		67		653427650050430	1	3.7965838118281E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259859950476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180974	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408850396_3760930270796940_3407124366562784103_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tH5Jw1uqhQgAX_tIo6I&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDlgcptRbvyqbV-zExPkkz-3D4vMjnx8Dm349WU9qg71w&oe=6591F1FE	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408762918_556843186652384_8318192666594256357_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XYxxwt94m4QAX8-dZOH&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDaezuWIPbleXT_sfaExkIpj4GY--9zHpdENl_kUW8-0w&oe=65921721			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68228	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:10 AM	1703760168	1749553818		67		342792911720914	1	1.0242105922125E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155246200476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094495	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408690227_1407088023522195_2037426778755113070_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xOLVQYNy288AX94hhdh&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfArZ2j6OHsJgW7QjZDC41XmPprTK8OVKEPySqzOm7jr3w&oe=65926571	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408709613_289366596891661_5526806642945675311_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VNFcCou65okAX-remi-&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCTG_xhueeVR4ZGs3ovxlI8RjVwyKbbT4oQxaeaJ_TDHQ&oe=659168B8			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68434	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:10 AM	1703760169	1749553845		67		233377996441239	1	3.845134340122E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109302508635828		0	Yepes entertainment			120201668858830549		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	You know how sometimes a cartoon perfectly captures a complicated feeling? That's exactly what these talented female comic artists do. We found them all on Instagram, and they immediately made us hit the Follow Button. Take the Illustrator of Curves, who celebrates the diversity of women's bodies, J...	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1701888143	1.0930250863583E+14	Yepes entertainment	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408987240_1957663487953116_504935411977021565_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OwzNAi6AEnQAX9HrRtG&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAF1z9H0BTtdPyCXiwY0zJ7eKah7SbeAvyaKo4KADkBbg&oe=65922C5F	person_profile	0	Yepes entertainment	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408905589_375657098237295_1339448127728691339_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zk2DwVM3PRAAX8zS-pC&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBSMbiPx13K17QrLFilrQLtKdPWY_skHRpefwZ0smmPLg&oe=6591E489			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		Yepes entertainment		42	https://facebook.com/100086995244156	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68775	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:11 AM	1703760172	1749553876		67		4376308229176529		8.188272099976E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120201748383690520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701332812	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405390833_888997342434563_8246198101575598990_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RKuJxitvCsQAX_L7pAP&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHFYBSqlqP2ToWDKW2t0zx5XzcWmjfJCaD3hHeXkXfLQ&oe=6592F6C4	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68883	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:11 AM	1703760172	1749553882		67		320294867440646	1	3.2995894978423E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201748980530115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701227801	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406084265_1784993265275658_3230747605053430679_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E2IsSAUjD9wAX-Df_hX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCsiExTVxpDglUu7UJjb7pcP4pBXPHVM2Bee7-mD06j8A&oe=6592C8B6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406078262_647653717291263_1852620199478842436_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LoOIKiURZyMAX8Ht31_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfApu4idSgJ6gwRy-0Ibm1257Ri0tEbMtD3XksZjY7PofQ&oe=6592D1C9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69494	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:11 AM	1703760176	1749553895		67		719009593434292		1.297378697477E+15		1701590400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495714867956		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video	40-50% OFF | Cyber Monday Courses & Certificates	Start your New Year off with Wisdom.	https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700485661	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404251549_255243274214151_1221995075631680717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WH1Fh_ESmjcAX98eVkW&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCa6BY3C8gAePM-NhuQoHvBWQ2iz4KQAK7WcIrvIfiQ2A&oe=6591D644	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402885485_879294740226766_4330294722598361797_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GLtkFL8LZ_8AX9vvdhJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfAkWiXZDm9RDt300Ujzcrb1SkszX7Acgw6J8oVXRKMs7A&oe=659145BA			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69844	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:12 AM	1703760178	1749553929		67		6103547936415559	5	8.5894191571687E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201778904010250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677851	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404641104_695922715605664_4661830556968240599_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z4uoTqIzfScAX8n9RsV&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBK9p2hu1A3zQpRmRVpM5TKvqWe359rPjAl1SCm8YuTuA&oe=65927F5E	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69781	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 1:30 PM	1703760177	1745865025		67		1329286721123779	5	2.8800859695267E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1702152333364539		0	Two Red Dots			120201778908950250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677875	1.7021523333645E+15	Two Red Dots	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403732874_200696603079248_6327002370576212959_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ou5DMPpbe8YAX-lWXjj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCg51QzJss_SVO1bT21q9lr4hZqcS3OXCOH3dR6e4mtoA&oe=6592BBB4	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Two Red Dots		28479	https://facebook.com/tworeddots	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68201	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/18/25, 8:48 PM	1703760167	1750297680		67		907924754032954	6	1.7169165788042E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259663350476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702180802	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408791251_2736200059888815_5772178508764361801_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jvGuNzaaw98AX-0o4nd&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDWjjbWnoYc5pI2YcTXe9-lsbgHrRJVN-rnsMswO65x4w&oe=65916D98	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408757896_650677013887662_3320666601842193438_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zOv5oSE4haQAX9kjh_A&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBXqfbNkb7bJEtsodC0RKTe-iKe42ApN27H8mbEr1I9Sw&oe=659243EE			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68203	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 10:04 AM	1703760168	1749567900		67		913153200483355	1	3.7674559146553E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259963900476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702181046	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406474548_1410485276487738_4771349297374507770_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=co4VekoWaWsAX-xifws&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD734d6aemhbPzCifbghOMdXBuEZxNVXdU3HdWmpFwM1A&oe=65916833	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409486133_138526336021763_6265351276910870611_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Dh3WzzW2u4UAX9dpsBE&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBsyxxTJTAUQG9gvrWidYVl1EbLigQ_baWS9aKj7BWk3A&oe=6591F099			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
69619	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 11:37 AM	1703760176	1749573452		67		284717073988825	5	1.442981893229E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201779378060250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678825	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478384_307379925475582_6668460916514100970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=p_2ZDPSghJYAX_v7dBW&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCVipFNfaZetIMZnEdHGYmNacJhWjQs-wJ3EoPxRKUlgw&oe=65928475	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69538	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/26/24, 7:13 PM	1703760176	1729988020		67		904314087970329	20	6.6684229876572E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207900290403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724606	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402664038_1818663458651461_2743137844661730097_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7aoH2o6_R8AAX-JR9Lg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqJ8b2TA84HEATdB8yBapO8X0gmwNGhL89N8MteZosbg&oe=6591F0DB	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405048641_1526956954708063_1021064771660116055_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=StvUhmEaQjMAX8nPik3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrRZuG1T_e6i4BnTvuY5sPrmX8UsypbzMdIN_PTjlVfQ&oe=659195D0			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67631	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054166		67		1778094352603338	2	1.5846127886106E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205063091010729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702609650	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409821473_840350071158004_1551829916522602642_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qVl27kT8gmoAX8gpiGY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMGPr41U6_C2TysQXxiHgIB17tdHbd-_EXF-OR96ONGA&oe=65925F6A	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410234838_272986275761345_569294375988697448_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ICv2j3XzdfwAX_FPaY_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBUprv1Ze-ll37RIGJzGLJPWHi95FMalJQX7TcS-T3hCg&oe=65925D12			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68603	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054166		67		269712752392223		7.1898332648333E+14		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103687719211673		0	Science A2Z Español			120202285435340275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666879	1.0368771921167E+14	Science A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407940430_255913694162906_6265611789054065351_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vl_XRDfraKUAX84-D3W&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCeGU61yP7TclQpYL1Jue084wcXiuMERPZHgJ5sekIOnQ&oe=6592A2C1	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Science A2Z Español		349	https://facebook.com/sciencea2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
69354	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/24/25, 1:27 AM	1703760175	1748068038		67		1662454970944301	1	3.0435114917402E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343773370404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843457	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405846852_377543704619178_4494805303930466934_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ELfXIKdHkaEAX_u5Aox&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCi45vbxbrRtpEs8XLIL2i1wgmv3yrwSxXTjOdbJ1vc4w&oe=65921520	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405800491_1074608413727060_6753048311436409770_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-Lk7hpqMbFkAX_3Adlb&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCrTTamOuRdxc_pqwiiyG4DBJoa0bDQ1-rqAbWCNBTvBg&oe=65923A1E			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66394	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/24/25, 3:16 AM	1703760157	1748074586		67		724689752591408	1	2.1041450203970E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1557901304441461		0	Joanna Buchanan			6537950188148		joannabuchanan.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.joannabuchanan.com/collections/holiday-tabletop		1702493591	1.5579013044415E+15	Joanna Buchanan	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409720308_385351977163901_1630728005167430099_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1GrtM8RAkpUAX-PmhyG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBuSrqpfaVVTtXh6SFTHVz2K62zWf_F_CjBmxks0LL3oA&oe=659265D9	person_profile	0	JOANNA BUCHANAN Home Décor	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409213752_746379454002126_4794074198350611392_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6JeWNieDJdEAX8vrPQM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfABNWZ6E7k4qTxDQh2Bkmp0W6cf8Q67RAhZA0CPAuVwOg&oe=65914650			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Buchanan		1848	https://facebook.com/joannabuchananofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68908	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 5:34 PM	1703760173	1749594848		67		305775495662544		1.9964064007525E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6509688940110		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701210917	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406050295_676858894519538_453783327696232233_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6knR5vttHpoAX_s4PcU&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB4p-ROeH-XeaojKP9g39Z1ckgn_BDrS1jDlAxOF-1cHA&oe=65923A83	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406055507_318499130992580_2007335020283321283_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Re3ayw3XlZ8AX9sM_Ma&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD_ke9xH0QUr_rJlQ86skUZ-1BsWA93e0Y4ISu3ViGLXw&oe=65919939			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68260	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:33 PM	1703760168	1749598397		67		1395200974743268	1	1.5245329616553E+15		1702022400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	149765571556495		0	house_of_beauty_academy			120203728424590325		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/house_of_beauty_academy		1702045209	1.497655715565E+14	house_of_beauty_academy	https://scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/407253582_213374505138272_8943339776713872858_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=1tI6twUCWkcAX-99Soo&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCorVR_2fBVjLKMR2cDH0ObffF76EAMaIanfdasvUITxQ&oe=65933A8A	ig_ads_identity	1	𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝐴𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑦 by Magdalena Bagińska	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409029431_373775375065227_1270218034992568881_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d4w_ePAgUCwAX_Ut8Bc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDLyAme25EQRgLePCmB1qusGhaCEr5edX-tQaGq028KNQ&oe=6591686F			0	3	Działasz w branży Beauty?<br /> <br /> House Of Beauty Academy zaprasza do współpracy na całym kontynencie Europejskim. <br /> <br /> Jesteśmy dynamiczną marką z branży beauty, specjalizującą się w szkoleniach z makijażu permanentnego/trwałego (PMU), stylizacji rzęs, oraz paznokci i nie tylko...<br /> Obecnie poszukujemy pasjonatów i profesjonalistów związanych z tym segmentem, którzy chcieliby dołączyć do naszej rosnącej rodziny House of Beauty Academy. <br /> <br /> ➡️ Co oferujemy:<br /> - Możliwość współpracy z renomowaną Akademią Szkoleniową (niebawem również i Kliniką) <br /> - Ekspansję na różne rynki w Europie <br /> - Doskonałe warunki do rozwoju zawodowego i biznesowego<br /> <br /> ❓Kogo szukamy:<br /> - Przedsiębiorców indywidualnych oraz salony beauty w Polsce jak i za granicą <br /> - Instruktorów/Szkoleniowców zamieszkałych w Polsce / za granicą <br /> - Specjalistów w dziedzinie PMU<br /> - Stylistki rzęs <br /> - Ekspertów w dziedzinie stylizacji paznokci<br /> <br /> ✅ Dlaczego warto do nas dołączyć:<br /> - Dynamiczny rozwój w firmie <br /> - Innowacyjne podejście do szkoleń<br /> - Profesjonalny zespół i atmosfera współpracy<br /> - Możliwość współkształtowania naszej Akademii w Polsce oraz w Europie<br /> <br /> Jesteśmy już w Hiszpanii 🇪🇸 oraz w Niemczech 🇩🇪 <br /> <br /> Jeśli jesteś pasjonatem beauty i chcesz być częścią naszego sukcesu, skontaktuj się z nami już dziś!<br /> <br /> Szczegóły współpracy / kontakt<br /> <br /> 📨 kontakt.houseofbeautyacademy&#064;gmail.com<br /> PL 📞 Joanna +48 787 321 910 wyślij SMS o treści &quot;współpraca&quot;		house_of_beauty_academy		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/house_of_beauty_academy	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
69693	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/8/25, 3:13 AM	1703760177	1746691999		67		676309784605164	5	6.4373481125526E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721249030167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679265	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402946191_307574395500084_5630667761958460280_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CAwUWy1e1YAX9E7DCS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZ9jvLiTSOMupnZtHjyGJMaXtP0BZyzZNtRS8B6dpWSw&oe=65914E8C	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67716	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/24/25, 9:55 AM	1703760164	1748098551		67		1517687715720110	1	5.935902262299E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120202077486590218		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/03ncalhtwf43osqtpog3bjmg?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702539989	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411092597_1372010056740039_4945149632688512133_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9_Q-KlAz9AkAX-xhcse&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBooXScDjDSF9BFqOklRPhN0_IKh_96uC2_rKfce1jsLw&oe=65931527	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409833970_1530359994452863_8494726472649991739_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3Xt27nYUljUAX_A68jR&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsx0r6H6hN_oqvTreQazdcdZEBz6Xt9FPDqO9AbTdSUw&oe=65929669			0	3	❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67922	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054166		67		694720479116848	1	1.9070232411761E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411463210044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458252	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409913789_842599084322606_3688115559935730520_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VlspzGutQjcAX_Ri1NF&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAggnllLMVkzZ_i13iTM37CIZDN6OFkFLW5NDJa44-bjQ&oe=65918C66	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408189809_1951479011904197_2452629218915768285_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P6u73bdpg8wAX8R9SoN&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfA90WsPlz_-fauCsyQEF63CcduzZVB7Mjndz_ip9-UAGA&oe=659306C8			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66411	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760157	1725054166		67		1371593897064941	1	7.1853890306777E+14		1698735600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			120201696275260563		https://joannagrabska.pl	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://jestemkochanka.pl/funnel/5u-zakup-2/5u/?op3_vid=45158		1698602197	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/397324541_363118449496143_2669106499506736950_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EwKS7NbshrsAX9ISJct&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB1PSCTD9MkEoRIzAVan-QEUCHJX-YhZT6RN5laiXH-lg&oe=65921134	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1698562800		View Edit Delete
66492	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054166		67		747784463353084	1	2.2830580585583E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868935470268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_F24EAAA73C6FB093A9FE5ADE9C46E20E_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699187	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414252180_269260275832978_8569834791967391274_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=634gAHNC7wAAX-TGaRw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCyNTBWl5kYrhSBGLUbNqJw70DGe18wrdzmK4qlZug0Gw&oe=65925420	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a junior at Colorado University, is a bookstore clerk with a strong disinterest in sports, especially football. She’s determined not to fall for the charm of campus athletes, haunted by a past relationship that left her cautious and independent. But her world tilts on its axis when she meets Knox Maguire, a senior football player grappling with a knee injury and dyslexia, who seeks her help in the bookstore.<br /> <br /> Knox, struggling with the pressures of his final year and the weight of his player reputation, is intent on changing his ways. He’s vowed to abstain from romantic encounters, focusing instead on overcoming his academic struggles. Despite his intentions, he’s captivated by Joanna&#039;s natural allure and her stark contrast to the women he&#039;s accustomed to.<br /> <br /> Their paths cross, leading to tutoring sessions where unspoken attraction and professional boundaries blur. As Joanna and Knox navigate this unexpected connection, they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. Their relationship blossoms, but not without challenges, as they juggle their personal insecurities, Knox&#039;s sports career, and societal expectations.<br /> <br /> Can Joanna and Knox overcome the barriers between them and acknowledge the depth of their feelings? Or will their differences and external pressures force them to keep their love unspoken?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66825	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054166		67		686736486919474	1	1.4725329235916E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	132313486638463		0	Health Reverb			6521582479912		welovecatsch.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaine's Announce 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Give-away!		https://welovecatsch.com/		1703345720	1.3231348663846E+14	Health Reverb	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413961355_598773325723875_8063516081515393860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dK2PxxPrtAEAX_Zqcv6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCpbO6-J1_9nqtfmfcAKKfmP-1kxoZX4VIFeWi6eLR2Lw&oe=65922587	person_profile	0	Health Reverb	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413895607_1051419032763909_876247240240438734_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OSkCUW5X5NIAX-ipzxm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCc8VRAgSpbjXBWn4TwCF0y4ySiKOTg0WEAkQgPOzU1WQ&oe=6592057E			0	3	Cookware set for life! Backed by a Lifetime Warranty. Say goodbye to buying new cookware sets again!		Health Reverb		0	https://facebook.com/61552396736111	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68955	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/19/25, 9:26 AM	1703760173	1745072785		67		900596051063612	1	2.9768649724556E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300647630596		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151443	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405967955_1034167334527402_40810657422705532_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8iiXmYuTuQEAX-ALJq1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBOe-fJEG5OMz5jOs-OPUwYo7Ld5SCLuTdDaIybWiVL9w&oe=65926498	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405907516_1049773386443684_893299541312785232_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vdyA6olPf5QAX-YpC0S&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA_tbLd_kePL03lvpoX0y3EZKScNtLdMpei7-1M3GKLUw&oe=65922E1D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
68545	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054166		67		1062107111462136	1	3.7386695508747E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104893872451761		0	Sierra College Information Technology			120202249277910296		getskillstoday.com	Learn more		NONE	video	IT Certification	FREE Info Session	https://getskillstoday.com/		1701736545	1.0489387245176E+14	Sierra College Information Technology	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407682442_235797299397474_5229925135778952897_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rHoDJF9JOAYAX-QZvPe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCWwzXbqqvo0aduFO5F-CePfFmWYH1NDVu5KHgX1X5ahw&oe=6591D64A	person_profile	0	Sierra College Information Tec	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407648211_708217427906797_2919265524067672_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Xd1fI4lugIAX_-9w3w&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCO1zj9L0joM5261ocDyhV961f3jFzXqAJnPXUZnNezVg&oe=65928860			0	3	Level up your IT skills at Sierra College! Join our Jan 22nd program for continuing education.		Sierra College Information Technology		21	https://facebook.com/SCITDept	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
66666	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054166		67		343546865100133	1	1.0712725306843E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820614130777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561278	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414170098_334746276033369_4766133938580480471_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X-pNfMEOMPMAX839o9r&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDELiHS3iqAlXJnwb7Gh8az1k8A8zpwBPgXBx1Vh1tYYA&oe=65916188	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414162582_887230682884086_8392400022724311568_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e_0YpiXiapMAX9bRL5p&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDkq23qVwxjUb-VFy_m-YNSx6XktfIH_XbA1QFCnLgvOg&oe=659173EA			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67139	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054166		67		1056284422328863	1	9.0159122783035E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	43095243080		0	Higher Ground			6585507646480		solidsound.frontgatetickets.com	Buy tickets		NONE	image	🎫 Solid Sound Festival, June 28 - 30	Tickets on sale now!	https://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/?aff=ebpredboostfbandigads&td_campaign_id=611035		1703014847	43095243080	Higher Ground	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412714587_205779662587649_642965519958678629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Beyv6EOtbZEAX_bB293&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCkukI4iGZMzlua9dXf6Am4O_JudWM43m5j48mJWuEbrg&oe=659212AB	person_profile	0	Higher Ground • VT Music Venue	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236609_1046256759823512_1769635639596446298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EnSn3EZmu6AAX_apAPQ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBWQTJVbcFPZejwFg0Yikr3_SFI8hCD4rJHQJs-MqiVhw&oe=6591E2BA			0	3	We&#039;re thrilled to announce that your 2024 Solid Sound Festival Lineup is here! ✨<br /> ⁣<br /> Tickets are on sale now for June 28 - 30, 2024 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. <br /> <br /> 🎫<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsolidsoundfestival.com%2F&amp;h=AT3kNNpjBDbjH36mf6mZ3Pzm-6HC05Xd5B7TUfqxGdqEVaJa2D9dc7UhSQoiDb_HMU_TbY9xQoEvA03lIeFXsx1s08JDrMXm1RjImoXgcd2xeI3QEL0jMyxop7dkAWJIWx_6MvET4YGV6j_89lafOS49oNHf9giAd-zTbw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">solidsoundfestival.com</a> <br /> <br /> See you in June!		Higher Ground		82337	https://facebook.com/highergroundmusic	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68492	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054166		67		371547182200085	1	6.1459377404939E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458508030691		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856033	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408772708_314615208083791_1474816648503752834_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SYnrrYapegQAX_ZJXbM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBBgPL1T8JzOqpJ-KYf5WnZAO37x43Cnc563VuIAT-Xxw&oe=6591E78B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408782820_311882395137029_4723598676321056379_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AmAWe1AHcHAAX_CWONz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAKrf46SyYAG5Cey04xLKXCHb6ymWHvNsSE-PS_-E2rKw&oe=6591D77D			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66541	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054166		67		1027995771822044	1	3.2271057575922E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	974916829314236		0	Weddings at Falling Water Gardens			120203193715750114			Call Now		NONE	multi_images					1703673143	9.7491682931424E+14	Weddings at Falling Water Gardens	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414983702_868249388324690_3952619601455612359_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EgAqUNsZYfQAX_QuunQ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBxpSu2aCI-OhCmmueBrT1M6vmkn4Leq_nSg03UJA04uw&oe=6593322C	person_profile	0					0	3	Be prepared for the truly special - our wedding venue is something you and your guests will remember forever! Three options for the ceremony, a network of koi and lily ponds, a lazy garden stream and simply stunning florals for the entire season. <br /> <br /> Set up a tour with us, or visit <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rusticweddingseattle.com%2F&amp;h=AT0w94GjKoCAl-oOpTcyw7zvjtcF18XwpBp6wu6hWjQ84-LG90iPX7dTaL9uc6DL-s03HxuCWS9bS_tK9ghJHKJR9DH5tzr5I4h0lhHcxEOKaym5sAJ8IqKTbjDU07uyaLtTUKDrgJ_ZFN3RKYZMhmH2NUo" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.rusticweddingseattle.com</a> for a virtual walkthrough. We have dates remaining in June 2024!<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> Photos: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/karenyoophoto">Karen Yoo Photo</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joannamongerphotography">Joanna Monger Photography</a>, Savanna Marlee, Patrick Neid<br /> #2025bride #2025weddings #countrywedding #weddingflowers #SeattleWeddings #waweddings #Marriedinwashington #pnwweddings #2025Bridetobe #weddingvenue #seattleweddings #weddinginspiration #2024bridetobe #2024bride #PNWWeddings #WaWeddings		Weddings at Falling Water Gardens		221	https://facebook.com/rusticweddingseattle	0		CALL_NOW						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67144	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054166		67		3737017243290457		1.5236034117624E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	43095243080		0	Higher Ground			6585507646480		solidsound.frontgatetickets.com	Buy tickets		NONE	image	🎫 Solid Sound Festival, June 28 - 30	Tickets on sale now!	https://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/?aff=ebpredboostfbandigads&td_campaign_id=611035		1703014847	43095243080	Higher Ground	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412714587_205779662587649_642965519958678629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Beyv6EOtbZEAX_T6ZHI&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbHx2vCPKjtU_MbSwpraLrg_CdnRyoiD_wAOq9qBRe9Q&oe=659212AB	person_profile	0	Higher Ground • VT Music Venue	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236609_1046256759823512_1769635639596446298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EnSn3EZmu6AAX_BSbLL&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCLG9Mpoas4OxiCCs7DbhQFGqVl2RdL86xyUQDVEBobpA&oe=6591E2BA			0	3	We&#039;re thrilled to announce that your 2024 Solid Sound Festival Lineup is here! ✨<br /> ⁣<br /> Tickets are on sale now for June 28 - 30, 2024 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. <br /> <br /> 🎫<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsolidsoundfestival.com%2F&amp;h=AT2yuISxoofQLEh3zOxCuIQdG_GSJtD-XwZ2p9-h665UF2lSaRCThc9inkT2FJmn2wvWbSG1tZX2mauIydzhaNUMGq2Si0H85QFRHiwxF4Dz-YAZhN7Hz-EsdoROboU1_yTgCZ9SULq4K35N2fCxwPr-tPCm0kAx3iFZlw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">solidsoundfestival.com</a> <br /> <br /> See you in June!		Higher Ground		82337	https://facebook.com/highergroundmusic	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68159	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054166		67		1421335085121784	1	3.6281641975161E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204974910450427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287772	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409634666_1501053610695126_4434119859640342578_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NMoJO-UpzWAAX_9FHCn&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBJsacQx0Cj91Jj4famIbcVoXI0OM82am_leY0q_uEDzA&oe=6591C366	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409567418_728438672145380_6259002441386767851_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=reovjRKlPjEAX-FGoPT&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2RCP30SiioT_urUjWL6dGA9mzA15Zg5AtDHNsKJ1tOQ&oe=65926534			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66500	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054166		67		1046422113264260	1	3.8407423743478E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868933430268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_E92D71D8564FC9C8A6E3192811F45CF9_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699163	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414905405_901696087870471_3403877751953370167_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oKq4gC84zgIAX-GPlmN&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBY7L7xbEdcs1QfXVP1-lX_mj8CCdGLIsldkG7LGBuwFA&oe=6592FAEF	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a junior at Colorado University, is a bookstore clerk with a strong disinterest in sports, especially football. She’s determined not to fall for the charm of campus athletes, haunted by a past relationship that left her cautious and independent. But her world tilts on its axis when she meets Knox Maguire, a senior football player grappling with a knee injury and dyslexia, who seeks her help in the bookstore.<br /> <br /> Knox, struggling with the pressures of his final year and the weight of his player reputation, is intent on changing his ways. He’s vowed to abstain from romantic encounters, focusing instead on overcoming his academic struggles. Despite his intentions, he’s captivated by Joanna&#039;s natural allure and her stark contrast to the women he&#039;s accustomed to.<br /> <br /> Their paths cross, leading to tutoring sessions where unspoken attraction and professional boundaries blur. As Joanna and Knox navigate this unexpected connection, they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. Their relationship blossoms, but not without challenges, as they juggle their personal insecurities, Knox&#039;s sports career, and societal expectations.<br /> <br /> Can Joanna and Knox overcome the barriers between them and acknowledge the depth of their feelings? Or will their differences and external pressures force them to keep their love unspoken?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66823	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054166		67		755135046434671	1	1.1542072259444E+15		1703750400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	129514766909667		0	Code Wizards			6517375252595		healthydosediscoveries.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaine's Announce EPIC Giveaway!		https://healthydosediscoveries.com/		1703347045	1.2951476690967E+14	Code Wizards	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413946343_1410360246573186_8021776869129412230_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=78agGCq7h8EAX-Q-axK&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC9SAbX-n3W9MvyVME7hkHRhxgviHjKNuiVLhwI1UHZCQ&oe=65931E2E	person_profile	0					0	3	Cookware set for life! Backed by a Lifetime Warranty. Say goodbye to buying new cookware sets again!		Code Wizards		26	https://facebook.com/61550891896202	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
67782	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054166		67		6912572542183623		1.3989916943323E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548092809		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494402	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410643705_1067376817791678_2501185669499273666_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Nd7VG0LjVxYAX8uWx9J&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAkarQ04TXGcOSby79o89p1ko9LlD9Lg3TKdwL_MI0TiQ&oe=6591BB49	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410632430_320133100917416_4871677580517810748_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-Y7JLpT5w9IAX8TAGd6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD9PUBxLazA8t4J_lDG3zTN5et3hmDigANNw7sFmP2O7w&oe=65931245			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67058	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054166		67		724907072911977	2	7.0475279486266E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	84398256230		0	Lowe's Home Improvement			120203529790390616		lowes.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.lowes.com/l/online-paint-store.html?cm_mmc=psm-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-fb-_-cm_mmc=psm-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-fb-_-{{campaign.id}}-_-{{ad.id}}-_-0-_-awr-_-lal-_-{adid}-_-0-_-awr-_-lal		1702539066	84398256230	Lowe's Home Improvement	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409983846_742704981049948_6619173501111962694_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XKSTWYtY0rgAX9ePLeX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCQulVjZYq4hCRSvUFw7NdL75dza5DOCCCOKtxVoHniaQ&oe=65917663	person_profile	0	Lowe's Home Improvement	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409970247_868910341546014_1253964532511365289_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UHlBufebUXIAX9S7O0X&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDds5EsCmEXhOSCylTZE7uOUHHP2S4N_katMcEAK4z6vg&oe=659263C9			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Lowe's Home Improvement		4764659	https://facebook.com/lowes	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68408	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054166		67		1054823599164308	1	2.8112290823522E+15		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997276630476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940690	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407633698_863761565384262_7792054030890944185_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DSJShXjm1E8AX98s_PK&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDofQCXdRleU01eTCi2Y445iz-uYKdCG7wAXZGBooRHNg&oe=6591620C	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408023104_263444633403084_2783997300525428385_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Thz9eeHQ_qgAX-kTMpQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB9IdXMvVyOQCJNS3timjavBxEgO7bASPxCwOZqceCmPQ&oe=6591B95F			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66756	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/24/25, 2:17 PM	1703760159	1748114264		67		1593659058042792	1	7.1295475080852E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104238192067446		0	Fox'oclock			120204754368530002		simbaly.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Wedding Tensions Rise as Sister's Silence Echoes Decision to Exclude Niece as Flower Girl	Karen (28, female) has a younger sister, Sheila (26, female), who walked down the aisle recently. Sheila had always been the sort of person who sought perfection, often to such an extent that it strained their relationship. Her constant nitpicking had a tendency to leave Karen hurt, especially as sh...	https://simbaly.com/exclude-niece-as-flower-ua/		1703449901	1.0423819206745E+14	Fox'oclock	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412545375_345245157854555_6242296866842975915_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6nCg9zpRV5wAX8pK_lr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBBN9ER-U9oOmIuUlvgzxLKPYaiU4sESwUUpdQNEZ9RZg&oe=6591BA58	person_profile	0	Fox'oclock	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412602048_1105209737579096_1243406198771868001_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qLOdKcMxWoIAX-3FeGK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAnOsdLnKhS97ipIO8VOVoICHhCNJgxi6Uy7XcPsxZWrA&oe=65927626			0	3	Silence speaks louder than petals on the wedding day 😲🙊		Fox'oclock		159	https://facebook.com/100076064792214	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
69393	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054156		67		1011121650160025	1	3.3433176254185E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220421300404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582418	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404667107_886186376348114_1206540913351692213_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5SVvD-soYFEAX8vepo3&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDAtxNjs5u8KdAKJA_sjBFCYeHKDl2g41JGYiKThviMow&oe=65920816	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404269298_1031099654877168_3292082578104835116_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QXcC4vEoqvcAX8rM1Sx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCYLPKUnpwKJbuXgVDQcAdZGYmu7YFaKUm2kLWbswcx9w&oe=659227E0			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68874	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054156		67		335244072588959	1	6.0232813530437E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100802715811938		0	Best APP to release stress			120201140437470070		dynamic.bestnovelapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	<Meu Marido Bilionário Secreto>	Leia online！！	https://dynamic.bestnovelapp.com/noah-ssg/wn/202309192/27884910600562805+1+3+facebook?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}		1701246869	1.0080271581194E+14	Best APP to release stress	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406230860_307033272251105_8653269983656200451_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8c8FHvNTXWwAX88dTs5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCOag_mk0bIkD_rUL5LQEvba6uC0DDrBOVRxv13-kCwYQ&oe=6593239A	person_profile	0	Best APP to release stress	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406231319_687218016723058_5804827782489128413_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KCTkJXrRu-AAX-W6YL7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDwOpe9-5lsIXG_5jSmapmaECsI7x1QXt238_vZwFcJhg&oe=65920C98			0	3	&quot;Marido, eu não quero mais, me sinto péssima...&quot; &quot;Amor, seja boazinha, termine de tomar esse remédio.&quot;<br /> O homem bonito abraça a mulher em seus braços, acariciando-a delicadamente enquanto a alimenta com o remédio.<br /> Joanna Lawrence se depara com Ashton Heath, o herdeiro mais estimado de toda a cidade de Closia, e acaba passando a noite com ele. Depois que ele oferece benefícios em troca de seu casamento, a recém nomeada Sra. Heath de repente tem o poder de ter tudo o que sempre desejou.<br /> &quot;Marido, eu dei um tapa na Rainha do Cinema Faye hoje, eu exagerei?&quot;<br /> &quot;Amor, sua mão está doendo? Deixe-me massageá-la para você.&quot;<br /> &quot;Marido, eu estourei o limite do seu cartão de crédito, você está bravo?&quot;<br /> &quot;Amor, você está feliz com suas compras? Avise-me quando precisar de mais.&quot;<br /> &quot;Marido, estou cansada hoje, não quero me mexer...&quot;<br /> <br /> Clique para ler mais &lt;Meu Marido Bilionário Secreto&gt;		Best APP to release stress		4921	https://facebook.com/100079851744054	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67386	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054155		67		793785155890182	1	1.3343268372155E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205508886190427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702806535	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411123616_1133659110939114_2186472945963345802_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PDoCG4bzofwAX8Kzmpd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCxrDAND8hQsfLJQg-Lg9VPSyl31Hsv6Q1xTN_HUmuqgg&oe=65923FF5	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411039538_383051274178650_5857796707623511743_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xBnT4HKL3VQAX_78VDv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBvGiu-5rIqiSilGWS4eX3mJfpJ1IVaBx6JbJy8Dg8-dQ&oe=659190F3			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702800000		View Edit Delete
67528	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054155		67		1736268750194844	1	7.4017377749113E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011728200506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636929	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409881284_380261847799805_8973032620658038635_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3PlLJPzQ9agAX9_JW7f&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBzDUSVVvoSThSLZN0utUAbVtehdgghS5UI8Ucg2dBeQg&oe=6591BA0E	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409849019_687927656776958_6652444255153192486_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2nUuX9oho1kAX_xtZsT&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDv_bGddpct7oWYdSeZ4KW2tOv_gzk6BAG6JO4Mmo9HEw&oe=65920865			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67634	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054155		67		3677061802537807				1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100336802850245		0	Ear-Full			120203688963660437		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702567902	1.0033680285024E+14	Ear-Full	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411176443_301070375616653_5024363684616054288_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dp5BgTZdwLgAX_r2Kab&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCO3smLPFU4Hxw0xqiFe-yNems6Hez3RRi_8p9L7KaAsA&oe=6591C0CA	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Ear-Full		1224	https://facebook.com/100085747822992	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68818	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054155		67		868219551620399	1	4.1474014755746E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203115910110294		m.dreame.com	Download		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		https://m.dreame.com/novel/1800871680?auto_jump=true&utm_source=facebook_ads&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&af_prt=risingtechnolog&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701257163	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406545132_260807433648473_6769611892805636347_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SfY4i3RnyB8AX810678&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAOn9ajiks0tYKavetoEFDEgDzcMmJRINTzaYdKfbJvjA&oe=659258CD	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406580924_1069615477804716_5889704941727600103_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s6tI0ae_l9MAX_FiU1W&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfADO9av1jPAvdURj0Iruc1keoFDJxWX9JqqoFsG5LY4Gg&oe=6592FCA7			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
69222	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054155		67		873701531006527	4	1.3093793964447E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674067420115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969828	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405795593_1416531958930344_5099476631414619828_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rk0URb_PAHEAX985dP9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDUdaKrNXB6wfw3CY4JtM1Jy-3TolslKa0GstnaAUVxyw&oe=65922CCE	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403714394_338144088835838_4735249512208110077_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rnBR7YUOm70AX9-1Uf1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvgkB7tCYJKK9jIOVD4Cf96X_tXuqWMkHuMz2XA_glWA&oe=6591B12D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
68553	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054155		67		1607176730088365	1	6.8008713090142E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	871611042878073		0	Author Maggie Dallen			6504534030556		maggiedallenbooks.com	Shop now		NONE	image	5 Books for 30% Off!	"Loved this book! The characters come to life!" - Joanna	https://maggiedallenbooks.com/products/the-bluestocking-battalion-series-bundle		1701720688	8.7161104287807E+14	Author Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405366815_846038920631527_7449271763625660106_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sgSn7Tq5aaAAX-_9a21&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBJRlymCBjjDto3mjFe5WfG16SCz99_sMAQa21Z2rZYhQ&oe=65918125	person_profile	0	Maggie Dallen	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/393164589_1121831819223767_5027096180752419072_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bR-R67k8WuQAX8mDucx&_nc_oc=AQlIf4j5ODioBTwNRi5bIMgHYmlFqMbs0k_ywEsGVCpZswqDOiV96zu5S14UM3bwB0VyqIoh3iy0hEYMYRcJIe6L&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXISAbY4yabhI5xemeOgqgCF3pGKJN3vnQ8GUy5BWwdQ&oe=6593027A			0	3	The pirate doesn’t realize I’m a bookish wallflower when he finds me exploring the caves near town. He mistakes me for a spy.<br /> <br /> He takes me captive, and questions me... It&#039;s almost disappointing when he realizes I&#039;m no threat, just a dutiful daughter with my whole life planned out.<br /> <br /> He lets me go. And I assume he’ll forget all about me as I return to my predictable routine.<br /> <br /> But days later, I see him again. At a ball, and dressed like a gentleman. <br /> <br /> He ignores my suitor as he asks me to dance. And as he pulls me into his arms, he says, &quot;Little dove, did you really think I’d let you go so easily?&quot;<br /> <br /> BOOK: Miss Minerva&#039;s Pirate Mishap<br /> <br /> What readers are saying, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <br /> &quot;I loved every book in this series! It was so fun to read about each sister finding adventure and love. If you love sweet regency romances...I highly recommend these books!&quot; <br /> <br /> Get the 5 E-Books in this bundle series and save 30% today! The PERFECT way to support the author directly.<br /> <br /> After your purchase. Receive an email with the link to the ebook. <br /> <br /> Download the books with one click and send them to your kindle, tablet, or phone. And READ!<br /> <br /> Thank you for supporting me directly! 🥰		Author Maggie Dallen		2637	https://facebook.com/MaggieDallenAuthor	0		SHOP_NOW						1701676800		View Edit Delete
66540	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054155		67		3807801702820989	2	1.0379539373215E+15		1703664000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	159765827229098		0	onceuponoclock			6529469973863		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/onceuponoclock		1703598916	1.597658272291E+14	onceuponoclock	https://scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/412089712_1131602147997068_7850396114934428318_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=qBEEXsmjjsQAX-wd91D&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBuOIQGaJB49Zb38qcyBYNsfnRUUXiSA7mKssF8IM4fCA&oe=65933532	ig_ads_identity	1	Once Upon O'Clock	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414102751_655551596519618_537517576995265581_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KDvz6kCgo44AX_8IVvV&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCa8NS2Ub7OnPF18wpmy1H0MZXKIamLhLQSIRp4UVHdkw&oe=65929F96			0	3	Merry GIVEAWAY. WIN A PRICELESS COMMISSION<br /> ❤️🧡💛<br /> It&#039;s this magical time of the year...<br /> <br /> Once Upon O&#039;Clock is a story about a special bond between little Susie and her grandpa (as in the illustration above). <br /> <br /> You can win a digital drawing of you (or anyone you choose) and your loved one (whoever it might be for you) in the style of our film illustrations.<br /> <br /> The artist behind -Jo Korus &#064;joanna_korus never does commissions so this is a UNIQUE opportunity. Might not happen again :)<br /> <br /> PLEASE NOTE - there will be one winner for both INSTAGRAM &amp; FACEBOOK<br /> <br /> To enter:<br /> 🎄 Like this post<br /> 🎄 Follow &#064;onceuponoclock - Instagram or facebook account (if in doubt all links in our bio above)<br /> 🎄Tag a friend in a comment in this post<br /> <br /> 🎄SHARE ON YOUR STORIES FOR AN ADDITIONAL ENTRY.<br /> <br /> 🎅<br /> <br /> Each comment counts as one entry.<br /> Giveaway ends Saturday 30.12.2023 23:59 and the winner will be announced on our stories on Sunday 31.12.2023<br /> <br /> Good luck! ❤️🧡💛<br /> <br /> #christmasgiveaway #giveaway #competition #illustration #illustrationart #2dart #digitalart #whiterabbit #winterillustration #inspiration #motivation #findinspiration #ilustracjapolska #ilustracja #art #sztuka #artstagram #art #artwork #artoftheday #grafika #rysunek #cozychristmaschallenge23 #snowglobeartchallenge23 #cutecharacter		onceuponoclock		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/onceuponoclock	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
69489	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054155		67		1027891188461627	1	3.7322615179382E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113576797162972		0	The Good Life			120202103638910704		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700772130	1.1357679716297E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404950373_1566447254148233_8768777104621549872_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=teFz0ZUiJooAX8RTndU&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfAWOpc5KY9Mz9GQusUowlCKHoiqzyuFhgIxr3nh-b-aRQ&oe=6591FFD2	person_profile	0	The Good Life	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405009884_1143699143277101_5046268880874930735_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WGFD9N7rKeIAX91SY8I&_nc_oc=AQmsC3Vgn36rdJZ9UmZ8SoxnJZUNVo-r1gw7IjMsq2TUZ3tyJG-fnFvv4FrRy0VJYWY&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfAWik2-sZe_LTdYsLdrRY9VexwgYKW_93wN_6jghuqeIQ&oe=659282EC			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		The Good Life		102	https://facebook.com/100064184615808	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69717	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		853954366371487	5	6.7252928135758E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779124310250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678212	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625066_3576316099290479_3496808059134504848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hLWqezY30eQAX8BxgH4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCQg6Y9b4zXmK9MOmQK_4rCyjkGIALw327po1fPcVjMTQ&oe=6591C72F	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69785	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		1566213070854203		6.7252928135758E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779124310250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678212	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625066_3576316099290479_3496808059134504848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hLWqezY30eQAX_WTtta&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDB82YP8jTSq9oUvp8OSIlsN21ctJHLPzUNiwAh5OTN-A&oe=6591C72F	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69783	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		1333603377529562	5	6.7252928135758E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779124310250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678212	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403625066_3576316099290479_3496808059134504848_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hLWqezY30eQAX_WTtta&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDB82YP8jTSq9oUvp8OSIlsN21ctJHLPzUNiwAh5OTN-A&oe=6591C72F	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69793	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		1406282060325583		1.0318422547396E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721011560167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678821	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404328773_1017772942786960_6287617802985419107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uQed_5J53vwAX-y9mPX&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDQd1zpJLjqetk-tjBZT1HhBBgEsS2o1QdHzLKhIDNFow&oe=6592A44F	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69797	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054155		67		2927441297391145		1.0911569485488E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201778980400250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677939	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402960811_3582056052051476_2480871273265367808_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xVoThCfqRkQAX--eQgQ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCI5LPMor8oihXlkS_kYc9xGzToocnW0xN1OLFmRR3l6Q&oe=65928CB3	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69830	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054155		67		2506470156201191	4	1.0995041845666E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101404241952511		0	Trivia.com - Lifestyle			120200721427720167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679731	1.0140424195251E+14	Trivia.com - Lifestyle	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403057964_1015805766315707_9148496957681327356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=47HDV5Zhy00AX9uIgZ6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAmzyHTPIivyHuyn7T_xSlK5VofLFFXofRmUF4183XZRQ&oe=6591B7A7	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com - Lifestyle		388	https://facebook.com/100082447938895	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69874	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054155		67		256153694110058	2	8.813229635929E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158891560403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633009	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403064203_889075885690313_4677663041782593914_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u_SbTcV5llUAX_dPUxG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBvBMt4PhwL_K5EqvUwADAFq1OeeQeCCMPcRFln1IiWig&oe=6591E581	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402967337_902106221482538_5765674189746656310_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wufYeU5gz9UAX8p4aIx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBSeDv82-siEAUqZi68BkeynkrDBRLrgYpu7r9HO95EMQ&oe=65922701			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69911	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054155		67		671058378470245	20	6.6684229876572E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158874860403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633012	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402659853_312378488355816_8818615404467611362_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pqOOyPnrsM8AX-BD5lb&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDLthRyYf6W1l7aeTT7X2CsJ5m7XjsdXb6koa75F3UVzQ&oe=6591883F	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402653291_276835964848485_5332586023039343330_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=awPLtE8jktIAX-i5TbE&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC2ShVS1t-lVYaqxvMIhtpG8No0PMdj8M-7DpEeRHE4sA&oe=65927F68			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69979	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054155		67		1442935112927753				1700640000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579105490115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633114	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403620437_1371123363779175_7914177468744678053_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=unxovhCLf_sAX9ITFcw&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBiDj8hEOIauN1Rqiy56BhP_5WXCcvl73sAdkRT9no9Qg&oe=659213EA	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405163886_926798002111037_1161943200401355514_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QscVpjFE9O4AX-85XzS&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA0RbgbZargvG5_Q4LUmbFKk4NWs9nlFhlpHplqfvdoow&oe=65918F79			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70035	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054155		67		892785612232356	2	1.0838421263939E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	135302253194628		0	KILZ			120201317484400781		WWW.KILZ.COM/MAGNOLIA	Learn more		NONE	carousel	KILZ		https://www.kilz.com/blog/mini-reni-a-timeless-renovation/		1700590858	1.3530225319463E+14	KILZ	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404263940_3662256170673266_8312665421320569457_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mP4K93WydgoAX8N8RDn&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfADmIhtXqpgNXsJ_NAMLjD2m7fOy92pf-IAkoiF102Pyw&oe=6592DD66	person_profile	0	KILZ®	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402996603_1692486431241914_9215300876484642486_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VVD7xU7Zpw0AX90j8q9&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCe_TQQUGqnNgJ5SS1tGL_uN-hG8MObcd-Kizh7MHKV9Q&oe=65929050			0	3	By embracing the space, Joanna made this living room modern and unique, while keeping the entire renovation under budget.		KILZ		76566	https://facebook.com/KILZBrand	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
70081	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054155		67		899127974963349	1	3.6573360930883E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201111832610243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700553856	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403720025_866461431863398_5647056824172510467_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FFhw5Zsp4iwAX_3ArIg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDp103uWDXr1gYjIP__2CTplhDFz9Z9FdOdkTAYoogd5g&oe=6591FD99	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402931190_1076196553390954_3040933561406795010_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SDKE9pFWPqAAX-tHsXz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBxsCYfwwxjfWG1VEcSmGtUmqshSmMPOG4nD12vnCiMIA&oe=6591FF18			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67776	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054155		67		383454697577415		1.514792399362E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care			6590548024409		https://joannavargas.com/la	Book now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://joannavargas.com/pages/75-off-first-treatment		1702494395	1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410481142_1123610575716626_7890958248355553600_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ik-W71yojWUAX8yaHbY&_nc_oc=AQkvBkSqvI8s9Sa8sfYj7DxUWlX5EizyougBSl8lBbZBlwYcrT5lR2Kir0iPufklQaE&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAG9f_hD0kKtStKmsaj1YBlv6X5e37SmXAIlPnS3SIh2w&oe=6591F170	person_profile	0	Joanna Vargas Skincare	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410431766_317455311206062_1111039393004992611_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hycCnJnkLhoAX-8rhRh&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA9vjbl6W9v1Rfr-DlZROynGyzz7b8COj6m3XxzUQ05Pw&oe=6592C7F5			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Joanna Vargas Skin Care		819787	https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702454400		View Edit Delete
70136	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054155		67		654861816782631	5	3.1685825128999E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090817920403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700544994	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404546272_875805557160007_8794536807962533125_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Nh0cFECGGcQAX_5daJD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA6_JdSvP6TVlnIDJoDMW-fR8rgC-0tnJzIGQyUcxHlCg&oe=65917B42	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404525903_878142814003432_551322935706158075_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ofx2-47rypQAX8o3ALl&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAVhUE6SFl8FbGH0n5zF5LQbTjhdGmHO3pg57alCKNzQ&oe=6592D64B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69033	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/17/25, 4:33 PM	1703760173	1750195995		67		906329664343282	1	3.5572778044865E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715935880115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140258	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404831996_842756370963640_7860257576258105716_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vlu7J3J0OcwAX9MYJS_&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC4JLsnVWBaOd_lV1ZKpHY_wggNX76M5VvHnX4aPPVESw&oe=6592256C	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404639427_1107475537284657_3432853019447556969_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4GkH-JBJaKQAX99HIFY&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAQtThLnlQAuz0-cyJ3XwAcCIoFsqIXPlCCwkt-fNUsfQ&oe=6591E8BB			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66536	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054156		67		1439812463300263	1	1.4306645644596E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	713828345404539		0	TRIbe Triathlon Community, Coaching, and Camps			6565541978396			Send message		NONE	video				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?","response":""},{"title":"Can you tell me more about your ad?","response":""},{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?","response":""}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703685626	7.1382834540454E+14	TRIbe Triathlon Community, Coaching, and Camps	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412947805_898291495036809_3190335463757135036_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6zP08EwwX1IAX-hLmkg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDjpsMQZ7EXs852XVnychhqxVSrc9kWcZuBHSNhZP12yg&oe=6591D69C	person_profile	0	TRIbe Triathlon Community, Coa	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414673240_870818658117318_2197936596534064433_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rJ2xzockea0AX-RXuAx&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAUl8VvUYFDGpVwM6ElBY5WqHDjGugG36iUlfGjrbtD6g&oe=659289A6			0	3	Back by popular demand, we’re returning to Galveston for Camp Texas in 2024!!<br /> <br /> We’ve been hosting the spring kickoff in Galveston for almost a decade and this year is going to be the best yet!!<br /> <br /> Join professions coaches Jennifer Reinhart, Joanna Schaefer-Nami, and John Mayfield for a weekend full of training, learning, and fun!!<br /> <br /> This is a great opportunity for anyone racing a 70.3 or Ironman distance race in 2024. This camp will equip you with the skills and information to train and execute so you can produce your best results, set massive PRs, and have tons of fun! <br /> <br /> Take advantage of kickoff day pricing (12/27 only) and learn more at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Frunsignup.com%2FRace%2FTX%2FGalveston%2FSpringTrainingCamp&amp;h=AT2pvjMCB_bfsYnor8AeCBe0nU9VLX6-kGaARwlOvDy_KFwa04TOBt9AyvEMoNa-n9dyAtFzIc4MgSTaY_R3DZocQmtOlLZzKFjvnBeR9ATZuX_IPU0_fOY7zf3LW9VHnWvbHdv-ey167qRJ8mozidD5XAg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://runsignup.com/Race/TX/Galveston/SpringTrainingCamp</a>		TRIbe Triathlon Community, Coaching, and Camps		561	https://facebook.com/TRIbeTriathlonTraining	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
69605	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 10:00 AM	1703760176	1748703635		67		330405683060877		1.6303717808225E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100377515694960		0	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience			120200721515760167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679858	1.0037751569496E+14	Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404272923_2572055626299902_3305460755590047071_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cjPZmL50kSIAX8cBfWf&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfCvFHJrddlVLptw85enJN-OdpJAl8SKqf_v4J2wMt-jFA&oe=6591CE61	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Jerusalem Online - Israel exprience		329	https://facebook.com/100071723169364	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
66928	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054158		67		292006860001371	3	3.3370405270608E+14		1703664000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	119292717940871		0	Family Shirts M02			6541310478884		myfamilyshirt.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D8	Best gifts for your Family	https://myfamilyshirt.store/joanna-things-d8		1703224125	1.1929271794087E+14	Family Shirts M02	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413943553_382603620886225_8267975809952123926_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QzqJ0wLKnt4AX82zCTJ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCAuX-BSJpZ7FZztkUrfo-NgyMAwvQeVk8OZy3zPqCkIA&oe=6591B335	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyfamilyshirt.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT2EG-3O36aaTKBwARkx52M00jL5sZCKaj9dalpSUcqxZjD0mB16Xz6R_JSKADXcrsj_CtKNZq0rBOVbMwneDVWjCcCtfpBr6A7ej1CT6uXJPVnO_5YQn3h1YPjjU6kECCWild--Wuv0_8EhJ-_uVxltNeB7oUzWl7Piow" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myfamilyshirt.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Shirts M02		57	https://facebook.com/61551643250696	0		SHOP_NOW						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68077	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054158		67		240049269100347	1	7.039458852801E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	520171088019503		0	Liforme			6572588097464					NONE	image					1702382033	5.201710880195E+14	Liforme	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409651061_310809231866259_2489513771072428862_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D2KedHlK490AX__LJTp&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfALe0WCGFcZao5b00HG_hGJHtGPcrWaJXnDB3dFe5IPKg&oe=6591C30A	person_profile	0					0	3	Looking for the ultimate Yogi gift? 💝<br /> <br /> For a gift as unique as they are, you can design your very own custom Liforme X You Yoga mat using our innovative, first-of-its-kind Yoga Mat customiser. <br /> <br /> Matching custom mats are pretty cute, but you can also go for a Liforme X You gift card and let them pick out the colours, alignment guides, and themes that make up their own perfect mat. <br /> <br /> Treat yourself or a loved one. Personalised Yoga practice awaits! Link in bio! 🛠️<br /> <br /> Sending our love and thanks to &#064;facetka_od_jogi and &#064;iamthecode pictured here on a Liforme x You Custom Yoga mat. Special thanks to &#064;lekko_store and &#064;Joanna.kepa.foto for the beautiful shot! ❤️🙏<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FLiforme.com%2F&amp;h=AT0fmFinEk3SzwzOoWX9AZ3ca_5p4KEzkQQnALbUXW_XKZXJksH3YjY06vT6mMaG_n_MnEeh-rM_T00rm5l2L19cskxKPA03tN5IwEnK4R9jyMC-AOJjuu32riMu8RiZpXsVT_DhXwKnSfX8uTnUIA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">Liforme.com</a>		Liforme		118780	https://facebook.com/LiformeYoga	0								1702368000		View Edit Delete
69745	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		891837365899347		8.9788543133228E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721115290167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679000	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404549215_1715815735586018_265815704509471861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w6MJY-G4Zg4AX9Oezz3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBRsrVW4oyQOPpSsJ4BAkySoBdawt5cSnGeFil-vkWqng&oe=6592D782	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70134	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054158		67		639057951514684	1	3.3558497240633E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201539248900115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700547866	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402076347_1078174666541282_8601443319295644691_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y7PCJ00LxvkAX9tNt5J&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfArPwy2V09ada6OsUFdo7nZwtUk_AsuAEK6T9Ef3jixLQ&oe=65930671	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403685825_354598740394066_380440511063407041_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nKiKSa0xvv8AX_wPCkp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDEh-xa8SyMAVqakfn1QNzDK-n9l-hiBRAZ2JXWvWEHrw&oe=65929AD9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68595	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054158		67		1288465635174093		1.4290925879512E+15		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103687719211673		0	Science A2Z Español			120202285438820275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666882	1.0368771921167E+14	Science A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408234050_1021215109134358_8455423126747833324_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xpuKlT2UbJAAX-6-bbK&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB_TGOS-GeKGs-Eyu2vdtatVcRztn6KfAyQQyFVSLObHQ&oe=6591A2EA	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Science A2Z Español		349	https://facebook.com/sciencea2z.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
69934	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054158		67		870885544547146	3	8.0224168165832E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683731040439		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636034	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405191579_256247277108450_2941091737544553232_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nz5XpeLjbTUAX9PfUYh&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAQvY4CZlW07hoHJ18awVoF48hIEk91_X6Vwo3kEGbYdA&oe=6593165A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405000361_6588874461235425_9079473107185928_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YRAXuzBDXpEAX9oHLZW&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCPwfetJ-ucnr1r8vkmYHWEycpW_g8n3ppmv-D4QXU4eA&oe=6591DC8A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67589	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054158		67		384841750738045	1	3.4475678222213E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204044799540514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702610540	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411133834_394593522999395_2200491126870157391_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Dx7FNE4uowcAX_oVm4k&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCBv5BZFkd1kDbO4-R0cmMzLuRZQZFRRPR8_GoxVrm4CA&oe=6591A73C	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411095100_907794724110766_5185078354310593394_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V6j__hfwPcYAX_Z9UjO&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBYKZC60e4ZiQq4B1j7Vy8UprmeZXEJx3nHbVvU8dhFrg&oe=6591DD0B			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
69787	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		1366692557312165	5	7.2234098268851E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109657078608486		0	Learn Something			120200721153830167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679055	1.0965707860849E+14	Learn Something	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405499495_6696053400449536_785684262627965749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KsGTOzKqL7wAX8I2vpz&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAaMAb1ZoqYjzQxclg_oB_kYsZBI3cyrzieKXtpy0mF9A&oe=65925DF5	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Learn Something		5447	https://facebook.com/100086954096959	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68305	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054158		67		903940107914658	1	6.8227426345099E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074206930476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016177	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406732872_330605093076342_9111922318612608633_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yeoea1QKK2MAX8dAB-k&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAd5xO6sX1dS44ZR-fSf3QMBKOrCnR8nnc4W6j31LHaBA&oe=6593275B	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406736969_369080788840148_392452025542652081_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8Y1ySEnbTo8AX-ks7Tq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfATW-KAuElMADVWqskcHhcPnviXYcS292TicoHJiH93AQ&oe=6591C97F			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66685	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054158		67		742241184492086	31	8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120204757753160062		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703511041	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411964533_1573434586808055_6924979019524723982_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zXw2DX8ygo4AX-4MYnZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6QWtJIxScv0PqoyAE-RVFgaxLGA0b5p54oPQHsETRFg&oe=6591E0F0	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414583201_3680362705617403_8979065578617455560_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=__WDtWjc8BkAX8w7JO3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDPdstOl8NzZ9qlL_CDDFhlQOtt-Bm-XGart7zb70f0jw&oe=6592DD52			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66611	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054165		67		1064942154847014	1	1.0509611861733E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204713233450210		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/856?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703582653	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414131626_900320634867996_4427161141473224325_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=orYdfTylHhoAX8uiCpT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDnzbgbi1wj1fnEdIwxsIHxNEWJOKduAfksWGCgiyVBiQ&oe=6592C9D6	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414671662_2026428427733401_6870436977061198587_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JYgzqBczKm0AX9zcq8D&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBCry-6EX_FOcvmQ0Ido5CTaiGuQ-ofwiMgD6jmGDRu5w&oe=65920D28			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68119	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		302822108747035	3	2.0897465891648E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216185130123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310359	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409646672_2234156483426150_4773485045305222681_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jD-3Y_9mutYAX-W7fSV&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCCsTXyKGRHO3WmKv0qbocMqYGOnO5wyF0wuyx8lbcmfw&oe=6591E333	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410294290_746461520667737_7894401800507642632_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7QIbFybxxdgAX_12S5Z&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAkD_bRuKAsl9XTGXgchc281alL1gnDciZMGcff46G-jg&oe=659328E9			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68192	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		280244217911641	1	1.5323018142288E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202259667230476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702181008	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406853901_874996410823027_2132305888638266131_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zf7yl7EiSUwAX_G1EtP&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfClj-eO7V2RgT8s2IaUMK7C5SluhI6PtjPJ8bPz96M5NQ&oe=6591D4A3	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408461379_889218905857160_5002774097022071349_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LKQL9SApitsAX9bNy28&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCjx-gb04000S-e4QfparDVAz8GydHEFE6xZO_Zma_o2w&oe=659242DA			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
69724	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054159		67		865540855214244	5	1.0021451142252E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779372070250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678800	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404635050_871400307801914_6122253990712761384_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FmV43zEDciYAX-KG-K2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCKAyiCrI5k0oSOaeujsC4A41vtnX0S0aPgNyCaC0kmrQ&oe=659149E6	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67604	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054159		67		744468907588760	1	1.0599122051444E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120202186367210218		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/03ncalhtwf43osqtpog3bjmg?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702624406	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411136996_313884338283736_428355450611539072_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c_eURNAnwJQAX-zcSvV&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBdLpC-H0FnDLk6aqdyFlw93XIticr0YCo2bfYfZqz5qQ&oe=6592EF0F	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409855273_779816950619869_7055233886624663211_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nbjIoNXPxa8AX-tis4D&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDu7xMnSTyqcePLBT2SD5vQ4XGDbSBcwZI3h9X_Hwj-5Q&oe=6591DE1B			0	3	❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67428	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054159		67		675575024703082	1	3.4034032540981E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765664870465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702464	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410956505_676219714501107_6693514429802342267_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K5RHtu0MxnQAX879R4W&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD5KyIC2s45MD7nUzVNvIYeDK5oi5S2K0Onm2dr2KyjWw&oe=6592DB21	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410923686_891319302232406_5148493079468079744_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SEHuru1JAX0AX-A6oD8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAdz9dogpF1Imr_jqaF_fURWR75q6Au41FPEXXQAsy6AA&oe=65914A57			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68982	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		718693140318228	1	8.7070068127668E+14		1701590400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108097191318978		0	mercimanagement			120200391473750765		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			https://www.instagram.com/_u/mercimanagement		1701147438	1.0809719131898E+14	mercimanagement	https://scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/224343519_1390377897998731_58780715812490653_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=TN9lRxauygUAX9Fo-39&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCtHsR3HAPQBsKr0b95SSE9rI6BPrwY161xCikqtF-6_Q&oe=6592AF7D	ig_ads_identity	1	merci management	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404751045_875853307313162_5744721027400541762_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3f8nXbrmpyAAX9F8KbO&_nc_oc=AQmCKB0uT2y2zxLazhGASGFEf8vOS02Q0-WW_xc8ZBfjh7y24m2-LijB1YuVfBLrmYI&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD957nShtVkSjmLq60wZHYVcNNQSF4xoOpxr_gceOy5YQ&oe=65926088			0	3	JOANNA HALPIN IN TOWN: DECEMBER ❤️‍🔥<br /> &#064;joannahalpin <br /> <br /> #mercimanagement		mercimanagement		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/mercimanagement	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69035	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		2690382654451550	2	8.8272357971301E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715935510115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140269	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405959516_1435436637038746_2673582665075316189_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bhy-r1oY-fUAX81yF8E&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBGlAv3WRh4NYJq-RH_W-FoK3jfR8V5K3o573XH0SYhzw&oe=6592D05A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405993409_726036758989035_779313309965309849_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZAwK165LtbkAX-esnsj&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB_YrzGQFkqrapHRa_w_9VcYLeJZKXeWOPRrzrfsKV9mg&oe=6592F2E3			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69170	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054159		67		308809095384150	5	5.7974953763093E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145446710740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	World Exclusive: Joanna Gaines Breaks Her Silence for the First Time.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806385	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405541407_1313486329302849_3737115640709666905_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SvnxUH0L2MkAX9PKTjj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAOdsVTjue9JbjB0LF_xoIAyjNByoLQpPTsdC9ugsyJog&oe=6592BE65	person_profile	0					0	3	The Untold Story: Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband, Spilling Behind-the-Scenes Show Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69335	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054159		67		3474364919497216	1	3.3792583256482E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632059900115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796841	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404343097_1056794928803918_1255353857290451702_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_RL0chJCrv8AX95_S4H&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBrs2Lw78ITo0WjGLrFDpVipwKnFr6z9cWulgZDtGf63w&oe=659215B5	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404303733_3689407471384213_8270637915054395987_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=otpO3jYUsQEAX_pCBdi&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBZsteX5DOkeYtoU38ou3N96GaPDpSk6PLsVcgP_OllBw&oe=659281B9			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69878	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		285463934480765	1	2.7304833857358E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683730090439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636049	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402987903_308877368708142_9148774932599363739_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ODDTWo5Ok7UAX_7KtHt&_nc_oc=AQkGiZeroXNeKlYaxzRktVaF8Tbpc5YyF1S_AMXIxNxmuPGAhnTHUqtfD3y9RFEIZX9YudGAbfSwd6316qMZvWlw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCuigi9UwXxAUqTA4xBF83ERwwa-Pjtbv2iV2_iLWPYGg&oe=65917D77	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404712138_692331425960408_1407487290167145494_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dbfTkoq3A4cAX8v4tK0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBBO04758qa1_m0dgHbut5kWxuXm3DdefbusLU3Hyeq6A&oe=6592FE18			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69972	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/21/25, 10:35 AM	1703760178	1747841753		67		1346332699603150	4	1.3711089701987E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579099360115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700632939	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404100881_370723225429150_4889490838671197325_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ulRJTLJ9Ok4AX_bQCsI&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA0aWiXnk0mHtgzRriorDoN12rhjeG4ES2RIMXL2YD0lg&oe=659207C0	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403834115_1256579535016713_8820261851928332737_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W6BNqBN4dzAAX_sjVqz&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMPU-1SPdzHpNoqZF6EYa_rEfZhgUuxFCN607GDkJQHQ&oe=6592CAFC			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70058	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054160		67		220075581114643	1	3.658385659406E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112137470243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554391	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404601563_2261228670737889_2142655200508273639_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P28g619K6M4AX-Rtavd&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvFASu1xqmoBHIK1lNc_sTJ1Yzy7bFx-4bImuXr9v7Jg&oe=659157B9	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404591684_1755379568267849_1638450566605077250_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kiMMYlYxiEwAX_Sq55Y&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAZHq9LVTa0CPD6OfBmZC-XfDP0eA5WEL6Eg3DvCUgNLA&oe=6592918A			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68842	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/13/25, 7:45 AM	1703760172	1747140311		67		315017221364229	2	1.091766922189E+15		1701417600	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103862972598152		0	zendalacraft			120202009337760005		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/zendalacraft		1701261290	1.0386297259815E+14	zendalacraft	https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/327749956_742099477207961_1623403982017122936_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Euu8qPRQOY8AX-hZA_s&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfCsmBksMgB15BZLs4VBoKLiFnneYvjBWPBKSgGBRpSQeA&oe=6592ACBD	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Medina	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406688728_329301733140448_6018296317037397227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HsYsDNxFjxoAX-PabLA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhusPJTDFUBZpZbvbaFsrSr_NCsGAhfHSNx0Z7JtpPkw&oe=65928F41			0	3	TEMA: BRUSH LETTERING NIVEL BÁSICO. EN NAVIDAD 🪅🎄🧑🏻‍🎄🎅🏻<br /> <br /> Aprenderás desde cero el arte de crear letras!!! <br /> <br /> * MODALIDAD PRESENCIAL :<br /> <br /> 📆 Fecha: Sábado 02 de Diciembre 2023<br /> 📌 Edad: Cualquier edad, A partir de 8 años en adelante !!!<br /> ⏱️ Hora: 9:00 am a 1:00 pm <br /> 💵 Forma de Pago: Zelle, transferencia, pago móvil, PayPal <br /> <br /> 📍LUGAR: Zona Norte, cerca del Sambil, Taller de Arte Zendala Craft, Maracaibo, Venezuela.<br /> Modalidad: PRESENCIAL <br /> ———<br /> Incluye Kit de Materiales:<br /> - Guía Física para prácticas.<br /> - Set de marcadores punta pincel.<br /> - Portaminas, Borrador <br /> - Material para prácticas.<br /> - Refrigerio <br /> <br /> Dictado por: <br /> Dra. Joanna Medina <br /> Arquitecto.<br /> <br /> Contenido del Taller: <br /> 1. Clase Introductoria<br /> 2. Ejercicios de Trazos Básicos, con prácticas guiadas en tiempo real <br /> 3.Alfabeto Sans Serif en letras minúsculas.<br /> 3. Prácticas de abecedario en tiempo real, con variaciones de estilos de letras. <br /> 4.Anatomía de las letras, diseño y de frases o ideas, paso a paso.<br /> 5. Práctica final motivo Navidad <br /> <br /> ————<br /> Para Mayor Información <br /> Cel. 0414-6157656		zendalacraft		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/zendalacraft	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67971	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054160		67		1133090267714696	1	9.0797448761931E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203220170270670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702449591	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409980682_757955766157819_2139120921551884284_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d3rrHLBfIpAAX_F0rSR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDlmv5eJdXrjSDqVg34w4-5gyxcW4ZLQ_oA28J4Gf_knw&oe=659202FF	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409931205_324661733663264_6228138727750176648_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bjIGgxv7ZYAX-5wJYw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDdw_kdz94C3fEJlPCYjbrt4XMtzzeT0AfWYK-L0E7xUA&oe=6592CF8E			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66677	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054160		67		1261543591902712	1	9.2943230526828E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	177047529887425		0	L.C.S Hair Artistry			120204874976030012		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/nia.hairartistry		1703527898	1.7704752988742E+14	L.C.S Hair Artistry	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414689319_188744250986363_9203618684044988525_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gXMAXxM4RCkAX-VEIPF&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA815h0o5r7DTks2H6srQIfR7ezlfop1j5xuRkoRpUNFg&oe=65914D7C	person_profile	0	Houston Color & Textured Hair Stylist	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414694702_379670507787008_4313153080162233473_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=r33QWCVb_2sAX9NucKU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDfp-73Y-3RGkWvMqigQsxPcuu78PyswqXr1mMR2uoO3w&oe=65920C69			0	3	This is our year five….it wasn’t easy getting here so my gratitude for my husband and family is immense. When your foundation is true love, it’s always worth the fight. <br /> <br /> I truly thank God for blessing us with 8 years together, 5 years of marriage, a beautiful 6 year old son, and our own home. I dreamed of this life, it’s still hard to believe I’m living it. <br /> <br /> To all of my family, friends, and loyal clientele; thank you so much for all of your support of myself and my family over the years. There is no way I could operate in life without each and every one of you. <br /> <br /> As some of you know, it’s been a hard and long year, I lost my Dad in May to COVID; you all keep me encouraged and I’m so blessed because of that. He is missed this holiday season, but I know he’s proud. <br /> <br /> God Bless you all, Merry Christmas! <br /> <br /> #christmas #family #familytime #countrylife #momlife #momstyle #blog #houston #familyfirst #millenialmarriage #marraigegoals #luxurylifestyle #luxuryhome #blackgirlluxe #blackfamily #blackfathersmatter #wifelife #grief #healing #guardianangel		L.C.S Hair Artistry		237	https://facebook.com/lcshairartistry	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66659	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054160		67		377446884734985	1	6.7266815907602E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	160354473821593		0	FamilyShirt16W-9			120205447845830663		thaoutee.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Best gifts for your family	JOANNA-A16	http://thaoutee.com/joanna-a16		1703563611	1.6035447382159E+14	FamilyShirt16W-9	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412585619_374015131832154_8647336590995389949_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4Ao476gaYTcAX-L6CUa&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDjy0Bdxv2lMYjtMAZEOJmIG-Izy3gQOVJjy2mzJjYa0g&oe=65932B58	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthaoutee.com%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3-n88D-tFye5uw2ECemOOqBeIrzBaqA-gdOQkxH-wIYFf0KmYnCUKrsiZyUJc2OUP8efQjEEj3l1ybh4ZvlO6lxpGusoytc3KKi3cgnGK424DD_unpUpqgvHrcWLVL985s0mbiwzLth1pwM9usIRY_w834_Okl8EHDWg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">http://thaoutee.com/collection/joanna</a>		FamilyShirt16W-9		4	https://facebook.com/61552465766408	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69820	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054160		67		1583198315756725	5	6.8907228669931E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721075470167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678939	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404304695_307157035603840_685326367727654247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TyHd4-SmwfEAX_x-oF0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB5CbCiQ5ZYpUBih3edBtjNuGmXUA7jYnP-LozVoCvRaQ&oe=659184AB	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69089	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054160		67		723044109701314		3.0682463877523E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690730210115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055902	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406009110_365901022677545_563052575676818079_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OFfY-_eoCU8AX8B2-_U&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDb7MWBVO1v9ZfsB7pm2lkEmzB1D4iJ7GVfKNs5iIgTiQ&oe=659313D7	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406034563_882439036814840_3284820353460938325_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zbGoW4KA1DQAX_TF4Jz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB5QuA7qRSZsUXbBPaRzRxwi-IX_ls5_YkyNqUIbYN0eQ&oe=65921D54			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
67979	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/4/25, 1:57 AM	1703760166	1749020221		67		2101997870134835	1	8.8618922637631E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434459590465		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447459	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409741901_349654524341453_90548064487241140_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pkbdHfL2258AX-Dy5QV&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB08dZPOQzbQ3XO9-tjrzD2BYv_w_XIe6svkc2834Z3iw&oe=65916C65	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409702692_1395074371411193_8309966359437575993_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6h58D1prFDgAX8CxUKe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCcr5F8M62FfmK1gh700QrnaHdTFPBvbO45ZaA_yzBbNg&oe=6591C260			0	3	🔞🔥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66579	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054160		67		335702412584722				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	149187418450228		0	Epic Reads			6521118947256		www.epicreads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	"A vitally important story.” —Misa Sugiura, author	New from Joanna Ho.	https://www.epicreads.com/books/9780063059351/the-silence-that-binds-us/?maas=maas_adg_569212BEA739C4E9C3CA25B3A699D1C8_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thesilencethatbindsus		1702937197	1.4918741845023E+14	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020308_2692876870881147_894942312381412950_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A9yfiBPo7DYAX-vgi5b&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCkEAaiTUKGG7irODVj2rtc1P9xpaVfwJirp8wuH06Dvw&oe=6592FFF3	person_profile	0	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410037030_1374223596519712_6414259222765761404_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oN5wRfrK30wAX-2Gmfn&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPMAHjMnf-zmA8oF-OYoRcLxZIUtIpbRNuTp5Oz2KWcw&oe=65933290			0	3	Start reading the powerful YA debut from New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho! Now available in paperback.		Epic Reads		1164999	https://facebook.com/EpicReads	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66820	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054160		67		919598949012594	1	1.1020074741406E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	136560499545717		0	ForFun-105			120203150257150019		a.read4funs.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.read4funs.com/ad/a29hbGFub3ZlbC82NDQ3OC8yMDIzMTIyMzE3NDM1Mi9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703324854	1.3656049954572E+14	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412989247_1406704696898041_5720045308652261489_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UiylEaGP8YcAX-V2VN7&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCzkJgbcTGI2irG-1VqY6IGjMN0IhkhKh5IP3IB7ym1kw&oe=659252A6	person_profile	0	ForFun-105	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414039425_6966116873505910_976924105191909576_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h-esZeqYSTcAX86606h&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYjywmUwjSZN2X0usvNAKTNhD5GFV1HQNK3H9HMys7rA&oe=65917C4F			0	3	“As of today, you Joanna Tyree are Cancer free! The scans were clear, your labs have been improving daily. Jo, you&#039;re in remission.” Rachel&#039;s hand froze, and I froze.<br /> What did he just say? Is he shitting me right now?<br /> “You better not be lying to me right now Brian. I can&#039;t take a joke right now.” I said timidly.<br /> I know he would never joke about that, but I had to ask. <br /> “We&#039;ll go over what to look out for and statistics and what not but as of today, you&#039;re in remission. You did it, you beat it.”<br /> “I beat it…” I whispered in near shock.<br /> ————————<br /> Joanna<br /> “Today was my mammogram…” I whispered and her face softened. She didn&#039;t probe, she didn&#039;t nudge me to continue. She waited for me to gather my strength to continue and I was so thankful. “It&#039;s stage 3…”<br /> “Oh Jo!” she wrapped me in her arms and I sobbed. “That&#039;s not all….” She pulled back but kept her arms around me. She raised a brow at me waiting for my answer.<br /> “I went to Brian today. He&#039;s the one who gave me the results. I figured since Mike&#039;s office was right down the hall that I would just go ahead and tell him. He was on his lunch break, so he didn&#039;t have any patients…”<br /> I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. “I caught him mid thrust in another woman...” I don&#039;t think she meant it but her grip on my shoulder got dangerously tight.<br /> “I&#039;m sorry, what? Where is he? I know how to hide a body without being caught. Who is the tramp? Do I need to kill her too?”<br /> I held my hand up with wide eyes. “You know you are pretty scary when you&#039;re angry. But that&#039;s not even the worst part…”<br /> “What do you mean that&#039;s not the worst part? Your husband is having an affair with another woman. What is worse than that?”<br /> I let out a breath and rested my elbows on my knees and bowed my head. My golden waves covering my face. “It was Lisa….”<br /> Her spirit glass dropped to the floor and shattered. When I met her gaze she looked frozen in shock. Her brown eyes that usually reminded me of molten chocolate were nearly black with rage. She didn&#039;t say anything. She didn&#039;t even look like she was breathing.<br /> ”Rach…?” I probed and she shook her head.<br /> “I&#039;m going to kill her. Lisa? Our friend Lisa was sleeping with your husband on his desk at his work? Lisa that&#039;s also Married to his best friend that also works in the same office? That Lisa?” I couldn&#039;t formulate words, so I settled for nodding my head. Rachel was silent and usually when she was this mad and silent, it was bad.<br /> “Rachel, what am I going to do? I&#039;ve been with Mike for 17 years. Since the day I found out I was pregnant with Gage... I don&#039;t know any other life. I have never lived alone. You know how much family means to me... I was a foster kid. My own parents didn&#039;t even want me. I don&#039;t want Gage to grow up in a broken home too.”<br /> “Joanna. First of all, just because you have a kid with someone doesn&#039;t mean you need to stay with them. Second of all, Gage is already grown up. He&#039;s a young man. Thirdly, you are never going to be alone. You are my family. And lastly, how long has this been going on?”<br /> I shrugged. “Truthfully I don&#039;t know. I ran out of there as fast as I could. He tried to get me out of the car, but I threw my ring at him and drove off. I just couldn&#039;t stick around. After the news I got this morning and then that. I was pretty stretched thin on what I could handle.”<br /> She nodded and took a few deep breaths before taking me into her arms again. “Here&#039;s what we&#039;re going to do. We&#039;re going to finish off this bottle of spirit, we’re going to watch a bunch of chick flicks, we’re going to eat to our stomach&#039;s desire and get a good night&#039;s rest. And tomorrow, we&#039;re going to go to your house. I&#039;m going with you, that&#039;s not up for negotiation. You&#039;re going to talk to Mike, and we&#039;re going to pack you a bag and you&#039;re going to stay with me. After you&#039;ve given it some clear thought without pressure from anyone and you&#039;re ready to make a decision then okay. But you can&#039;t make any decisions while you&#039;re living with him because he will cloud your judgement. Now chop chop. Pick out a movie, I&#039;ll get the snacks. You can change into a pair of my Pjs too.”<br /> With Rachel growing up an Army brat, you could hear the authoritarian in her coming out. She marched off to the kitchen while I changed my clothes and picked out a movie. Hours later she was passed out on the sofa with a line of drool coming out of her mouth. However, I couldn&#039;t sleep. I just couldn&#039;t shut my mind off.<br /> I debated on waking Rachel up to let her know we were adding one more to the party, but she was snoozing hard. You definitely didn&#039;t want to wake Rachel when she hasn&#039;t gotten enough rest. She turns into an instant bimbo and I don&#039;t have the capacity to deal with that right now.<br /> I made sure to cut on the porch light and unlock the door and go into the kitchen to heat him up something to eat, knowing he&#039;s going to be hungry. Yes, I may have been trying to bribe my child into not hating me with food, but it&#039;s a risk I&#039;m willing to take.<br /> I heard some shuffling in the foyer and a few curses and then silence. Going to check it out, I peeked around the corner to see Gage kneeling down to pick up my purse that he had knocked over, but all of the contents had spilled. Including all of the brochures from Brian&#039;s office and the paperwork with my test results on it. His face was pale and he wasn&#039;t moving.<br /> “Mom…?” his eyes raised to mine. His bright blue eyes that matched his fathers and they were starting to blur with unshed tears. “Mom, what is this?”<br /> I sighed, something I&#039;ve been doing a lot of today and knelt next to him. “Gage, son, look at me” he did and I could see the tremble in his body.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want to tell you about that yet... I wanted to wait until after SAT’s and until you picked a good school.”<br /> He shook his head. “No!” I gave him a look and he mumbled sorry. “You know what, I&#039;m not sorry! You&#039;re sick! You need me! I can go to a school closer to home! I can still achieve my goals and dreams while being here for you.”<br /> This is what I was afraid of.<br /> “Baby, I don&#039;t want you to put your life on hold for me. I will be okay. I&#039;m a fighter. I&#039;m strong. I can handle anything. I want you to live your life for you, I want you to make choices because you want to do them. Not because you feel obligated.”<br /> “I&#039;m not obligated to do anything. You&#039;re my mother. You gave me life. If you think I would for a second abandon you in your time of need then you&#039;re sadly mistaken. You raised me better than that.” I took him in my arms and he bussed the top of my head. Now that he was nearly an adult, he was almost a foot taller than me.<br /> “I just want you to have every change you can possibly have in life. A better life than what I had growing up.”<br /> His hug got tighter. “You&#039;ve given me an amazing life mom. Let me help you. No wonder dad drank himself into a stupor.”<br /> I couldn&#039;t help it. I tensed at the mention of Mike and Gage unfortunately noticed.<br /> “Mom?” he asked, raising a brow.<br /> I attempted to brush it off because this was an adult matter. It&#039;s not something a teenager. He wasn&#039;t having it.<br /> “I know you told, Rachel about it or else you wouldn&#039;t have come here. So you have two choices. Either tell me what I want to know, or I will wake up aunt Rachel and we both know that won&#039;t end well.”<br /> “Just tell the boy!” Rachel said, peeking her head above the sofa. I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged and shrunk down further waiting for the explosion of what I&#039;m about to tell my son.<br /> “Please don&#039;t hate me…” I whispered to him not expecting him to hear me but knowing that he did. “Your dad and I….I will be staying here for a few days.”<br /> His face scrunched up in confusion. “Why… you and dad..you&#039;re my idol couple. You&#039;re so in love. I...What happened?”<br /> “I thought we were in love too…” I sobbed a bit knowing full well that that was the truth. I thought we did love each other. It was great, frequent, we hardly ever fought, we spent time together. I don&#039;t understand what happened.<br /> “Your dad is having an affair and I found out about it today.” I couldn&#039;t meet his eyes. I was filled with shame. Shame that I failed my marriage, that I failed my family, and that I wasn&#039;t enough to keep my family together. I felt like there was no way out of this dark place. I can&#039;t face him knowing that I failed him.<br /> “Who?” was all he said. I looked up and his face was turning red and the tips of his ears even redder. A trait he inherited from his father.<br /> “It&#039;s not important…”<br /> “God, mom! Tell me who!” I trembled at the anger he released.<br /> “Gage, just calm down…”<br /> He shook his head. “No. Not this time. I&#039;m not going to calm down. Tell me who dad decided to throw his family away for. Tell me who dad thought was so important that he would chose to break up his own family for.”<br /> Wait, he wasn&#039;t mad at me?<br /> “You&#039;re not mad at me?” I asked stupidly.<br /> He took three giant steps towards me and engulfed me in a hug. I could feel his own tears hitting my forehead. “Why would I ever be mad at you over this? You&#039;re not the one who stuck a body part in another person that wasn&#039;t your spouse. You&#039;ve never been anything short of amazing Mom. But please. Tell me who”.<br /> “It was Lisa…” I muttered knowing he deserved to know, but hating that I was thrusting all of this on my child.<br /> “You&#039;ve got to be kidding me!” was all he said before he stormed out of the door, got in his truck and sped off.<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> “Go after him before he does something he&#039;ll regret. He may be mad now, but he&#039;s reacting to emotional overdrive” Rachel&#039;s voice was sad but firm. I knew I would need to go after him. After that were dropped on him in the past hour, it&#039;s a wonder he&#039;s still standing. It&#039;s a miracle that I&#039;m still standing, but I&#039;ve also had spirit to help drown my sorrows in.<br /> There&#039;s only one place he would have gone. He would have gone home to confront Mike. Rachel trailed behind me as we all climbed in my car.<br /> “You don&#039;t think he’ll do anything stupid do you?” she was silent, but I knew the answer myself. We drove the short 15 minutes it took to get to my house, well my old house, and sure enough his truck was parked in the driveway still running.<br /> I could hear the yelling from outside. Shouting from both Gage and Mike. When I got through the door it was clear that I needed to calm one if not both of them down. Pictures were smashed, there was glass everywhere. I rounded the corner to the living room to see Mike pinned to the wall by Gage. Both of them were nearing 6 foot tall and well built but seeing our 17 year old holding such an advantage over him was shocking.<br /> Mike&#039;s eyes met mine and they bugged out.<br /> “Why?” Gage shouted.<br /> “Why would you do this? I thought you cared about us? Was it worth it you prick!” his voice cracked with emotion the more that he spoke. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder causing him to jerk before turning to meet my gaze.<br /> “Let him go sweetie…” he shook his head in refusal. “Gage, let him go…” My voice was soft and he slowly released his grip on his dad and Mike sagged against the wall while Gage fell into my arms.<br /> “It&#039;s okay sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. Rachel is in the car. Grab a bag of clothes and go to the car.” he nodded and walked away.<br /> “Jo…” I held up my hand to him.<br /> “Save it…I&#039;m grabbing a bag myself and staying with Rachel for a few days.” he stepped towards me causing me to step back. The hurt in his eyes was evident, but it was his own fault.<br /> “Can we please just talk about this? I made a mistake, yes, but we can fix this!”<br /> I scoffed. “A mistake? An accident? What did you accidentally fall and land in her hip?” he hung his head. “And the worst part about all of this is, it wasn&#039;t even a complete stranger. Lisa. My best friend. How long has this been going on?”<br /> “Well?” I probed when he didn&#039;t answer.<br /> “This was the first time in years that I&#039;ve been with her…” he wasn&#039;t looking at me, he refused to look me in the eye.<br /> “Wait….you said in years. What did you mean?”<br /> When he raised his head he had tears in his bloodshot eyes. “We called it off when Brian proposed to her. I&#039;m telling you all of this so we can air it all out. So we can move past it. We had been seeing each other since highschool.”<br /> I felt a pressure in my head and my heart sinking to my stomach. I looked to the stairwell and saw Gage sitting on the stairs listening intently.<br /> “Why then? Why continue to be with me? Why even see me at all if you were with her too? That means you had been having a whole other life for 10 years. I-I can&#039;t… I don&#039;t understand. Why did you marry me, lead me on, continue to sleep with me, frequently by the way, if you were with her?”<br /> He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. I was way past angry at this point. I picked up a vase of flowers that he had gotten me two weeks ago. Now that I think about it, those flowers were probably an apology for everything. Gripping the vase hard enough I was sure it would shatter. I chucked it. It hit the wall next to him shattering to pieces.<br /> He didn&#039;t flinch, he didn&#039;t move, he didn&#039;t even bat an eyelash. He was taking my temper tantrum and letting me get it all out.<br /> “ANSWER ME.”<br /> “Because I love you. I still do.”<br /> I cut him off. “Nonsense. If you loved me you wouldn&#039;t have strayed. You wouldn&#039;t have kept it up for 10 years. So try again.”<br /> “I do love you. But it&#039;s possible to love more than one person. I thought I was in love with her too, but I was wrong. I didn&#039;t know she was seeing Brian until 6 months before the proposal. It felt so wrong. I felt used. She was seeing both of us, using both of us for money, she was getting a high off the rush of getting caught. She was vindictive, so I cut it off. I broke up with her.”<br /> A half choked cob and laugh left my lips. “Then how did I catch you balls deep in her this afternoon?”<br /> He let out a deep breath. “I truly don&#039;t know. She had been there to see Brian but he was in with a patient. She had waited in my office for him and one thing led to another. I don&#039;t want to be that prick and say she came onto me but she did.”<br /> I walked up to him and slapped him so hard that his head whipped to the side. “You should have said no. You should have called security. You had so many opportunities. I don&#039;t know if we can fix this Michael. 10 years of infidelity out of a 17 year marriage. Do you know how many people Lisa was sleeping with in college? You could have given me a STD! Even when I was pregnant! All of those appointments you missed because you were busy were you out with her? All those conferences out of town, was it her? I don&#039;t understand it. You just shattered every bit of trust and faith I had in us. What was so wrong with me that you couldn&#039;t be faithful to me? You know how hard my life was before I met you. You know how important family is to me! Growing up in the foster care system, I didn&#039;t have a family! You were my family. Lisa was my family. I hope it was worth it. I hope she was worth it.”<br /> He put his hands on my shoulders trying to calm down my ranting. Gage stood up from the stairs and started towards us. “Take your hands off of her. Or I will...” I had never heard that authority in his voice. Mike stood back and held his hands up.<br /> “We can fix this...I&#039;ve been faithful for 10 years. Not once have I strayed in that time. Well, except today. But it&#039;s not you. It&#039;s never been your fault. I could break up with you or leave you because I loved you. I couldn&#039;t bear to lose you. I didn&#039;t want to live without you. I was going to call it off when you got pregnant but she convinced me to stay. She tried many times to get me to divorce you, but I just couldn&#039;t. I won&#039;t. And don&#039;t say we were your family like it was past tense. We are family. I can fix this. I can&#039;t live without you…”<br /> “Well, it looks like you&#039;re going to have to figure out how to. I don&#039;t know if I can ever forgive you for this. I am going to leave now. I&#039;m staying with Rachel. Goodbye, Mike.” I whispered and walked away.<br /> Gage had two bags in his hand. “I packed your bag too…” he had a far away look in his eyes.<br /> “I didn&#039;t want you to hear any of that...I&#039;m sorry, son.”<br /> “Gage!” Mike called out. He stopped walking but didn&#039;t turn around. “Please...just take care of your mother… I love you. Both of you.”<br /> “Save it, dad. If you loved us, you wouldn&#039;t have destroyed our family.”<br /> ---- <br /> Joanna<br /> The weekend had come and gone and I had a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed this morning. The amount of spirit I had drank this weekend was catching up with me and I was highly considering calling out of work. The sun had barely risen in the sky, the remaining bits of darkness still lingering on the horizon.<br /> My phone was continuing to blow up with message and message, voicemail after voicemail, and countless emails all from Mike trying to get me to come home, to work this out. Lisa had sent me a few messages both asking to talk and to apologize.<br /> Brian had sent 2 messages. One checking on me, and one apologizing. I don&#039;t know what he had to apologize for. Nothing was his fault. He and I were in the same boat. Both the people we thought we loved betrayed us. If anything I should be the one apologizing to him. If only I had caught on sooner.<br /> I had thought everything was perfect. I had thought that our love was strong and powerful. I thought nothing could come in between us. I thought that we were invincible. I now know that all of that was a charade. I knew that none of that was real. He used me, he lied to me, he betrayed me. He destroyed every little piece of me that I thought that I had.<br /> I knew once all of this was said and done that I would never trust again. I would never fall in love again. It wasn&#039;t worth it. Besides, no one would want a washed up, jaded, 33 year old woman with a 17 year old child, a cheating ex-husband, and a list of trust issues a mile long. Not to mention cancer. <br /> The cancer alone would be enough to scare the strongest of suitors away. What am I even thinking about. It&#039;s been 3 days since I caught my husband, deep inside of that woman and I&#039;m over here thinking about future relationships.<br /> I shouldn&#039;t be thinking of these things. Especially things that will never happen. I knew that my walls were being built up as high and as strong as they possibly could be and I would make sure that no one would ever be able to tear them down.<br /> Dressed in my mint green scrubs, white lab coat, and a stethoscope around my neck, I looked in the mirror. I looked tired, my face was puffy like I had been crying for days, which I had. My green eyes were dulled out to almost grey. My golden hair was flat and lifeless.<br /> I looked haggard but Rachel peeked her head in and whispered “You are the most beautiful woman I know. You&#039;re going to get through this.” her hot pink scrubs with paw prints on them only flattered her every curve.<br /> I narrowed my eyes at her lying hip. “Don&#039;t even give me that look. You are veterinarian. If only I swung that way.” She whistled and swatted at my hip and I couldn&#039;t help but chuckle. She always knew how to cheer me up.<br /> “So let&#039;s go out for drinks tonight. We never really got to celebrate you getting this job, and we need some spirit therapy. After all spirit always listens.”<br /> “Gage has football practice, and Mondays are slow anyways. Please.” She poked out her bottom lip and widened her eyes.<br /> “Fine. Just a couple of drinks. I start Chemo this week and can&#039;t drink a lot. Brian said that if I am going to drink, I will need to limit it to one glass of spirit a day.” she lowered her eyes and nodded.<br /> “I almost forgot about that. It just doesn&#039;t seem real. You know I&#039;m behind you every step of the way, right?” I nodded and hugged her. It was true she was an amazing friend. I trusted her wholly.<br /> I peeked in on Gage and saw him sleeping. I went over to him and rubbed his head like I used to do when he was a toddler. Oh, how I wish they could stay small forever. This world is too unkind sometimes. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that I would be there for him for everything. I wouldn&#039;t let him go through life alone like I had. I wanted him to know that he always had me, no matter what.<br /> “Don&#039;t be late for school. I&#039;m going to work.” the guest bedroom he was sleeping in was almost too small for him and it made me chuckle a bit seeing this growing boy nearly falling out of the bed. He groaned and gave me a thumbs up.<br /> “I love you, Son.”<br /> At work I had to sit down with the head veterinarian and explain to him my chemo schedule, which meant telling yet another person about it. In reality I just wanted to keep it to myself. I didn&#039;t need anyone taking pity on me or treating me differently.<br /> He patted me on the back and told me if I needed anything I just needed to ask. But at the moment I was currently trying to wrangle in a group of hyperactive puppies coming in for their checkups.<br /> “Oh, aren&#039;t you just the cutest little thing.” I squeaked, picking up one of the fluff balls. They were little husky puppies and boy were they working on those vocal chords.<br /> “Alright, so all of these little beauties are perfectly healthy. I recommend deworming them today and we can go ahead and give them their first rounds of shots. Also, would you like to have them microchipped for when they go to their new homes?” I looked at Mrs. Thompson, she was a spritely woman, so full of enthusiasm.<br /> “Of course, yes. Only 3 of the 4 are spoken for. This little guy is the only one who hasn&#039;t found his forever home yet.&quot; The pup in question was the red and white fluffer I was holding a bit ago.<br /> “Oh?” I asked. I knew it was wrong to interject into patients&#039; plans, but this little guy was just the cuddliest boy ever. She gave me a knowing smile.<br /> “You know, I think he likes you. I&#039;ve always called that one Finn.”<br /> It was so tempting, something I just didn&#039;t want to turn down. In a moment of weakness I thought about how every man has left me. My father, my husband, friends, and I thought, dogs are loyal, right? This little guy surely won&#039;t leave me.<br /> “I suppose he does need a home. And you are right, he does seem to like me…” she smirked and we finalized the rest of the details. I had somehow acquired a puppy. What just happened?<br /> Several patients, and layers of dog and cat hairs later and I was exhausted. The day was ending and Rachel had popped in my office several times to remind me of my promise for tonight.<br /> “Have you spoken to Lisa?” Rachel asked me when she walked into the room.<br /> “No, and I don&#039;t plan on it. She needs to forget that I exist. I have nothing nice to say to her and it would be better if I didn&#039;t say anything at all.” she nodded.<br /> “I know. I only ask because she&#039;s reaching out to me now trying to get to you. Want me to throat punch her? You know I will.” I snorted because she was being honest. I knew she would in a heartbeat. She was the brawler of the group and I was always the level headed.<br /> “Let me finish these charts and you can punch throats to your heart&#039;s content.”<br /> “So, you&#039;re going through with the divorce, yes?” she asked curiously. I nodded.<br /> “I think so. I just can&#039;t forgive it. 10 years. He had been sleeping with her for 10 years. He said he had been faithful since her and Brian got married but apparently she seduced him and he fell for it. I don&#039;t believe it. I don&#039;t believe one word of it. Even if it had been just one time... I couldn&#039;t forgive it. Unfaithfulness is where I draw the line.”		ForFun-105		18	https://facebook.com/61552095643555	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66865	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054160		67		742247007777705		8.9362920225368E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967015270018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299788	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412859729_1026488451916538_5165850257058310605_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QCe9SXGuYXgAX_gicaV&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJAQNhG7UBL35qzx3jBisQ_n7OlGx0JPLYmzDcpkT0ug&oe=65922CBC	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412871035_1780503239122472_4352585297328749913_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DJgWJQTATXIAX-l_kZy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAoc0qlJgNwRNQXRh_MrAjb1gxyhBZ1CPbigSlhRsSitQ&oe=6592F3F9			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66943	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054160		67		871300251139718	5	3.6610815266792E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829728740756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213337	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412281800_737327067855194_5585804166645535762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5wQMPXMTN-AAX8kHQTp&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPF3hYKO3uonjFQ-Zg7eFg2YTlZ9sC8SMoS4yWvtolow&oe=65921B7F	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67593	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/17/24, 11:34 PM	1703760164	1729226073		67		660805029469700	1	8.8352844650864E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205062492250729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702608698	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410918881_932725475058324_3813125564012548014_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=raZSctdwhpMAX8u5bDt&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB-mjrOsH3snmdQZKYnjaIUyi6HhqQvPDSKWS8ixhWQ7A&oe=6591BBC9	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410956523_7737239936292497_7259401642308691081_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z3ApqZz4itcAX-rpMu8&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrZtF4AyTaC_WhKxSufGqGs1whu9tOVc5LiafWY1uozg&oe=65933739			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67613	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054160		67		1059477041962269	2	1.0089377503986E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205063109280729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702609674	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409435039_727491702257150_3044873283898044693_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JS_-mDyDkCQAX9MjvLR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCeb-j0U2IECMTRubA07bPaCMjHElwLQkLAM2n_pkOPjg&oe=65926883	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409408847_229393310180826_6978829311705487115_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y2iAU2__5ocAX9-SrK5&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDOrURkUvEggZp7wDSAoGZy6THAb3xQFpVJjSE24bJN1Q&oe=65923E7E			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67802	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054160		67		877736760484740	3	3.085052154829E+14		1703664000	person_profile		logged_out	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170653559665554		0	Joanna Vargas Skin Care															1.7065355966555E+14	Joanna Vargas Skin Care	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409820886_869553314870086_3886422058259776621_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PuhCEjtJhxoAX87Bbag&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuKPCl15AZ1ZPTmc-25p-5mKAYBgxEZofMx6m65DvK_A&oe=65923F19	person_profile	0												https://facebook.com/JoannaVargasSkincare	0								1702454400		View Edit Delete
67995	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054160		67		1106357170728233	3	3.6807866254761E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120203363476630682		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	37 Photos Of The Place Joanna Gaines Lives In With Her Partner	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702450951	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410421289_7172461036147119_7249366461880378718_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4DzdPU_TXzQAX_nsGZN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyvrFXYz2niRkYeg-SD6GNe42AglK7F2d5CR8wBf--QQ&oe=659158EB	person_profile	0					0	3	Goodbye Fixer Upper? This Is The Truth about what Sent Them To Court		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68087	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054160		67		1103939483935738	1	7.3874007479535E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143544350670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374833	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408936973_289852030707775_6732654118096061362_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q2OY9U1y52gAX9uS_s5&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqBw9PCqduEcXQkhkCNu30_zkNoFmFItx-hYXxypxPhw&oe=659326A8	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410162471_654074716940963_6211365961029398650_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X8keKllThOMAX9xMNsd&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCLcBA5KBThHob2AVR0RF2EHLO75Ii3I2XpgQqQ0uzw5w&oe=65928F5D			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68092	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054160		67		1015777499492942	1	1.0316188214447E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120203143456480670		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥 Continuer la lecture ➤➤📜<Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/ngocvh1lzgolxeaimswy1psu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702374724	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410146628_2379615908914734_7668713125498965323_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3Z5-Epe4nNsAX8h1dMq&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBM_coN3kajSOecA6e38iIgM2Ki4aTMKt4fqoxolOqmfQ&oe=65930F1F	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406860425_714187950774251_3492046271533228982_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7nVieIqab38AX-35MgF&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCR3PSddhMWx9Z5ui_MjSA-l-BLBKzzOQYfBgtww9Qm6Q&oe=6592827D			0	3	💔🔞 Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68215	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		350045384445458		7.455354941253E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753698620427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119691	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409563668_1546763279474478_2085297181050040151_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Wl-xUecePfMAX_pPavg&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDqWw5oCyHijIjiEx_uxPuvin1_q1YLO9hy6CIF982lfw&oe=65927FB8	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409584060_778949423995189_37653775347606210_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nqOvpSATvRQAX8o6IAa&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBnYddP1OcywfKS1N2ztvQnaYa42Pj5WOsid-hgGeB26A&oe=6591D49A			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68214	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		374115561658834	3	7.455354941253E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753763160427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119744	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409221760_1152697816104123_6712150111232747307_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mK9v-3sya6oAX9zLrS0&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCrhgpbibOca0bPvLJKc0VG4g93CwRpUPS1iNet6a2rmQ&oe=65932D25	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409112440_1008017557161795_77377253428082485_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VihbG5EaEe4AX9pgSf6&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfARlWkIH3a04jMfTSJV9u4u86-_41-un-Po-UXqM60sBw&oe=65930757			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68236	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		731619698842200	2	9.8798170229994E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202155277550476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702094518	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408754354_24737486685842310_2077318121011804122_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KWPR4YdwrykAX_b-57b&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfB5P7o8LTB4bxCcd1gPFW987fVJnB8NIbDaeLV2cjQTDg&oe=6592817C	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408764281_1469234123933644_1766066284561923871_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=59Yq4KwvfuQAX-7hLzK&_nc_oc=AQnjycSGa0OD-a9gMUNrDu2pox8mtlm7C4VZ8skp0BLyh8tyIpbFrCVBYrusBEz1DBw&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCdHeSgUI7oTThqvNHNu3PBrXv0FYkX7i5GQjo2OgHNQg&oe=6592E71A			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68249	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		744307420902902	1	3.6441415609946E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	180251658500845		0	Bad Novel			120201576031230539		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to read the full text		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/2c317ec0-76d0-4274-8237-3555126e8dfa.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1702048120	1.8025165850084E+14	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409060794_1090924688752125_2263526067914526269_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C0Yh34BLDlcAX8SsO42&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA5-TuAlJaV6DZVtKjeAslTENPYBdtGvMkOiK9bJW-oOw&oe=65922E65	person_profile	0	Bad Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408700127_670865525030363_8521751919983966266_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=64U9c6nPTIUAX9fBCEm&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDfm04n4z9HfRi6iKHFvsoQB3Rmj1ekS9O5IXe3aU_jWQ&oe=65917759			0	3	As the sun dipped below the horizon on a July evening, the sky retained its luminous glow, refusing to succumb to darkness.<br /> By the base of Mount Elvern, before an unnamed tombstone.<br /> Clad in black casual attire, Yvonne Anworth stood before the tombstone. Her delicate features were etched with a chill that resembled the precision of a carefully sculpted statue. &quot;Mom, ten years have passed since that day. I&#039;ve stuck to your advice and kept myself in check all these years. Tomorrow, I&#039;m going back to the Anworths.&quot;<br /> Enveloped in silence, she could only hear the wind whispering through the trees.<br /> &quot;Boom!&quot;<br /> A sudden, jarring sound drew Yvonne&#039;s attention, prompting her to subtly turn her head. Her mesmerizing eyes narrowed as she gazed towards the source of the noise, not too far from her.<br /> A black car with a deflated tire sat lopsided on the roadside.<br /> A man dressed in black sportswear emerged from the car. His gait was unsteady, suggesting an injury.<br /> A group of about a dozen people dressed in black attire trailed behind him.<br /> Brandon Hart glanced over his shoulder, his face stern and cold. He clutched his aching stomach, and his lips drained of color. He exuded an aura of pain and suffering.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t even think about running! We paid a fortune for you, and you&#039;re not going anywhere.&quot; The menacing figure in black said as he closed in on the shivering figure before him. The leader&#039;s face was devoid of emotion, his eyes cold and calculating, radiating an aura of pure malice.<br /> &quot;Just you guys?&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes narrowed, his voice like a frosty dagger.<br /> The pain from his stomach shot up to his head. He could feel the blood seeping out, making him doubt if he could hold on much longer.<br /> &quot;Alright, let&#039;s get this over with,&quot; the leader of the black-clad people said and attacked Brandon.<br /> &quot;Huh?&quot;<br /> Suddenly, a stone came whizzing out of nowhere and struck the black-clad person in the arm. His hand trembled, and he crumpled to the ground.<br /> The black-clad person&#039;s expression morphed into a mask of fury, a low rumble emanating from their chest. &quot;Who&#039;s there?&quot;<br /> Yvonne spoke in a calm, emotionless tone, &quot;You&#039;ve interrupted my mom&#039;s peace. Take your fight elsewhere!&quot;<br /> A crowd of people gazed intently at Yvonne, their faces grave.<br /> Even Brandon, known for his menacing glare, couldn&#039;t mask his astonishment.<br /> Despite their formidable reputations as international assassins, capable of vanquishing multiple foes, the group succumbed to the might of a mere stone hurled by a teenage girl.<br /> That girl was off the charts!<br /> &quot;Back off, or you&#039;re toast!&quot; The leader&#039;s eyes turned icy as he ordered, &quot;Kill her!&quot;<br /> The rest of the crowd surged forward in an instant.<br /> Yvonne&#039;s gaze grew icy, her eyes like shards of ice.<br /> &quot;Watch out!&quot; Brandon had already sprung into action before the black-clad people rushed towards Yvonne.<br /> But Brandon&#039;s feet halted abruptly, his dark eyes widening in disbelief.<br /> The assassins were no match for Yvonne. They all fell before her without even having a chance to attack.<br /> And she didn&#039;t budge an inch. Her face was undisturbed, and her eyes steady.<br /> If it weren&#039;t for her hands that had not yet been withdrawn, Brandon would have thought he was hallucinating.<br /> &quot;Get lost!&quot; Yvonne tilted her chin up slightly, her voice icy.<br /> The men in black stared at her like she was some kind of ghost, their faces etched with confusion and a hint of fear. &quot;Who the hell are you? And what&#039;s your deal?&quot;<br /> The cause of their fall remained a mystery to them.<br /> All they recalled was the girl raising her hand and releasing a powdery substance, followed by their sudden descent.<br /> And they didn&#039;t even touch a single strand of the girl&#039;s hair.<br /> As Yvonne remained silent, the black-clad men collapsed to the ground, unconscious.<br /> Yvonne cast a fleeting glance at their fallen forms before raising her gaze to Brandon, who stood nearby.<br /> Brandon&#039;s heart skipped a beat as her clear, moonlit eyes met his.<br /> Regaining his composure, he approached her and spoke softly, &quot;Thank you.&quot;<br /> Yvonne gave him a cold stare and curtly declared, &quot;I&#039;m not saving you!&quot;<br /> Her only desire was to avoid being bothered and to have a conversation with her mother.<br /> As Yvonne uttered those words, she turned around and strode away. Her hand reached out to gently caress the tombstone surface. &quot;I gotta go, Mom. May you rest in peace.&quot;<br /> As she was about to walk away, Brandon stopped her and asked, &quot;Hey, what&#039;s your name? I&#039;d like to return the favor someday.&quot;<br /> &quot;I never intended to save you,&quot; Yvonne waved her hand and kept walking.<br /> &quot;Wait ... ouch!&quot; Brandon didn&#039;t even get to finish his sentence and collapsed on the ground.<br /> Yvonne turned back. Her brow furrowed in confusion before resuming her walk.<br /> Out of nowhere, a gust of wind swirled around her, making Yvonne halt in her steps. She glanced up at the unmarked gravestone and asked, &quot;Do you want me to save him?&quot; But the only answer was the wind&#039;s whisper. For a moment, Yvonne stayed silent, her voice laced with a hint of helplessness, &quot;Alright, I&#039;ll save him.&quot;<br /> Yvonne crouched beside Brandon and gently raised his shirt. She immediately noticed that he had a severe wound on his stomach.<br /> But it wasn&#039;t a big problem.<br /> She retrieved a small bottle from her bag and sprinkled some medicinal powder on it. Then, she took out another bottle and fed a pill to Brandon.<br /> Brandon would be astonished to see the rare and valuable healing pill lying before him. It is a highly sought-after item in the black market, with each pill fetching an astounding price of 750,000 dollars. However, due to its scarcity, it is almost impossible to find on the market.<br /> After Brandon took the pill, Yvonne immediately turned and left.<br /> Queenstown, the Anworths mansion.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s banned from this house as long as I&#039;m alive!&quot; a booming voice echoed through the mansion.<br /> In the middle of the living room, Yvonne raised her eyes slightly and gazed serenely at the enraged Madam Anworth. Her peach blossom eyes, usually bright and expressive, were now modestly lowered, concealing a depth of composure.<br /> Unnoticed by anyone, a sly grin appeared on her lips.<br /> Having just returned home with her father, Thomas Anworth, Yvonne was immediately summoned to the old mansion by Madam Anworth, who had already heard the news of their arrival.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s immediate disapproval of Yvonne&#039;s return was evident as soon as she stepped into the room.<br /> &quot;Ugh, Mom! Yvonne is my daughter. She&#039;s your grandchild.&quot;<br /> Thomas stood with his hands clenched at his sides. His jaw was set, and his shoulders tense.<br /> After a decade of searching, he was overjoyed to finally reunite with his daughter. But he was caught off guard when his mother refused to allow Yvonne to return home. In front of the entire family, she even disrespected Yvonne.<br /> &quot;She doesn&#039;t deserve a shred of recognition from me! I&#039;ll never give her the time of day!&quot; Madam Anworth&#039;s hand struck the table with a resounding thud, her glare as sharp as a blade aimed at Yvonne&#039;s heart.<br /> Yvonne lifted her head, briefly encountering Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze before looking away once more. She remained unfazed by Madam Anworth&#039;s scrutiny.<br /> Thomas suddenly raised his head and declared with determination, &quot;Now that I&#039;ve found Yvonne, I&#039;ll never let her go again. Our family is broken beyond repair, so stay out of my personal life!&quot;<br /> &quot;How dare you!&quot; Madam Anworth shot up from her chair, her eyes blazing. &quot;If you even think about bringing her back, I&#039;ll kick you out of your current position and take back every share you own!&quot;<br /> Thomas sneered and said, &quot;Position? Shares? Mom, I&#039;m just a lowly manager in the company now, making a basic salary of 600 dollars a month. I&#039;m not the one who wants to quit, it&#039;s you! And as for the shares, didn&#039;t you already take them all back?&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth gritted her teeth as she said, &quot;Are you deliberately trying to oppose me?&quot;<br /> She was stunned to see her typically weak and incompetent son defy her wishes time and again for the sake of Yvonne.<br /> She was certain that Yvonne and her late mother were up to no good, trying to stir up trouble between her and her son.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to say something, Hannah Anworth, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up, &quot;Grandma, do you agree to let Yvonne come back?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Grandma&#039;s expression softened a bit when she saw Hannah. But she still coldly snorted, &quot;Let Yvonne come back? Forget about it!&#039;&quot;<br /> &quot;But Yvonne is Mr. Hart&#039;s fiancée,&quot; Hannah blinked her eyes, her lips curled up into a mischievous grin.<br /> Chapter 2 Ending the Engagement<br /> 、The room was suddenly filled with an eerie silence.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about? Brandon&#039;s fiancée isn&#039;t ...,&quot; Grandma paused and abruptly stood up. &quot;Oh, wait, I remember now! Yvonne is the one engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, you don&#039;t have to marry Brandon anymore.&quot;<br /> It was widely acknowledged that Brandon Hart, the seventh son of the Harts, was an indolent person who lacked seriousness and frittered away his time.<br /> Master Hart has a deep affection for Brandon, particularly since Brandon heroically saved him two years ago, resulting in Brandon&#039;s disability. Since that incident, Master Hart has showered Brandon with even more love and attention.<br /> And Brandon&#039;s lavish spending habits have escalated, as he recklessly disposes of the money generously given to him by his parents and Master Hart.<br /> But for some unexplained reason, a representative from the Anworths recently approached the Harts and informed them that their young lady was engaged to Brandon and that they expected the Harts to honor the engagement.<br /> Isn&#039;t Hannah the young lady of the Anworths?<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s anxiety stemmed from her concerns about Hannah&#039;s future. Despite the Anworths&#039; lower social standing compared to the Harts, Madam Anworth had nurtured Hannah since she was a child. She believed that Hannah deserved to marry someone more prominent who could elevate the Anworths&#039; position.<br /> Despite Brandon&#039;s lavish lifestyle courtesy of his grandfather, he lacked true influence. The wealth he possessed originated from his parents and Master Hart&#039;s generosity.<br /> Remember, money could run out. Once he spent it all and there was nothing left, he would be left with nothing but to rely on the generosity of others for basic necessities.<br /> Despite Madam Anworth&#039;s objections, the Harts had been committed to their engagement and couldn&#039;t simply call it off. So, Madam Anworth sought strategies to terminate the impending union gracefully.<br /> With Yvonne&#039;s return, the engagement could proceed as planned. Yvonne&#039;s background as a simple country girl made her an appropriate match for Brandon, who had physical limitations. Besides, the Anworths could benefit from a union with the Hart family, achieving two advantages simultaneously.<br /> With this in mind, Madam Anworth wasted no time and said, &quot;Fine, let Yvonne come back. But she&#039;s got a month to learn some manners before she gets engaged to Brandon. We don&#039;t want any embarrassing moments at the ceremony.&quot;<br /> Thomas and Joanna Lloyd were dumbfounded, their eyes wide with disbelief as they gazed at the old lady.<br /> They were still struggling to process Hannah&#039;s earlier statement.<br /> Soon, Thomas raised his head abruptly, &quot;What engagement ceremony? The one engaged to Brandon isn&#039;t ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Yvonne is the young lady of the Anworths. It&#039;s her who is engaged to the Harts. Now that she&#039;s back, it&#039;s only natural to fulfill the engagement.&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s expression darkened upon hearing the news. She turned to Yvonne with a sympathetic gaze.<br /> Her mother-in-law was clearly up to something.<br /> Her willingness to let Yvonne back into their lives hints at her covert motivations.<br /> Everyone knew that Brandon had a disability.<br /> She once opposed Hannah marrying Brandon, but now she supported Yvonne marrying him.<br /> &quot;I disagree!&quot; Thomas&#039;s voice boomed with fury, his features contorted in a rage. &quot;It&#039;s obvious that Hannah is the one who got engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> &quot;Dad, I&#039;m not saying I don&#039;t want to marry Brandon, but Yvonne is the eldest daughter from the Anworths. If I get married to Brandon and the Harts find out about it, they&#039;ll be furious with us for keeping it a secret.&quot; Hannah&#039;s tone was vague, and she looked down slightly, a sly look crossing her face.<br /> &quot;Right!&quot; Madam Anworth immediately nodded, &quot;The Harts are a powerful family, and we don&#039;t want to mess with them.&quot;<br /> &quot;You all!&quot; Thomas&#039;s face went all red. He was furious.<br /> But Madam Anworth ignored him and turned to Yvonne. &quot;If you wish to return to the Anworths, you must get engaged to Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her eyes to meet Madam Anworth&#039;s gaze. Her bright and captivating eyes sparkled faintly.<br /> After a moment, with a dainty smile, she took a breath and coolly replied, &quot;Alright. I&#039;m in for the engagement!&quot;<br /> She must come back to the Anworths!<br /> Her lips curled into a subtle, enigmatic smile as she contemplated her engagement. Her return to the Anworths coincided with an opportune moment to gracefully dissolve her engagement to Brandon.<br /> After leaving the old mansion of the Anworths, Yvonne followed Thomas and Joanna back to their own home.<br /> Eight years ago, Thomas&#039;s grandmother forced him to leave the old mansion, and his family has since relocated to Newton Residential Area, a secluded neighborhood far from the city&#039;s bustle.<br /> The neighborhood had been quite antiquated, and the walls of the buildings were deteriorating, possibly due to the passage of time.<br /> Thomas&#039;s family resided in an apartment with three bedrooms.<br /> Upon greeting Thomas, Yvonne headed towards the bedroom.<br /> She just returned home, and her belongings haven&#039;t been unpacked yet.<br /> The moment she stepped into the bedroom, an insistent knock echoed through the room.<br /> She got up and headed towards the door. As she swung it open, she found Thomas and Joanna standing awkwardly, unsure of what to say.<br /> &quot;Do you need something, Mr. Anworth?&quot; Yvonne stepped aside to let Thomas come in.<br /> &quot;Yeah, I do, actually.&quot; Thomas pursed his lips, unsure how to start.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s the matter? Just tell me.&quot; Yvonne gestured for Thomas to sit down while she herself stood.<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the wedding on your behalf.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s eyebrows shot up, her eyes wide with surprise.<br /> Joanna approached her, gently grasped her hand, and took a seat on the bed. Then, she said softly, &quot;Listen. Your father believes that marriage is a lifelong commitment, and Brandon has a disability. If you marry him, you&#039;ll be responsible for his care for the rest of your life. He wants you to find someone with a good heart, someone who will truly love and protect you forever.&quot;<br /> Joanna paused for a moment and continued, &quot;But this marriage was arranged by your mother after all. So, we still need to hear your thoughts on it.&quot;<br /> Although she had never been in contact with Yvonne, she felt sorry for her.<br /> Brandon was not the right match for her.<br /> So what if the Harts were wealthy and powerful?<br /> If Yvonne makes that decision, the consequences will be devastating and irreversible. It would be a mistake with a lasting negative impact on her life.<br /> Yvonne looked at Joanna, a hint of a smile appearing on her cold cheeks. &quot;Well, I was planning on cancelling him.&quot;<br /> Joanna was Thomas&#039;s second wife and also her stepmother.<br /> After the brief interaction she had with her, Yvonne didn&#039;t feel repulsed.<br /> She could also tell that Thomas and Joanna were genuinely considering her.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s good!&quot; Thomas stood up excitedly. &quot;I&#039;m calling the Harts right now to cancel that wedding!&quot;<br /> Mount Elvern.<br /> In the depths of the mountain forest, three figures stood solemnly before a nameless grave.<br /> The man on the left, dressed in trendy clothes and sporting an earring, turned to the slender man beside him. &quot;Mr. Hart, it&#039;s been two days, and that girl still hasn&#039;t come. I don&#039;t think she&#039;ll come. Let&#039;s go.&quot;<br /> &quot;Just wait a little longer.&quot; The man in the middle narrowed his eyes and looked at the nameless grave before him. A layer of light shimmered under his dark eyes.<br /> He was dressed in casual black clothes, and his messy hair covered half of his eyelids. His exquisite, handsome face carried a hint of coldness and arrogance. He was the seventh son of the Harts, the useless son who was saved by Yvonne.<br /> Brandon Hart!<br /> The person who spoke first was Yorky Smith, the third son of the Smiths in Norbury.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t wait any longer. If you keep waiting, you&#039;ll miss the engagement with Miss Anworth from the Anworths.&quot; Yorky touched his earlobe and chuckled, &quot;Miss Anworth is a talented woman from Queenstown. Besides, you&#039;ve been engaged to her since childhood. Your grandfather has repeatedly emphasized that the engagement ceremony must not go wrong.&quot;<br /> A faint curve appeared at the ice-cold corner of Brandon&#039;s lips. &quot;Has the engagement with the Anworths been canceled?&quot;<br /> &quot;Even if you were cripple and the biggest loser on Earth, would the Anworths dare to break off their engagement with the Harts, the most powerful family in Norbury? And let&#039;s be honest, you&#039;re not exactly a loser anyway!&quot;<br /> It was hard to imagine the Anworths calling off the marriage if they knew Brandon was neither disabled nor useless!<br /> &quot;Oh.&quot; Brandon&#039;s eyes dimmed.<br /> They did not cancel the engagement!<br /> It was not fun anymore!<br /> Sensing futility in his words, Yorky sealed his lips on the matter.<br /> He decided not to mention this topic anymore. &quot;Since finding your savior seems impossible, let&#039;s move on. We can still save Helena once we find my senior.&quot;<br /> Brandon cast him a sidelong glance, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. &quot;Your senior? Are you sure she exists?&quot;<br /> Yorky was left speechless and couldn&#039;t come up with a response.<br /> After a while, he exclaimed in frustration, &quot;Of course she exists! My senior is totally drop-dead gorgeous and has a heart of gold. And don&#039;t even get me started on her skills as a doctor. She&#039;s like a walking miracle! She can practically raise the dead and mend broken bones ...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the person standing on Brandon&#039;s right side. &quot;Mr. Smith, you don&#039;t even know her name, what she looks like. And yet, you&#039;re making her out to be some kind of mythical creature. Is this &#039;senior&#039; of yours even real? Instead of wasting time looking for her, it would be better to wait for the Black Alliance to contact the mysterious divine doctor.&quot;<br /> Raise the dead and mend broken bones?<br /> Even the esteemed professors at the Medical Research Institute wouldn&#039;t even dare claim such skills.<br /> Yorky exclaimed excitedly, &quot;You&#039;re talking nonsense! You think I&#039;m making things up, huh? My senior is real! But that mysterious divine doctor is like a phantom, appearing and disappearing at will. Only treat patients on a whim. We&#039;ve searched for ages with no success. Who even knows if that doctor accepts patients anymore?&quot;<br /> &quot;I suspect he&#039;s completely incompetent! His medical skills are not even as good as my senior!&quot;<br /> This person was ignorant!<br /> How could an ordinary person like him understand his senior?<br /> Although his senior never mentioned his name and knowing she had changed after a decade, he was certain he would recognize his senior the moment he laid eyes on her.<br /> &quot;Fine, fine, I&#039;ll take your word for it.&quot; Franco Kelmer had it up to here arguing with Yorky. Mainly because he was kinda creepily obsessed with his senior.<br /> Brandon gave them both a quick look, then looked away and bowed to the nameless tombstone as he said, &quot;Alright, let&#039;s go!&quot;<br /> &quot;Mr. Hart, where are we going?&quot; Franco asked.<br /> Brandon&#039;s lips twitched into a faint smile. &quot;Queenstown. I&#039;ll convince my fiancée to break off our engagement!&quot;<br /> Chapter 3 Are You Trying to Lecture Me?<br /> On the other side.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> Just as Thomas was about to contact the Harts and call off the engagement, an unexpected visitor interrupted him with a ring of the doorbell.<br /> Thomas and Joanna rose to see who was at the door.<br /> Yvonne rose and joined the others outside. Guests had arrived, and her duty was to extend a warm welcome, as courtesy demanded.<br /> Upon reaching the door, she discovered it was Hannah standing before it.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were both taken aback, and even Yvonne couldn&#039;t help but raise her eyebrows.<br /> Hannah was already there, knocking on the door just moments after she had left the old mansion.<br /> &quot;Hi, Mom and Dad! I came to visit and also wanted to see Yvonne. I even brought her some clothes,&quot; Hannah said, a sweet smile revealed as she stood in her light-colored dress with her hair tied back on both sides.<br /> She radiated an air of quiet grace and elegance.<br /> Joanna glanced at the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand, and her expression changed.<br /> Madam Anworth bought these clothes for Hannah, but many of them were only worn once and then forgotten.<br /> This Hannah ....<br /> &quot;That&#039;s thoughtful of you,&quot; Joanna remarked, taking the bag from Hannah&#039;s hand and placing it on the cupboard.<br /> &quot;Why are you here all of a sudden?&quot; Thomas asked, his face darkening with suspicion as he noticed the bag in Hannah&#039;s hand.<br /> Hannah&#039;s eyes welled up. She looked at Thomas with a mixture of hurt and understanding as she said, &quot;Dad, I know you just reunited with Yvonne and want to focus on her. You probably don&#039;t want to see me right now, but ... Grandma insisted I come and teach her some of the rules of our family.&quot;<br /> Thomas&#039;s eyebrows furrowed tightly, his gaze at Hannah carried some impatience.<br /> Here we go again!<br /> For years, whenever she visited them, tears would stream down her face as though she had endured some terrible injustice.<br /> Could it have been that after receiving the favor of Madam Anworth, she looked down on her foster parents?<br /> Who would have wanted to see it like that then?<br /> Thomas&#039;s anger flared inexplicably. &quot;What kind of rules are you teaching?&quot; he thundered. &quot;Yvonne knows perfectly well how to behave. She doesn&#039;t need your instruction! She&#039;s not marrying the emperor and becoming a concubine, so why all the fuss over rules?&quot;<br /> &quot;Hahaha!&quot; Yvonne found Thomas&#039;s words unexpectedly funny and couldn&#039;t help but burst into laughter.<br /> It was clear Mr. Anworth had a humorous side.<br /> Hannah blushed beet red, looking down and nervously biting her lip. &quot;Dad,&quot; she mumbled, &quot;That&#039;s not what I meant at all. I just ...&quot;<br /> &quot;Fine. Go tell your grandmother that I&#039;ll cancel the engagement with the Harts. Since she looks down on Yvonne, she shouldn&#039;t care about her manners.&quot; Thomas cut her off, his voice laced with irritation.<br /> &quot;What did you just say? You want to cancel the engagement!&quot; Hannah couldn&#039;t pretend anymore. She gripped her skirt tightly, and the hatred in her eyes was about to erupt.<br /> What a hypocrite!<br /> Ridiculous!<br /> The treatment was indeed different for his own children.<br /> Initially, the Harts thought she was the one who was engaged to Brandon. And when they forced her to marry him, she secretly expressed her reluctance to marry Brandon. But what did Thomas say about it?<br /> He said he wouldn&#039;t be in charge of this household, and whether to do the engagement or not would be decided by Madam Anworth.<br /> But what about now?<br /> Just after Yvonne returned, Thomas was impatient to end this engagement. Why wasn&#039;t he saying that he&#039;s not in charge of this household anymore?<br /> &quot;Exactly! Yvonne is just nineteen, and I just managed to bring her back. It&#039;s impossible for her to get married,&quot; Thomas said with a serious expression, &quot;Go and tell your grandmother to stop thinking about Yvonne.&quot;<br /> He was well aware of what was going on in his mother&#039;s mind.<br /> While he used to be agreeable on all matters, there&#039;s no room for discussion when it came to Yvonne.<br /> He would confront anyone who dared to have bad intentions towards Yvonne without hesitation.<br /> &quot;But ...&quot; Hannah nervously bit her lip, expressing some reluctance, &quot;Yvonne has agreed to marry Mr. Hart. If she backs out, the Harts will hold us responsible. Offending the Harts would mean trouble for us.&quot;<br /> Hannah looked at Yvonne and said softly, &quot;Yvonne, you don&#039;t want the Anworths to face problems, right? This is what Grandpa worked tirelessly for all his life. If something goes wrong because of you ...&quot;<br /> She intentionally stopped speaking midway through her sentence.<br /> In response, Yvonne&#039;s captivating eyes lifted slightly, and her red lips formed a subtle smile. &quot;Indeed, I have no desire to get married. Why don&#039;t you consider marrying him?&quot;<br /> Hannah&#039;s body tensed for a moment, and her face briefly struggled to maintain composure.<br /> Who would willingly marry the disabled Brandon?<br /> She was a talented woman in Queenstown, achieving considerable success in various fields. Now, she was the top student in Fort Hill of Queenstown. With a promising future ahead, it was disheartening to think it could be jeopardized by association with that disabled person.<br /> What did Yvonne imply?<br /> Was she intentionally trying to upset her?<br /> &quot;Yvonne, your joke is far from amusing,&quot; remarked Hannah with a forced smile, appearing quite unappealing.<br /> Yvonne blinked and looked at her with a tilted head. &quot;I&#039;m not joking!&quot;<br /> Hannah was furious.<br /> She almost couldn&#039;t resist slapping Yvonne!<br /> Exploited every opening to benefit yourself, even when offered the benefit freely?<br /> Hannah&#039;s tone abruptly escalated as she emphasized, &quot;You&#039;re the eldest daughter of the Anworths!&quot; The malice in her eyes grew even more profound.<br /> &quot;Oh, really?&quot; Yvonne responded with a calm expression. &quot;So you, a spoiled child, are trying to lecture me on handling things?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Hannah&#039;s hands clenched tightly at her sides. Shortly after, she took a deep breath and chuckled lightly, saying, &quot;Yvonne, you&#039;ve misunderstood. How could I dare to lecture you? It&#039;s Grandma who mentioned that the engagement with the Harts is a significant matter. Besides, after the engagement, the Harts will invest a substantial amount in our company. So, we absolutely cannot break off the engagement.&quot;<br /> Without waiting for Yvonne to respond, Hannah stood up and said, &quot;Dad, I&#039;ll be heading to the company soon, so I won&#039;t stay long. When Grandma came, she wanted me to tell you that she disagreed with Yvonne canceling the engagement with Mr. Hart. If you insist on doing so, she&#039;ll take back this house.&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth certainly never said such things. Hannah took it upon herself to say these things.<br /> But she had the ability to influence Madam Anworth&#039;s attitude before Thomas approached her.<br /> Thomas&#039;s facial expression changed, and as he was about to respond, Hannah had already left.<br /> Chapter 4 Looked It Up<br /> Following Hannah&#039;s departure, Thomas expressed his frustration by forcefully placing the cup on the table, exclaiming, &quot;This is absolutely outrageous!&quot;<br /> Joanna poured him a glass of water and consoled him, saying, &quot;Come on, don&#039;t be upset. This child&#039;s heart has long been elsewhere. Getting angry won&#039;t change anything.&quot;<br /> Hannah was a child they had adopted eight years ago.<br /> During that time, Thomas&#039;s sole focus was on searching for Yvonne. After an extensive but unsuccessful search, he coincidentally came across Hannah.<br /> Her facial features share a certain similarity with Yvonne. Feeling a longing for Yvonne and pity for Hannah, Thomas decided to adopt her.<br /> Hannah was obedient and sensible. She had a sweet mouth, and knew how to make people happy.<br /> She had Madam Anworth wrapped around her finger.<br /> After two years of adoption, Madam Anworth took personal responsibility for raising Hannah. In a short span, she transformed into a highly admired and accomplished woman in Queenstown, causing many people to envy her.<br /> But ever since Hannah started following Madam Anworth, she looked down on them. Although it didn&#039;t show on the surface, the words she uttered always hit people in the heart.<br /> Thomas and Joanna were not naive. Over time, they grasped Hannah&#039;s intentions. Consequently, their interactions with Hannah naturally dwindled.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s all my fault. I shouldn&#039;t have adopted her!&quot; Thomas lamented, beating his chest and regretting his decision.<br /> &quot;You had good intentions back then,&quot; Joanna glanced at Yvonne and said, &quot;Now the problem is how to cancel the engagement! According to Mom&#039;s stance, she&#039;s set on marrying Yvonne off, and if we don&#039;t agree, she might not accept it gracefully.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;ve made up my mind to end this engagement. Even if Mom takes back the house, I refuse to believe that, as an adult, I can&#039;t provide for a wife and child.&quot;<br /> Joanna sighed.<br /> It seemed likely that in this Queenstown, Madam Anworth wouldn&#039;t offer them a place to stay.<br /> With her head bowed, Yvonne focused on the information displayed on her mobile phone.<br /> The page showcased details about Brandon.<br /> As a prominent figure in the Harts, Brandon&#039;s profile was indeed quite impressive.<br /> It had everything except for photos.<br /> Even the phone number was included on his profile.<br /> &quot;Mr. Anworth, there&#039;s no need to feel troubled. I can initiate the divorce myself,&quot; Yvonne said, raising her head with a graceful smile on her soft face. &quot;Don&#039;t worry about having a place to stay. I&#039;ll buy a house for you.&quot;<br /> Considering Mr. Anworth and his wife&#039;s good treatment towards her, acquiring this house could be seen as an act of filial piety.<br /> &quot;Yvonne ...&quot;<br /> Thomas wanted to say something, but Yvonne stood up and dialed a number on her phone.<br /> &quot;Hello? Is it Mr. Hart, right? I&#039;m Miss Anworth.&quot; Yvonne got straight to the point once the call was answered.<br /> Brandon&#039;s fingers paused on the other side of the phone, and his eyebrows lifted slightly as he asked, &quot;What&#039;s the matter?&quot;<br /> &quot;I want to cancel the engagement.&quot; Yvonne&#039;s voice was clear and sharp.<br /> Brandon was taken aback for a moment. After a slight pause, his thin lips curved up as he responded. &quot;Okay!&quot;<br /> Yvonne stared at her phone, which had already been hung up, and was stunned for a moment.<br /> So, he was on board with this?<br /> A high-end club in Queenstown.<br /> Brandon lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed. He held his phone with slender fingers, staring at the call logs that had been cut off, and a faint smile played on his cool lips.<br /> &quot;Is it really Miss Anworth from the Anworths?&quot; Yorky held a glass of wine and expressed a hint of disbelief.<br /> &quot;She said so,&quot; Brandon said with a low and enchanting voice, with a slightly cheerful tone.<br /> &quot;Tsk!&quot; Yorky expressed a mild exclamation and remarked, &quot;Well, well! Miss Anworth does have quite a distinctive personality. I&#039;m starting to view her in a different light.&quot;<br /> Although Brandon had a bad reputation, his family was financially stable.<br /> Though many girls desired to be his wife, the head of the Harts had already picked Miss Anworth as his future granddaughter-in-law.<br /> He thought the Anworths wouldn&#039;t break off the engagement.<br /> So, he investigated and found that the Anworths&#039; business had declined in recent years, facing severe financial difficulties. The engagement with the Harts not only secured a marital alliance but also brought in a substantial investment, a stipulation set by the Harts patriarch.<br /> So, under any circumstances, Madam Anworth would never agree to cancel the engagement.<br /> It was surprising that Miss Anworth personally took the initiative to cancel the engagement.<br /> She truly embodied the reputation of being a highly talented woman in Queenstown, displaying a level of integrity that many other girls could not match.<br /> Brandon was in a good mood. His elongated eyes were almost closed into a thin line as he swiftly played his phone with his fingers.<br /> Yorky leaned in for a glance, expressing astonishment as he said, &quot;Mr. Hart, why did you save the recording of the conversation with Miss Anworth?&quot;<br /> Brandon casually lifted his gaze, continuing to play with his phone. &quot;It&#039;s such a good thing. Why wouldn&#039;t I let my grandfather know and bring some joy to him?&quot;<br /> &quot;Will your grandfather get a heart attack when he finds out?&quot; Yorky remarked. He couldn&#039;t imagine the scene after the old man knew about this.<br /> &quot;He won&#039;t suffer from a heart attack. But maybe we would cry, make a fuss, or attempt suicide.&quot; These were the usual tactics used by her grandfather.<br /> In order to make him marry Miss Anworth, every possible method was used, causing him considerable distress.<br /> Now that Miss Anworth has chosen to cancel the engagement voluntarily, his grandfather should be able to settle down a bit.<br /> Taking a sip of his drink, Yorky turned to Brandon with a puzzled expression and inquired, &quot;By the way, why don&#039;t you want to marry Miss Anworth? Hannah Anworth is not only attractive and academically outstanding but also reputed to have achieved success in various fields. Given her academic performance, she&#039;s almost guaranteed to secure a spot at a prestigious university. A wife of such caliber is truly a rare find.&quot;<br /> In the chilly atmosphere, Brandon set aside his phone and raised his wine glass, giving it a slight shake. &quot;She&#039;s so outstanding, and I&#039;m disabled. I shouldn&#039;t stand in her way.&quot;<br /> Yorky&#039;s shifted his attention to Brandon&#039;s faultless, elongated legs and silently looked away.<br /> Newton Residential Area.<br /> As soon as Yvonne stepped into the bedroom, the phone started ringing. After checking the caller ID, she tensed up and walked to the window before answering the call.<br /> &quot;I found the information,&quot; a low male voice came through the phone. &quot;On the day your mother passed away, representatives from four influential families in Norbury showed up at your home.&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s expression turned serious. &quot;Four influential families?&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s right!&quot; the person on the other end continued, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, the Yeagers, and ... the Harts.&quot;<br /> Yvonne was surprised. &quot;The Harts? Brandon&#039;s family?&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; the person on the other end paused, &quot;In Norbury, there are four prominent families. The Harts, the Smiths, the Anworths, and the Wagners. The Harts hold the foremost position among these four, being a truly elite aristocratic family. Among the families that have members visiting your home, except for the Harts, the other three are considered to be of moderate size.&quot;<br /> The person remained silent for a moment before stating, &quot;The Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers. These three families visited your home in search of something. I couldn&#039;t find out the specific details, but the person sent by the Harts to your home was Brandon ...&quot;<br /> Yvonne&#039;s frigid gaze lifted, and her attractive brows furrowed tightly. &quot;Brandon? What&#039;s his purpose?&quot;<br /> &quot;Seems like he&#039;s looking for someone.&quot;<br /> Yvonne refrained from commenting. She leaned against the bed&#039;s edge, and her fair, slender fingers tapped the windowsill slowly. After a considerable pause, she spoke at a measured pace, &quot;Continue the investigation. Find out what the Sullivans, the Sawyers, and the Yeagers are looking for! You don&#039;t need to worry about the Harts. I&#039;ll handle it myself.&quot;<br /> &quot;Understood.&quot;<br /> Chapter 5 You Have No Manners at All!<br /> After hanging up the phone, Yvonne opened the window, gazing at the vivid blue sky outside with a composed expression.<br /> &quot;Mom! Who exactly did you offend?&quot;<br /> When Yvonne left the Anworths at the age of nine, the lasting memories etched in her mind portrayed her mother enduring mistreatment from Madam Anworth, and her mother always enduring it silently.<br /> During that period, she couldn&#039;t comprehend why her intelligent and efficient mother, despite being capable, endured bullying without putting up a fight.<br /> Once they left the Anworths, they found themselves being pursued by multiple groups. It was only when her mother demonstrated her enigmatic martial prowess and the art of acupoint sealing with silver needles that she realized her mother wasn&#039;t incapable of fighting back. Rather, she was actively avoiding the pursuit of others.<br /> Until one day, her mother received a phone call. At that moment, Yvonne noticed an unusual expression on her mother&#039;s face. But being young and having already experienced numerous escapes, she assumed that someone else was after them again.<br /> But that night, her mother took her own life!<br /> She met her demise at the hands of the poison she had personally developed!<br /> Prior to her passing, her mother had instructed her to seek out Master Reid at Haven Abbey, become his apprentice, undergo martial arts training, and remain on the mountain for a decade, tempering her skills for ten years.<br /> Her mother specifically ordered that, upon her death, she be cremated without any memorial erected.<br /> A decade later, she returned to the Anworths to find her father and fulfill her engagement with Brandon.<br /> She faithfully carried out all these instructions, with the sole exception of marrying Brandon.<br /> Over the previous ten years, she had lived under the constant weight of her mother&#039;s death every day. She had been determined to seek vengeance and wouldn&#039;t have allowed a marriage to obstruct her path.<br /> But then ....<br /> Brandon became entangled in the past events.<br /> With the marriage already canceled, any further investigation into the events of that year required a different approach.<br /> Suddenly, Yvonne&#039;s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a tumultuous knocking at the door.<br /> Upon opening the door, she witnessed Madam Anworth storming in accompanied by a group of people from the Anworths.<br /> The group consisted of Madam Anworth&#039;s eldest and youngest sons&#039; families, along with Hannah.<br /> The small living room was now crowded with about a dozen people, each displaying visible anger. This resentment intensified, especially upon spotting Yvonne come out, as if they were eager to vent their frustration by tearing her apart.<br /> &quot;Yvonne! You are a troublemaker! Who gave you permission to cancel the engagement with the Harts? What a bitch! Do you still have any respect for me?&quot;<br /> As soon as Madam Anworth saw Yvonne, her elderly and cloudy eyes seemed to express intense anger or frustration.<br /> It was beyond her expectations that Yvonne would independently decide to cancel the engagement.<br /> She wouldn&#039;t be aware of it if Master Hart hadn&#039;t called.<br /> Fortunately, Master Hart approved of that marriage and didn&#039;t raise any objections. He emphasized that despite Brandon&#039;s physical disability, half of his future wealth would be allocated to him. If Hannah married Brandon, she wouldn&#039;t face any hardships, and she could contribute to supporting the Anworths&#039; business in the future.<br /> Since Yvonne had recently returned, the Anworths had not disclosed her identity publicly. So, Master Hart was unaware that it was Yvonne who intended to marry Brandon, not Hannah.<br /> But Madam Anworth wasn&#039;t concerned about these details. In any case, Master Hart had requested the engagement with the granddaughter of the Anworths. So, as long as Yvonne married Brandon, the Anworth would still have received everything they were entitled to.<br /> But this troublemaker Yvonne unexpectedly canceled the engagement!<br /> Yvonne narrowed her eyes, emitting a hint of coldness. She stared at Madam Anworth without saying a word for a long time.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m the reason Yvonne canceled the engagement,&quot; Thomas protected Yvonne behind him and said seriously, &quot;If something&#039;s bugging you, just address them directly to me.&quot;<br /> &quot;Slap!&quot; Madam Anworth slapped him in anger. &quot;How dare you be so ungrateful! Don&#039;t you know what this marriage means to the Anworths?&quot;<br /> Initially, she was reluctant to have Hannah marry Brandon. But she didn&#039;t formally break off the engagement. Her intention was to find a solution that would secure the Harts&#039; investment while ensuring Hannah&#039;s well-being.<br /> But, with the involvement of Yvonne, jeopardizing the relationship with the Harts meant losing any financial benefit.<br /> &quot;What does it mean?&quot; Thomas sarcastically smiled and said, &quot;Isn&#039;t it just to maintain your reputation? You look down on Yvonne, so you&#039;re willing to sacrifice her?&quot;<br /> &quot;Thomas!&quot; Thomas&#039;s eldest brother, Troy Anworth, frowned and said, &quot;How can you speak about Mom that way? She&#039;s doing it for the good of the Anworths. Besides, the Harts has assured us that Yvonne will be treated well when she marries into their household.&quot;<br /> &quot;He&#039;s right, Thomas. Even though Brandon has a physical disability, his family is quite affluent. Look at Yvonne. She grew up in the countryside without receiving much education. She might not have even finished high school at the age of nineteen. She&#039;s unable to attend college. Her only option is to work ...&quot;<br /> Ted Anworth, the second eldest brother, said, &quot;Given her qualifications, she can only find jobs like a waitress. In terms of future partners, she can only choose someone ordinary. What&#039;s wrong with marrying Brandon? At least, she won&#039;t have to worry about her basic needs.&quot;<br /> &quot;That&#039;s enough!&quot; Thomas exclaimed, &quot;Yvonne is my daughter, and I have the authority to decide whom she marries. No matter how good Brandon is, Yvonne won&#039;t be marrying him.&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Troy&#039;s face flushed with indignation. &quot;This is utterly illogical!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth directed her anger towards Thomas, asserting, &quot;You have no authority in this family. Since Yvonne is a granddaughter of the Anworths, she should play her part in supporting the family. We don&#039;t tolerate idleness in the Anworths!&quot;<br /> &quot;Hmm!&quot; Yvonne scoffed, her eyes reflecting a touch of scorn.<br /> Madam Anworth abruptly turned her gaze towards her, her eyes sharp as if she had been unexpectedly poisoned. &quot;Why are you laughing?&quot;<br /> Yvonne raised her head, her clear and captivating eyes fixed on Madam Anworth. &quot;I&#039;m laughing at your selective memory! It appears that I haven&#039;t received any financial support from you since birth, never been nurtured by you, so where does my contribution come into play?&quot;<br /> Even though she was young at the time, she distinctly recalled that her grandmother never even bought her a piece of candy.<br /> &quot;You!&quot; Madam Anworth was infuriated, her gaze towards Yvonne carrying a trace of bitterness.<br /> This little troublemaker was sharp-tongued!<br /> &quot;Yvonne!&quot; Troy expressed his anger, &quot;How dare you speak to your grandmother like that? She is your elder! Is this how your mother raised you?&quot;<br /> With a nonchalant look, Yvonne&#039;s red lips curled slightly, and hands in pockets. She responded, &quot;Sorry, my mom is dead. Why don&#039;t you go ask her in the underworld how she taught me?&quot;<br /> Troy&#039;s face flushed with anger. &quot;You have no manners at all!&quot;<br /> The rest of the Anworth was infuriated by Yvonne&#039;s indifferent demeanor.<br /> But everyone remained silent because Madam Anworth was present.<br /> Despite the unspoken words, the intense glares directed at Yvonne seemed almost predatory. But Yvonne remained unfazed, lifting her chin indifferently.<br /> Madam Anworth observed Yvonne for a prolonged moment. She took deep breaths to quell her anger and softened her tone as she remarked, &quot;Your mother arranged this marriage. She wouldn&#039;t harm you. Master Hart expressed his hope that you would still honor the engagement with Brandon.&quot;<br /> Yvonne looked at her with a faint smile but did not respond.<br /> Madam Anworth&#039;s expression tightened as she spoke sternly, &quot;Yvonne! Let me remind you! The place you currently occupy is my provision. If you refuse to marry Brandon, I will reclaim this house. Besides, your father will be ousted from the company under my authority. As long as I am present, he will be unable to secure employment in Queenstown. Without financial means, he won&#039;t be able to sustain your family!&quot;<br /> Before Yvonne could say anything, Thomas stepped forward and earnestly declared, &quot;If you want to take the house, go ahead. I am capable of taking care of my wife and child with my own hands and feet. I refuse to let Yvonne be pushed into a difficult situation!&quot;<br /> Madam Anworth was so angry that she wanted to slap him, but she held it back. She gritted her teeth and looked at Thomas. &quot;Fine! You have courage. I&#039;m curious to see how resilient you can be!&quot;<br /> In a cold tone, Madam Anworth added, &quot;You have one hour to move out. Do it immediately!&quot;		Romance Novel		18	https://facebook.com/61554129711665	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68276	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054160		67		723598023164635	1	1.3409754965641E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204672506380427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702030353	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407810311_3683803838545629_6409183199694955496_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tm1jH2eGkLAAX-RkPav&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBB6IjdJYMVC2V_-CywWM3tbEJTGnghPyUBek4JkA9WwA&oe=6591A694	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407983294_319327084239868_7055314771564913467_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sk3bKmWMg4AAX--hFi1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBUpHGu3wXHRjQm6fA1dv_5gDbxjlaqUorASRUNZM6SJw&oe=6592F1D2			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
68779	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		3633565666928393	2	6.5250852625715E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103144986091260		0	CMG Daily-Choices US			120201748377840520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701332834	1.0314498609126E+14	CMG Daily-Choices US	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406326790_1143310673305292_789881773573579386_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=df8bFkiYjNIAX9kmwIn&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-0rC-LQwK4Gh3f649vO8ebyGSUQEZlyW-lMJP0HIFSQ&oe=65922C71	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG Daily-Choices US		113	https://facebook.com/cmg.dailychoices.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67896	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054160		67		168789162960328	1	1.4888638950037E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411488250044		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458525	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409814808_7309448492407315_2832769841936864151_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0iCS01Wgc7EAX_GKC7q&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfC1bPLdClbGhJXl4QU8ilnE8msjntgFrn0lP6WsmS3jNA&oe=6592F9C4	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409176046_1104267817431201_5370607716582144184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sEtLjGVYoOwAX-WHW53&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCbjbcMVOet5R5gaJcU6X2ciPOSA0u5x8-YewH3CJHyRg&oe=659265E3			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68607	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		1099515181228228	9	2.8484499086294E+15		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202285831390275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701667518	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407330042_1332979310943397_1569380716656116607_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GOaUd8tx8AsAX8ZJoc4&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhWLRBSZ03i3pOy_bxvBb2N8g80mWw6n3DGdXFB7H45g&oe=65922362	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68624	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054160		67		736732098362401	1	3.6428471626971E+14		1701676800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100985606153947		0	DomesticatedCompanion Español			120202284905470275		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1701666432	1.0098560615395E+14	DomesticatedCompanion Español	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406504783_598901465695023_7188852270343766811_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-rYkZLuz03UAX8_uAct&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCKh1_yDNlCVpwoS-InUPT1YpS00S-i93RyYZffA2vh4A&oe=6591E914	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		DomesticatedCompanion Español		435	https://facebook.com/domesticatedcompanion.espanol	0		NO_BUTTON						1701590400		View Edit Delete
68785	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		1541721489897382	2	1.4606147511788E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734150226		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256550	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406343908_1134392147944016_4234719754953010691_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WBecE4OWC98AX_hlpoW&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBUNZgnPeVBuCLn864cIpTN-B5VJosQ56SMSOkbR-i4qQ&oe=6592189B	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406308587_886782999505055_9028752171764655065_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HlGs9dsjDBcAX8MSrDh&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA7-nQa2jGhrZmIlbiVQuvQwIGXkwhqs6QK5yQrbXHPUA&oe=65920447			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68794	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		1478714542986336	1	3.4603470479218E+14		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103544175294139		0	Traveler Dreams Fantasy			120200918609770030		falafelandcaviar.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Fixer Upper's Dark Downers: Los secretos ocultos detrás del exitoso programa de televisión	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://falafelandcaviar.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-cz-ext/		1701239027	1.0354417529414E+14	Traveler Dreams Fantasy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406710357_1531616774081769_939138388670141748_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t8QJGWa96xEAX_nrRsc&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA5jsr_piExMXQr63d-fbuYKTE5ygD-ty5_Y71u9XjMZQ&oe=6591450E	person_profile	0					0	3	Fixer Upper al Descubierto: Los Aspectos Oscuros del Programa que no Conocías		Traveler Dreams Fantasy		602	https://facebook.com/100069258408355	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
68792	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054160		67		3662195987357486	2	1.0753767934633E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681737680226		play.google.com	Use app		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"	Great Story Starts Here	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256551	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406311804_7345825288760797_7437552425286004130_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6BOCBQ3PAp0AX-zRUqv&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAOmOFXdRN3Tye146CAM8WEaMeVVUauCbmUW7E2vAGtvQ&oe=65914A6D	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406344244_1075149587234750_8635112993454647371_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ej9SvMpORhwAX_xmgiA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD5WkaHNfWLCLqOZe1mXA7MDPbfWV0mDhWOIKWm6aHXiA&oe=65928C87			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		USE_MOBILE_APP						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68905	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054160		67		840688091127696	4	1.9964064007525E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6509688970510		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701210923	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405999196_219134141130484_5995561174604329486_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8Dk43ubcd_cAX-nz9Zi&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCUG9pFZTaGZjfvJpkZjGZmX-wVUEL8prgI6FD3paQjcg&oe=6591A717	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405958504_730959535549012_4515969997519640114_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WZ8bJzXG_uEAX8BfmAB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAAerOcukNCm_p53PG-T3rCCNPzyQqPWhKPnYmIeVk62w&oe=6592152C			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66812	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054161		67		284432807938181	1	7.3275336212033E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	105623691514157		0	JT Infocel			6562455487041		jhowzera.com	Get offer		NONE	video	The Gaine's Announce 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 Gift-away!		https://jhowzera.com/		1703347494	1.0562369151416E+14	JT Infocel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413887122_351290954213020_2012501692916418482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zS1SnEd_5jUAX94ObUF&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB7Jg4Nhq5dudgi2QiKZkwR5FXKiJ-0xvmsmoy7ukVtfg&oe=65918502	person_profile	0					0	3	Cookware set for life! Backed by a Lifetime Warranty. Say goodbye to buying new cookware sets EVER again!		JT Infocel		92	https://facebook.com/100064201234943	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
69387	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054161		67		868490128142187	1	2.5521788421642E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220429200404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582688	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402930526_787946343143875_7546869889199930748_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0z26sebUaJUAX-BEAMf&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCepyfaWT2sFSGMNkMaigtQa1sMhvSmq93l62M3QvwDeA&oe=6591FDE3	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402941760_311780515000658_6484485291177029078_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=bsB49cplVR4AX_cOXGG&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDlKV5asuIWTq_wgsaCwNKUkE9GU4S7wANivOehBMhsEw&oe=65927971			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68515	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054161		67		748213537150290		7.6009832261614E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1054880307978117		0	LVNA By Drake Dustin			120201440783500249		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/lunabydrakedustin		1701717856	1.0548803079781E+15	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407653547_7152265941484323_764317271748869274_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rGnkDTWD-PkAX_mWOjm&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHXaRjpBXC5T0wxm9tvv0ex3Dc0fnjzm5nWnIVSNAEoQ&oe=6592ED73	person_profile	0	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407650105_1783414292104109_3115948731860778939_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VCys9j4jnA4AX_aYUpy&_nc_oc=AQluqmRqIGRFKlDWNXrd-iStPrPl3zzMgPF8rTHtTIaqvWoJf7CKMvKvLFfc-rnsePU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBNGUBMgM-1DLtKYov42T7Zt5FJGWKUUnMPUcewriMC9A&oe=659209C1			0	3	IN HER ELEMENT. For the most-awaited April 2023 issue of #TatlerPhilippines (&#064;tatlerphilippines), #NadineLustre (&#064;nadine) stunned everyone again with her ethereal appearance that is as beautiful as a scenic view. This time, Nadine was really ‘In Her Element’ as she became vocal about the imperative role of everyone to teach the young about environmentalism’s significance in today’s world. Read an article excerpt from Nadine’s cover issue and heed her call to start saving the planet in our simple ways. <br /> <br /> Photographed by BJ Pascual &#064;bjpascual <br /> Styling by Joanna Garcia &#064;joannagee <br /> Hair by Paul Nebres &#064;paulnebres <br /> Makeup by Jelly Eugenio &#064;jellyeugenio <br /> Nadine wearing &#064;ushisato &amp; &#064;lunabydrakedustin<br /> <br /> Grab a copy now of &#064;tatlerphilippines April 2023 featuring #NadineLustre ✨		LVNA By Drake Dustin		273685	https://facebook.com/LunaByDrakeDustin	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
69502	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054161		67		234833939617682	2	3.6759741574331E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201207910450403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700724564	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404146113_1020437555827864_5354829336121865543_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pNNGrbri_NYAX_NXYk0&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDMudBNRJ42bETieMrbzBJug0UuHBwyRej_PUAyWBDYeQ&oe=65929465	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404356978_241755372045666_8113531712682245329_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xigwBmJODT0AX_Yv56S&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfAkvKAgYFoci-OswBS3XIN5iTE4vlYw6r6bwQHv6wVesQ&oe=659235FA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700726400		View Edit Delete
67685	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054155		67		1467575790485838	1	1.1566825790978E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	156012997601512		0	Joanna Feldman			120203148464360126		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/feldman_joanna		1702482435	1.5601299760151E+14	Joanna Feldman	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409179824_353666627249065_2494734518497302460_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lR_YBXVyQzIAX90sHVD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBs7NG_cyKggskWFTH-1TiXSlm4cLsIcp2YNYkuqWCm6g&oe=6591477B	person_profile	0	Joanna Feldman || TOP LIDER • NETWORK • Aloesowe Petardy 📲	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409188332_406101508410175_9115856726893621730_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Iax55OZeQcgAX9tOosE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0l422wuzp8so12pJJgkFUFHe9VCluaAC0EIwpC97dlQ&oe=6592EBB6			0	3	Podaruj sobie pod choinkę coś wyjątkowego🤩:<br /> <br /> Kobieto – swój własny biznes! 🎁 <br /> <br /> To nie tylko doskonały sposób na realizację Twoich pasji, ale również szansa na budowanie realnej niezależności finansowej. <br /> <br /> 👉Wyobraź sobie siebie w Nowym Roku, nie z listą postanowień, ale z konkretnym projektem, który tętni Twoją energią i kreatywnością.<br /> <br /> Oto Twoja szansa, aby przekształcić marzenia w plan działania. <br /> <br /> Nie czekaj na „idealny moment” – zacznij już teraz. (Psst. Nie ma idealnego momentu i nigdy nie będzie 🤫)<br /> <br /> Ten biznes będzie symbolem Twojej siły, determinacji i ducha przedsiębiorczego. <br /> <br /> Jestem tu, aby Ci w tym pomóc. <br /> <br /> ➡️Napisz do mnie 📩, a razem rozpoczniemy podróż, która może całkowicie zmienić Twój 2024 rok!		Joanna Feldman		0	https://facebook.com/61553286580270	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
67140	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054155		67		702663271964377	6	1.5236034117624E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	43095243080		0	Higher Ground			6585507646480		solidsound.frontgatetickets.com	Buy tickets		NONE	image	🎫 Solid Sound Festival, June 28 - 30	Tickets on sale now!	https://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/?aff=ebpredboostfbandigads&td_campaign_id=611035		1703014847	43095243080	Higher Ground	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412714587_205779662587649_642965519958678629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Beyv6EOtbZEAX_T6ZHI&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDbHx2vCPKjtU_MbSwpraLrg_CdnRyoiD_wAOq9qBRe9Q&oe=659212AB	person_profile	0	Higher Ground • VT Music Venue	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411236609_1046256759823512_1769635639596446298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EnSn3EZmu6AAX_BSbLL&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCLG9Mpoas4OxiCCs7DbhQFGqVl2RdL86xyUQDVEBobpA&oe=6591E2BA			0	3	We&#039;re thrilled to announce that your 2024 Solid Sound Festival Lineup is here! ✨<br /> ⁣<br /> Tickets are on sale now for June 28 - 30, 2024 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. <br /> <br /> 🎫<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsolidsoundfestival.com%2F&amp;h=AT2ea7NAKBQ9nFqIN9ALIae1msA8UXdkPNC_G0wLFr2GI_0n83gENMPm4t9zaZk7RZmC4oLaPwdRkcnRd1Mv7xQG_VrprIb9MDhyPVRsSj24rb7iqaYIGAAb4SsjfBbyJS6Cyb9St0wZUP_7ohMQp12xxvO3y_van8P4QA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">solidsoundfestival.com</a> <br /> <br /> See you in June!		Higher Ground		82337	https://facebook.com/highergroundmusic	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702972800		View Edit Delete
66661	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054155		67		746585533496314	1	9.0758763082559E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820655360777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561510	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412816913_1962316177472497_4678799077870634029_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ss1mUMdwBpoAX8UuT5a&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABtMfB0PdL8S2JA3U7wcR-fG6n-xt8zMomFdP_n0Hd7Q&oe=65929B79	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412747354_930301848519860_6267887997051970745_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Cc2TGKLfj3wAX8xUMKK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCDjL1ORO1W6XmOTfCQMHOi3VDMWZuvsLrMLNdK2LdSJw&oe=6591CACB			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67098	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054155		67		379950791157028	1	1.0309688746829E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106433607426274		0	Halárosis			120203104042380383		halarosis.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Halárosis featured on FOX10	Shop now!	https://halarosis.com/		1703095468	1.0643360742627E+14	Halárosis	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411259867_886210016364990_7813244383836985056_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_PfI8BUaNAYAX8zqAeA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCo-Gpc7drAPR90t_IoFBPkNFJ3ylzrp7C3d2HtpnB9Ig&oe=6591A9C3	person_profile	0	Halárosis	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411239241_2529966827210824_9209404769928848778_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zmheTpIz3csAX8I95jh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAg2k7Dei7bXCMiFFA27EfXnWDGmy4U0VE5LeIPbWouQ&oe=6591B996			0	3	As seen on Fox10 News<br /> <br /> Halárosis creates non-toxic home fragrance products that you can feel safe using in your home! ☺️		Halárosis		660	https://facebook.com/halarosis	0		SHOP_NOW						1703059200		View Edit Delete
69431	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054158		67		6885095571571132	1	8.0149880439889E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103895775355823		0	VANIL A BEAN			120201652891910355		www.vanilabean.net	Shop now		NONE	video			https://www.vanilabean.net/		1700818256	1.0389577535582E+14	VANIL A BEAN	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405743584_665212872265849_7494141990441798260_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=U5J4tSSaFCwAX-vZrmX&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSkyWbm9Tg1xwIFsn5QzVzKb3H_nOcP9UKVJ5qlBrMXg&oe=659299AC	person_profile	0	𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐋 𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐍 ™	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405092904_673175948134215_377909714410564381_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SVIqw2stQbwAX92oS2k&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA1Fai892BKGfrmwicEmt25-tGW2JHMuLNNp83EJ4I4Yg&oe=65925801			0	3	🌱👨🏽‍🌾🍦🧁 &quot; You have become my go-to vanilla store! Excellent service, fast delivery and the best vanilla products I have ever received!&quot; - Joanna <br /> <br /> Looking for a gourmet vanilla bean that can take your baking to the next level? Look no further than our award-winning Bourbon Vanilla Beans from Bali, Indonesia! This Grade-A Bourbon Vanilla Bean is perfect for adding a touch of luxury to your home baking!<br /> <br /> Try the exotic taste of vanilla with a 40% discount applied to your order! Don&#039;t miss out, stocks are limited! <br /> <br /> Shop now and join our vanil a bean family 👪<br /> <br /> -<br /> <br /> -<br /> <br /> #vanillacake #bakinglove #baker #bakery #baking #vanilla #gourmetfood #pastrychef #pastry #vanillabean #vanillaicecream #recipes #instacake #instafood #foodblogger #foodporn		VANIL A BEAN		282	https://facebook.com/vanil.a.bean.enterprise	0		SHOP_NOW						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69635	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		311758101810259	5	6.8579776031172E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	523647427690922		0	Ink on Indy			120201779358230250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678748	5.2364742769092E+14	Ink on Indy	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404275079_681458767299748_350875266989297425_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AsM-FRsshBQAX8jQ4RT&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBGcPNgzW4qBvqdIlnitdlz6f9b6HRbnpXVF9fv9QmmnA&oe=6592CBFC	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ink on Indy		473	https://facebook.com/InkOnIndy	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69046	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054158		67		160433433800094	3	1.1463320796809E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715933020115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140249	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406097541_730960352233573_693611842653874882_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QyfAkmhLQiEAX8Y7N8W&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCxIZI4qmvhYLMBV4tjZSSGbX6mDMbshkLuyvpH-7Lwjw&oe=6591975A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406027286_1416626198966381_8353623570236246709_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tZY9wUVI3QwAX9t7s1M&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCFCwzkLM6lvh_FEc5rH-ku4Y8ZEJXCWhRmyiSFQWY7xw&oe=6592B8F3			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69697	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054158		67		720919716562862	5	7.2234098268851E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109657078608486		0	Learn Something			120200721153830167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679055	1.0965707860849E+14	Learn Something	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405499495_6696053400449536_785684262627965749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KsGTOzKqL7wAX9wyLT6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDg6PjlH3nXcpuJa5_yoX514beQpTLZ-aCmQtcUkoubug&oe=65925DF5	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Learn Something		5447	https://facebook.com/100086954096959	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67307	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054158		67		210175222169441		3.7770544798512E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	541829670064587		0	The Goat Manchester			120204728641460066		thegoat.fanlink.to	Buy tickets		NONE	video	Granite Lion Presents: SunDub + Mighty Mystic + Green Lion Crew	Sun, Jan 7 | The Goat | Manchester, NH	https://thegoat.fanlink.to/010724		1702912984	5.4182967006459E+14	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412108435_264044066378229_3130345360833298970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oM6kskVzXj4AX-GrVjt&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFhCjt50FpTrb8R5PEWIzfupuUXEaFUg93KnpdDywqqw&oe=65925F9A	person_profile	0	The Goat Manchester	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412241593_722089609984588_7544616330262347934_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SY72f-_orO4AX-rzUkf&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBB4pQnKBC0sCJRJmEMo31i_2S4OlCqVyH2zpdVB5dfDA&oe=65919BD1			0	3	🎉 Get Ready to groove! Sundub &amp; Mighty Mystic are hitting The Goat in Manchester, NH 🐐✨ Jan 7, Sunday. Special beats by Green Lion Crew! 🔥 Don&#039;t miss this epic night!		The Goat Manchester		10500	https://facebook.com/goatbarmanchester	0		BUY_TICKETS						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67842	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		369312238923478	1	1.4072323568668E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	109154754712420		0	Invity			120201021449290369		myinvity.com	Shop now		NONE	image	NEW! Youth Activating Exfoliating Serum	A scientifically formulated, gentle leave-on exfoliating serum that combines moisturising and pore-minimising benefits of botanical actives to achieve a blemish-free, smoother complexion.	https://myinvity.com/youth-activating-exfoliating-serum/		1698657538	1.0915475471242E+14	Invity	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/397374585_5093122000811838_8380488163430949951_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=liLn0awUDMoAX-jQq60&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAq33CVHAsW3t3Z9TE5lo2wENVvnUHDVl6PKLzh5WGFAg&oe=65921A0F	person_profile	0	INVITY | Anti-Ageing Skincare & Supplements	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/397464371_669633081724896_8277154469749280811_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-dbRn5SSI5oAX8gQS3g&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDoaUkj0nkB4A_KhjYdCm9ntd70bul3ItFiNks3gstJ5w&oe=6592E03E			0	3	Tired of endless skincare routines? Meet our leave-on exfoliating serum, carefully crafted with the power of nature and science. <br /> <br /> • Say goodbye to dull skin! Our serum provides long-term exfoliation, unveiling a clearer and brighter you.<br /> • Banish excess shine! We&#039;ve got sebum production under control and those pesky pores unclogged.<br /> • Texture trouble? No more! Our serum leaves your skin smoother and prepped for all your favorite skincare products.<br /> <br /> Elevate your skincare game and glow like never before. Your dream complexion is just a serum away. Try it today!		Invity		4699	https://facebook.com/myinvity	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67816	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		259877823472944	1	6.697926553314E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1948903938530015		0	Stoffer Home			120202735842800611		stofferhome.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	Stoffer Home		http://www.stofferhome.com/?utm_source={{site_source_name}}&utm_medium={{placement}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}&utm_content={{ad.id}}		1702492831	1.94890393853E+15	Stoffer Home	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410456569_2010181836016599_2288532023635920919_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Vx6ZRxgI9nkAX90TVpB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDh-zTUI59rcuHK22zaleO2oTlnehAa01W8OZdBUZkKfA&oe=65921531	person_profile	0	Stoffer Home	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410346045_736079738390448_6475607643925193005_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ROq53Cww3MsAX9_hp5r&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDD97woLcAzaZ_83Z8EpORH_jD97Z_ZgTjJEkQRQKpnng&oe=65929C22			0	3	Welcome, winter. Refresh your decor with our best sellers, restocked just for you!		Stoffer Home		3913	https://facebook.com/stofferhome	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69016	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		261930803546329	1	8.7786128031632E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715938630115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140271	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405704023_6839777966137792_2383900535938542352_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wDjCNbjnvJYAX9Kvj_S&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAOH3CmcV-UhipiuZUB7HiMLWVmzWLmt4YXWBYCBpOfJg&oe=659233C3	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406503796_1415652949382386_6818746534160605008_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=31WtTntXoaQAX8oAw9N&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC1et0uZ0pCwKkePfj1Z_m45TasIlSNKOyAEDMqkdvudw&oe=65923666			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69068	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054159		67		170706899458253	1	3.2389665708804E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281105710596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068390	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404618862_661494626165099_4267992424115448715_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nMwY6t0fHlUAX8R-XdW&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD10Rn0fh-w6tRWy-TL9bojtBaESUu7EcjZfANSLyELUA&oe=6592A4BE	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404783565_1600139704122932_7891200109032418031_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mFkwWQeHEaoAX8rjWlQ&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDqrrj3mRUPcehO44RcgUrYmKAWzxJ0Xg2BM9-lyqrzeQ&oe=6591D630			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68130	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		738565208176908	1	1.0107107533339E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	147357695117121		0	Fiver Journeys			120203350939840212		travelfiber.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.travelfiber.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702294563	1.4735769511712E+14	Fiver Journeys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410382480_6775381439196806_297221478472678025_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AKko_c_XAfQAX-g_QSK&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHB4QPhXPiIfilaBxD5kl5Y8Z2os0dyed_EcR8sy-wKQ&oe=6592DF56	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Fiver Journeys		10	https://facebook.com/61551473107469	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69932	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054159		67		865229841656065	1	8.9049476260924E+14		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683722650439		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636038	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403788417_1412455742642584_8362868517112592048_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D8IB4CIAKLoAX_KfqHJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBKvKwyMaf1SsvV_Ut6oxuYBLsgW9s7qHrBgWyqArMNWg&oe=6592956B	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403155901_1100422424467437_2040273171310701230_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ssh_lhOEQXAAX-P0xhG&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCFeSf00BwBUcOKfWBvr7S-NcPY24X24UR5QPsW83GT3g&oe=6592EEBF			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68312	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054159		67		1083991899680509	1	1.4434314831834E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120202074086100476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702016106	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407936724_24297776169837321_1467653870127564483_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9NKwCP1WPcMAX9roRhn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCO65QFOW6g9QA_WINI-ZDuqHayYgzSKxeVychDXtRZKw&oe=65927781	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408075960_1020445955832159_356731396094136067_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CYT-xzwsG7IAX97tqQ8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAjT7RaricsJkHJz2jaAQEAF_YzLNPV88buHc4FeLFKgw&oe=659232E4			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67820	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054159		67		333344986124991	1	3.2209915067137E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1598210863727191		0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art			6518371307712		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapilarczyk		1702486633	1.5982108637272E+15	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409747895_369821885708438_2459548752278473729_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YShWr_5o7sMAX8Fkbdt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBGAGvi4Vvn4eLQH0hHviACkmOQwCaf2Az6vHnVfQzZTQ&oe=6592E90E	person_profile	0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409761384_294347066372362_8002350510167993180_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5KY9uP19NoMAX-5r_Xm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCp2zTlG6j9-91b8-iftvGapfLYgDmb4smeTTwjWHjmqQ&oe=6591925B			0	3	Happy news from &#064;riseart Team today:) My painting ’Lazy Weekend’ has found a new home in France. <br /> This was one of the first paintings from the ‘Intimate Times’ series focused on self-portraits with my cats. Definitely, one of those unique works portraying a special time in my life. <br /> Thank you, Rise Art:)<br /> <br /> #soldpainting #riseart #artgallery #soldartwork #contemporaryart #figurativepainting #modernrealismart #Polishartist #selfporyrait #londonbasedartist		Joanna Pilarczyk Art		914	https://facebook.com/JoannaPilarczykArt	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
68173	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054159		67		290625437306026		3.5398860056005E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202736237980520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Trouble in Chip and Joanna Gaines paradise	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1702267274	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409574933_6276256995811353_353844251373739588_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IuJkqmlo-7gAX8VzMLM&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD1oQI3P30KnMMv721pGvxMkqHemwDtqDUeD8lUEhYy-w&oe=65914998	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68523	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760170	1725054163		67		712792293839116	1	9.1002754735398E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	308901506171176		0	Luluna Slings			6522344556501					NONE	multi_images					1701774738	3.0890150617118E+14	Luluna Slings	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408257810_3599877313616570_128746928394773749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FdVNLMYm8A8AX_Jq9Da&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDryReSWlzjZoccOwGrTKUoLweBwBPB5GfIwChdc3UhsA&oe=6592050A	person_profile	0					0	3	🐺 DRAW TO PURCHASE 🐺 <br /> Saint Nicholas&#039; Day FREE SHIPPING <br /> <br /> GEO WOLF MOONLIGHT<br /> 100% combed cotton, approx. 270 gsm<br /> <br /> Wolves Lovers,<br /> It&#039;s been long time when last Geo Wolf was here! Very long time! So now we want you remind about this beautiful pattern! Please welcome new Geo Wolf Moonlight ♥ It comes from the depths of space and it is looking for a new loving home! Do you know that there is a constellation called the Wolf? From Latin they call it &quot;Lupus&quot; and it is located in the deep Southern Sky! This pattern is simple beautiful. <br /> The Wolf Moonlight is very strong and durable because of high quality combed cotton. It is equally cuddly and soft at the same time. Amazing shades of black looks very magical like black night - just like the sky in the night full of shiny... Wolves! <br /> <br /> Available:<br /> s7 (5,2m) for €119<br /> s6 (4,6m) for €114<br /> s5 (4,2m) for €109<br /> s4 (3,6m) for €104<br /> s3 (3,2m) for €99<br /> scarf (2,0m) for €84<br /> <br /> Everyone who wants to purchase a wrap, please email us at lulunaslings&#064;gmail.com <br /> Remember to include the size of the wrap you’d like to buy and of course your PayPal address! <br /> If you don&#039;t have PayPal please add info that you want to pay via bank transfer / credit card. <br /> The draw lasts until December 6th and we will send a message to happy winners about 10 a.m. CET.<br /> You have 1h to make a payment once you receive invoice from us.<br /> If you are outside Europe please let us know the country. Because of time difference we will give you more time to pay.<br /> Because we celebrate Saint Nicholas&#039; Day 6th December there is free shipping for you as gift ♥<br /> <br /> Luluna <br /> <br /> (c) Luluna Slings (c) Joanna Weyna<br /> <br /> #wolfteam		Luluna Slings		50485	https://facebook.com/lulunaslings	0								1701763200		View Edit Delete
68670	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054163		67		1503896406841797	1	3.8970714671600E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200878938650773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701423877	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406866543_361430019702765_8143006237618631227_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QNbtVg-fwkkAX-r6Cdt&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBqY5wkrE2P7_mpymBxYPvUjEhLs9QFtgHdxiaGBS7gWQ&oe=6592BCA0	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406343881_377322774732391_8200212802209574697_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FWhcl6l-5bwAX_-YDjR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHPCE-7Hfp7KaFeyHPlDqA9ktnLvSNrYzuKLZfIx5YDg&oe=6591F268			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
68998	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760173	1725054163		67		3618865428439491	5	8.2664844612731E+14		1701849600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	111678618706116		0	Family Shirts A23-N2			120201069201890189		myfamilyshirt.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA F1	Best gifts for your Family	https://myfamilyshirt.store/joanna-f1		1700206315	1.1167861870612E+14	Family Shirts A23-N2	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402151708_1386397085294853_1454024618674960615_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7H6JctHKXoMAX-QXhJF&_nc_oc=AQnXfoZ2lHJ68eacVra8oNvYZxNSTRB1z3zrzzYLHMoKnA6xCBEERobP5ji8gY7Alfg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfChipSR_iPoe6eS3utt7jAn1j3S5Ezeuo6ptlqziP_W2A&oe=65922693	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyfamilyshirt.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3P-0VSieKtjI5s5rSqj7aHet3KT6v4WJE8R8RlHhmVgYezzseY-wPe_KyTxZ21Hq4BgcTawh-f88BSMDmZswN6jYRmTAw9mrOiZt8grD5ABF4j2VcPgkW5q2G4aNo7xWjOXW-6w7vvfg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myfamilyshirt.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Shirts A23-N2		10	https://facebook.com/61552925999799	0		SHOP_NOW						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66926	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054163		67		2284642455065617	1	7.2398283460993E+15		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575274300530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703215189	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410880236_2029571044095472_7612502296904482770_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8IB5CZ0oMAsAX_VNUuO&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBADj6LAwBpCfppFzzDUnXQzXg__ea-PX3fCjVz9_wpFw&oe=65919A3F	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411783640_1551468518953402_2767955450871942642_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-iUmjZXZM8gAX84WADO&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBBIaISke_DvP04DMocXnGBRYx7YxiDehXdKwadWU4jXA&oe=65918763			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
66975	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		380297174491649	2	3.0852168150236E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120766401101493		0	BioBursts			120202829668070756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213146	1.2076640110149E+14	BioBursts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412981536_1728993500913614_6399144092044383556_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tnC3Vv41lU8AX-YVMx6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCyB_Meaz-IBWDBcexG6zzyN4s5zjShdBLNAU9fWv8ABg&oe=65918D7E	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		BioBursts		5440	https://facebook.com/100095312214573	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68078	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760166	1725054164		67		371779475404694	2	3.6635276607399E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	520171088019503		0	Liforme			6572587458864					NONE	image					1702381840	5.201710880195E+14	Liforme	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410316784_738866097596390_585104404256351000_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MLtMT1V_8rAAX9FhPCn&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBU1MjzKWBP7bful2Bp6xie2Da7frNbq1LQGugBAxqRUw&oe=65914788	person_profile	0	Liforme Yoga	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410337580_357267803569763_5884953388623319037_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zk-_b93X4J8AX-wYQ70&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-MIbOYNTwNJo5VtRpvBcoT1yY3oIBlTIRSqmZRjLnmA&oe=65915B8B			0	3	Looking for the ultimate Yogi gift? 💝⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> For a gift as unique as they are, you can design your very own custom Liforme X You Yoga mat using our innovative, first-of-its-kind Yoga Mat customiser. ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Matching custom mats are pretty cute, but you can also go for a Liforme X You gift card and let them pick out the colours, alignment guides, and themes that make up their own perfect mat. ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Treat yourself or a loved one. Personalised Yoga practice awaits! Link in bio! 🛠️⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> Sending our love and thanks to &#064;facetka_od_jogi and &#064;iamthecode pictured here on a Liforme x You Custom Yoga mat. Special thanks to &#064;lekko_store and &#064;Joanna.kepa.foto for the beautiful shot! ❤️🙏⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> ⁠<br /> #liforme #yoga #yogamat #liveformore #Yogi #yogaeverydamnday #customyogamat #customgifts		Liforme		118780	https://facebook.com/LiformeYoga	0								1702368000		View Edit Delete
68447	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054164		67		736477894516631		1.0403142506366E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	118604561669134		0	Primavera Sound Porto			6543260010910		dice.fm	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://dice.fm/partner/fv-ads/event/6226q-primavera-sound-porto-2024-6th-jun-parque-da-cidade-porto-tickets?dice_id=1935360&dice_channel=web&dice_tags=paid&dice_campaign=FV+Ads&dice_feature=marketing&_branch_match_id=1183848254982601350&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fcysbQ0TzQ0SU62MAYAHaDG7SEAAAA%3D		1701899281	1.1860456166913E+14	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407751664_316800727824370_3595161323024488406_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=de7U5QjbRQgAX9v63cc&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCUCCNLM7EkVwXFjXJM0Sxeq-eNoBzRFXNYlpZHQOYRPg&oe=65919B5E	person_profile	0	Primavera Sound Porto	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407729154_1076078993578594_4458016109668995077_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Eds5SSvCrFwAX-SVVSH&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA6ixKoTjuxpGdYwQ3tFvchTjXgV4-wXo_Tx-AFdPkDhQ&oe=6591447F			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Primavera Sound Porto		127012	https://facebook.com/primaveraporto	0		SHOP_NOW						1701849600		View Edit Delete
70090	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054164		67		645662281069130		6.6684229876572E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201090807890403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700544991	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404467165_1403439297682306_2721230878771013749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-6ffDIqTmh8AX-GXEj_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCVCQKJyfEs9fAuBlCPyKc0zk_WtSHkvhUbJgS1bbkcXA&oe=6593335F	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404908651_1161600455225866_9073645761957457100_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UN4zhEfj2YkAX9brV-w&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCd1yZ7HVKMANffrGCkSRqIjDpQLOd5Td1n3u-mi80-Zw&oe=65924D4D			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67271	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054164		67		257831390398101		2.9387042645447E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX8Yb4nO&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfChhy9HM6t8mMEeFHrdWyRYfx-gSjLvId4HxlLz65sO3A&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67933	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760165	1725054164		67		637009818420999	1	1.775065199635E+15		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411380560044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702457986	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410901623_872895484334837_6056102569564284797_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DQzqBYR85MQAX_WCORE&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBDtqvIk7FFK17vzlmmgo8amuSPJ-yKAMQ3VuklwG6E7w&oe=65927B50	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410182424_1329773857699591_366131898310702778_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x0svieDh47MAX_k94AV&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBGw9sCIM19a9bydZYFQEmT3TOjU3JrzY4zWF1tHqm4wA&oe=65919CC4			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69863	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		875602117403962	1	3.3395307600246E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120205094787000777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Watch and go!		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700645856	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404868303_213480618460798_7629053292157228126_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gCSqP1wi0HcAX9hORjF&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDuK6td1LBCtK8lkTNNzk80WnpIhhq7uHcH213cx4rGqA&oe=65926AE6	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404783993_1728704664263547_8143175140651222527_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OMnWgdl87kwAX-U9v3u&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDGhA_rTFmLB6JNDPShOAqxSI0u5jDGtPw2Pydw_JB4Mg&oe=6591860D			0	3	&quot;Sign the divorce papers! Roxy&#039;s back, so it&#039;s time for our marriage to end.As compensation, I will give you 100 million&quot;, Bruce Everett said<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne.&quot;		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69571	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760176	1725054164		67		807863411137145	1	3.6505280258069E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1841047772792583		0	Department of Motion Pictures			6457031661115			Sign up		NONE	image	'32 SOUNDS' AT VIDIOTS				1700720824	1.8410477727926E+15	Department of Motion Pictures	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403071963_1029231098293577_4545464461395644514_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YRHdk1IHGzMAX8aGWeQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDCYRoc5g_JM8McZUmzKUckzgBWm6IDS-_lAELFkN6xOQ&oe=65915CFC	person_profile	0	Department Of Motion Pictures	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402928264_887892029146057_5712494867266186386_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZdC4Ttc7tPwAX_tCtQx&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBuELucheY7Y6oz2qz5j7JUkGO2_eCluT20SkInezCeIw&oe=65927085			0	3	SPECIAL VIDIOTS / LOS ANGELES SCREENING - Critically-acclaimed &#039;32 SOUNDS&#039; 🎧 from Oscar nominated director Sam Green and Oscar nominated producer Josh Penn.<br /> <br /> This immersive documentary feature, which debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, explores sound, from foley to experimental music to the natural world, and its power to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us. A surprisingly emotional celebration of this often overlooked but crucial aspect of cinema.<br /> <br /> Nominated for 2 Critics Choice Documentary Awards and on the Cinema Eye Honors Audience Award Longlist. Plus: Variety, IndieWire, and Awards Watch have all predicted it to be a leading film awards contender.		Department of Motion Pictures		1105	https://facebook.com/thedofmp	0		SIGN_UP						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66845	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		1086179639413071	5	7.047505505317E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	275758569814605		0	Cooking 4 All			120204525633430759		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://cooking4all.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-bt/		1703300103	2.7575856981460E+14	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413866139_379613571223108_6398403983123697443_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uahjmlhaM8kAX-06NVk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA4IJLF0p5R_EVSMc6sQwzHsXCqtwVtnWrtthqxmVhvWQ&oe=6591C10D	person_profile	0	Cooking 4 All	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413844446_2391750201010582_4278326484224212430_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eLVNT2dyfqgAX9_5KIR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC5LgYWBi5gWGrZpIOs9-IQj1C6RMFk9I7Qw15D86IwXg&oe=65926A30			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Cooking 4 All		2127	https://facebook.com/Cooking4AllFeed	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
67614	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		2382972468563149		1.0089377503986E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120205062533310729		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702608738	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409192004_662902592591701_7299478541949216377_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=54JwuNnuDmYAX93bDV_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmJ0EdNVJQnvW9-HQPcTgeC2Sgl-tAqhPfnaDStlilSg&oe=6592CD9C	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409875880_1445274449665579_6195867779133189393_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T_gsMI-MkjIAX_JRFVA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCAHR1DVgf540eOKV72u9EyL6yqTT9F2OcZodgi9t_h6w&oe=65933C32			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68211	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760168	1725054164		67		3519063485074238	2	8.5982685230466E+14		1702281600	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100662392307897		0	joannapegier.art			120201910245210431		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapegier.art		1702162836	1.006623923079E+14	joannapegier.art	https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/343572976_3489330761282565_5896789005078121418_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Hb_BVhIQewwAX--fcLw&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBNoUyFeHi3GORWqpN23VVshpisQ1ogr7zBPIs1IccO8A&oe=6593108D	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Pęgier	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409503503_320194817523727_6087843149105999640_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ks08rbOm_l8AX_BITt0&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfDY5GxQCD1yHZ5z_JVXaTVrC8soltvtonfcq0bIf2oVmg&oe=6591754B			0	3	🇺🇸Greetings from Miami Beach 🇺🇸<br /> 😍 My latest artwork &quot;Scream&quot; from the series &quot;Into Myself&quot;, digital art technique, has qualified for one of the most important art events in the world! Art Week Miami Beach!<br /> <br /> 👉In my series of paintings &quot;Into Myself&quot;, I portray our bodies as sacred in moments of intimacy and honesty with ourselves.<br /> <br /> I am there only in spirit and represented by my work, showcased by a Swiss gallery - next time together😉😀<br /> ❗️Attention, I have tickets available if any of you happen to be in Miami, let me know. 😍😀!<br /> <br /> #artcurator #modernart #contemporaryart #abstraction #contemporaryartist #polishart #polishartist #exhibition #artforsale #malarstwopolskie #artgallery #artcollector #artweekmiamibeach #galeriasztukiwspółczesnej #galleryofart		joannapegier.art		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joannapegier.art	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
69955	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		1448526389043440		1.7521497785632E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158871830403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633009	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404572953_1699032710605557_4109224436936034706_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=focnv0LIXFwAX-YRY08&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGnb0I2dD5imBN_4JJhW8QRQ7tdw8q3LVfgr4CDleLXw&oe=6592BB91	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404859626_248162618266878_9128948912336571772_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yF7N4XTfFBMAX8qMiP-&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7hrc5FNjHFggfTcaWX19pU2TFHWkt26xvxsy516a2KQ&oe=6593049B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67475	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760163	1725054164		67		374910141758620	2	3.0455943190674E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103677768679700		0	No Filter Advanced Esthetics			120202717600910499			Send message		NONE	video	Book now!			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"quick_replies":[],"text":"Hello, are you interested in Lymphatic Drainage?","ice_breakers":[{"title":"Hi! Yes, I would like to know more about Lymphatic Drainage"}]}},"image_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"template","payload":{"template_type":"generic","elements":[{"title":"","buttons":[]}]}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"Gostaria de obter mais informações","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hello, are you interested in Lymphatic Drainage?"}},"video_format":{"customer_action_type":"quick_replies","message":{"attachment":{"type":"video","payload":{"attachment_id":""}},"quick_replies":[{"title":"Gostaria de obter mais informações","content_type":"text"}],"text":"Hello, are you interested in Lymphatic Drainage?"}},"user_edit":true,"surface":"visual_editor_new","template_id":"1255473405055607","phone_number":"+14158028620","template_version":3,"ice_breakers_edited":true}	1702651480	1.036777686797E+14	No Filter Advanced Esthetics	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410713799_729088348759792_5126347032967198119_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tCxTM7HD9PkAX-Y-Bhw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCseIM6bL0sgVpzbaZ_VWwXsOS3dhoJracz_RymRJ4vOg&oe=6591E91A	person_profile	0	No Filter - San Mateo Face and Body SPA	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410677608_2106798149658145_16848826007730241_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DHQBjxc6W5gAX8Eo1AP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjSmS1vXxX-G6t8ppUiChqkqwdNgzO7xQXCN1RJFDRug&oe=65919DB2			0	3	Lymphatic Drainage helps with swelling, recovery, boost immunity, decreases stress and much more! Come try this amazing massage. <br /> <br /> Book now!		No Filter Advanced Esthetics		167	https://facebook.com/nofilteradvanced	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67733	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760164	1725054164		67		1021009908994634	1	2.6032513696444E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104926531949545		0	Joanna Stanecka			6502810159042			Send message		NONE	video				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Jestem zainteresowana. Czy mog\u0119 prosi\u0107 o wi\u0119cej informacji?","response":""},{"title":"Czy mo\u017cemy porozmawia\u0107 na czacie?","response":""},{"title":"Czy mog\u0119 uzyska\u0107 wi\u0119cej informacji o do\u015bwiadczeniu?","response":""}],"text":"Witaj, {{user_first_name}}! Poinformuj nas, jak mo\u017cemy Ci pom\u00f3c."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1702518482	1.0492653194954E+14	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410737825_1131227044736030_6274614619977290085_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GSPTM8DlFeIAX-8xLBa&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDUDVlVjBIB3A-OiPpOHEaYyqaWuuPkfJjNd5N6NIKf_g&oe=659299F3	person_profile	0	Joanna Stanecka	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410655317_887349183040074_1512327176526816810_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qyG09fMK-zEAX__pAPU&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAf1bTcxM7ERonJ215bxtqtv5myEWYTp7J0kq4ifMyb4w&oe=6592399C			0	3	Dietrich &amp; Osiecka &amp; Krebs &amp; Stanecka go to America. <br /> <br /> 24 Sep - Chopin Theatre Chicago<br /> 29 Sep - Polish Slavic Center NYC<br /> 6 Oct - Art Gallery Kafe Chicago<br /> <br /> Vocal- Joanna Stanecka<br /> Guitar/ Arrangement -Zibby Krebs<br /> <br /> Video - Patrick Praschma<br /> Polish Slavic Federal Credit Union YourActor		Joanna Stanecka		1151	https://facebook.com/joannaratingen	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66665	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		852560879948944	1	8.8502385328186E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820654140777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561524	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414190682_309394345426296_1086441172780056945_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NprOVcxeMo0AX8n54IC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC1ZxK032mKvttdrP6EVjGiXTvs4mt6CvwwSplpbD8UoQ&oe=6591BB5F	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412234407_679114237544773_5450544913738689047_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oOqTAgGCmEYAX860XWM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAz4jlIm7a2GufW-4ty40LNyucikBxGlelCnW5XakkN_Q&oe=6592E362			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66787	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		805086878053367		8.5905531262535E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104893872451761		0	Sierra College Information Technology			120204182629740296		getskillstoday.com	Learn more		NONE	video	IT Certification	FREE Info Session	https://getskillstoday.com/		1703419638	1.0489387245176E+14	Sierra College Information Technology	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414438803_326584840215747_8242441615885486098_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6qvv9SWJadQAX_fUynA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC9Kqn19XuUbGj8eEjiffxdikGVgy-doEKjt6Hnofr0oQ&oe=659275C1	person_profile	0	Sierra College Information Tec	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414459933_2035280856856981_2415051094038418_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JOrvN2EQJYsAX9oU578&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBR8V2rxf2aHEYDmQNm0xVF_Y28JPpIB6fhkn0v0RB8NA&oe=6592A330			0	3	Level up your IT skills at Sierra College! Join our Jan 22nd program for continuing education.		Sierra College Information Technology		21	https://facebook.com/SCITDept	0		LEARN_MORE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
66548	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		1350677508901379	1	2.1086028874459E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120201972486030590		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	click and read more		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703664095	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414719185_913779253707895_5130231890163663696_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wT8F8-jromwAX_iU6sa&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQiJmz72Qx0ewb2fFrDAlkFgi4ld0zDh7CYSG4RRXGAQ&oe=6592251E	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414717221_815746787229508_1224079485927347814_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ecCN4Ppg2YAAX_a9h_t&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD8yK-Aa1Uu8lXrVxvPDSil32lSCBInKghXRT_FqcX5Dg&oe=6591E161			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
69207	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054164		67		286333213828536	6	2.4725411142976E+14		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1640843592827570		0	Embodied Philosophy			6495769223556		embodiedphilosophy.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday		1700488723	1.6408435928276E+15	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403604594_706496401407873_3386959245189523628_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FhwdMDC336kAX8DaHXE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzCElkdb-zXScV1A0nNvWbnGhOWYYMqcLZ3dD3ZFgOOg&oe=6591A2DB	person_profile	0	Embodied Philosophy	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403603740_3617283778488076_2538065533749317892_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5OGRLusvfkcAX_QNTmc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfARNspE6bIT27xVAHVJWZn3ZqQ2i2SS8UqRSk6xjQWE1Q&oe=65927CC9			0	3	&quot;This program has given me the vocabulary and education of what I knew deep in my soul of how incredibly powerful and healing the body is but before could not articulate it. It affirms the reason I believe with every inch of my being, that the body is the healer and when we give it time, space and permission to be, there is so much infinite wisdom. I have absolutely LOVED the diversity of the teachers, the topics and pace of the course. I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner or wisdom seeker that is looking to heal and understand the role of the body in the healing journey.&quot; – Joanna Lean (Toronto), a Certificate Program Student<br /> <br /> &quot;I feel more grounded and present. I feel more connected to my dreams and desires. I feel more able to attain my goals. I feel more hopeful about life and the future of our planet. I look forward to continuing my wisdom seeking with Embodied Philosophy!&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I am a lifelong student of yoga. For me, the philosophy and spirituality is the most important aspect of the study of yoga. Embodied Philosophy provides authentic lineage teachings paired effortlessly with contemporary thought and considerations.&quot; – Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> &quot;I really appreciate being exposed to so many of the different perspectives of philosophy that are related to Yoga and philosophy that originated in India – Samkhya, Vedanta, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Goddess traditions. It’s wonderful to learn from teachers who so clearly love their subject.&quot; – Turk, Wisdom School Member<br /> <br /> CLICK THE LINK TO LEARN MORE about our Cyber Monday deals or CHOOSE YOUR COURSE NOW --&gt;		Embodied Philosophy		81379	https://facebook.com/embodiedphilosophy	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69677	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760177	1725054164		67		381995397512827	5	1.4784743894358E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721418430167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679704	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404571232_367729272457304_8979649860983857110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KVAQO10cB04AX9c4WKG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC-DQbp5tAPHaqEHNSacRMhx9fTYmXkc00jHcM4M-IYMg&oe=6592A273	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69210	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760174	1725054164		67		1077187030120783	1	2.32849716492E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103114198920092		0	luva_architecture			120201038000830606		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/luva_architecture		1701002456	1.0311419892009E+14	luva_architecture	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405527476_1340803430135733_5369303866736606130_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NhmMW2GrP0YAX9z0yzR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvNipM7XfSuNlgWqEFjtVCUiZg5ixgc_LyAc9en3bfCg&oe=65925C06	person_profile	0	LUVA art&trendsetter	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405964136_2764408560389722_768814049211918538_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k5T1jX_TJs0AX9XjLBC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDpeQ6EQctCNekxLsEYQPidpHBBovZjdhVdBAZXqQD_Tw&oe=659321CA			0	3	In the lobby and staircase of the office building, we decided to use cobalt elevators, and the entire elevator shaft was covered with burnt wood &#064;wood_of_fire. The elegance of burnt boards is intertwined with a strong accent of ultramarine, which appears in the interiors as a focal point. How do you like the cobalt elevator :))? <br /> •<br /> •<br /> •<br /> W realizacji lobby i klatki schodowej biurowca zdecydowaliśmy się na kobaltowe windy, zaś cały szyb windowy obłożyłyśmy palonym drewnem &#064;wood_of_fire. Elegancja palonych desek przeplata się z mocnym akcentem ultramaryny, który pojawia się we wnętrzach jako focal point. A Wam jak podoba się kobaltowa winda :))?<br /> <br /> Fot. &#064;joanna_majewska_photo <br /> <br /> ##interior #luvadesign #projekty #lodz #artwork #home #style #design #furniture #lifestyle #cobalt #winda #palonedrewno #kobaltowyakcent #nowarealizacja		luva_architecture		50	https://facebook.com/100076911726714	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69836	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760178	1725054164		67		3608907042769704	5	8.4403303105709E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114866079891340		0	Trivia.com			120200721167820167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679091	1.1486607989134E+14	Trivia.com	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403062126_649605070587053_234047071631406610_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fkmSHS6SykIAX9VjD-1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXcfCUYwm0IDh-hO_15OyYQKMbEuDpEU2B8Kr2uCqhjg&oe=6591BD67	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com		19830	https://facebook.com/100063472063438	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66631	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		411236731237673	1	3.7859800133914E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	177983085391505		0	MetroNovel Zy 04			120206108693030226		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	More free chapters	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703573386	1.7798308539150E+14	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412889667_694607512459006_1400017338493325661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=B7UtGO_AH-UAX_kB_7G&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBC9eDf1yW40pLQFCIc08-LU6_W5MY1VwWlGv5o2wf5tA&oe=6592D816	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 04	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412775113_1817951148639964_9210256252330041853_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E7PG9S9mRwcAX8DNQTL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXgCbLnYIbMx9StnpicQ4f4moLP72g9u2UAZLbwXJW8A&oe=6591595B			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed. 😡😡		MetroNovel Zy 04		12	https://facebook.com/61553260029631	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68363	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760169	1725054164		67		1426977011500240	1	3.1910190774485E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108524135250933		0	William Helburn			120201610751790593		instagram.com	Contact us		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/william_helburn		1701958669	1.0852413525093E+14	William Helburn	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408827925_1036972077454147_2523756575218510134_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PBpId03ys14AX-wlDht&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAjxHNdyead9zyC6eoJ8D2jHpLzd_XMXwQF5xOQMAM7ZA&oe=65923258	person_profile	0	William Helburn	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408815256_268537562515169_7647519650248139627_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MwOA-B-_iIoAX8N54SZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAWqerE0nsQeslb1IDsXZYzo_v-PUmBMOBN_BkzC1bTPQ&oe=65914636			0	3	Joanna McCormick ⁣<br /> Lipstick Bullet⁣ 1955<br /> <br /> #williamhelburn<br /> #william_helburn<br /> #joannamccormick<br /> #fashion​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #fashionphotography​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #retrofashionphotography​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​<br /> #myvintagevogue​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #50sfashion​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #50sfashionmodel​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #harpersbazaar​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​<br /> #harpersbazaarus​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​<br /> #bazaaruk ​​​​​​​​<br /> #vintageglamour​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​<br /> #1950		William Helburn		6	https://facebook.com/WilliamHelburn	0		CONTACT_US						1701936000		View Edit Delete
66545	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		355802243967952	1	9.1083501055708E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	221701097908409		0	Smart Design Expo			120206962617090112		instagram.com	Watch more		NONE	carousel	Smart Design Expo		https://www.instagram.com/smartdesign_expo/		1703672138	2.2170109790841E+14	Smart Design Expo	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412949534_254700580783277_8948538968767998294_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CwalMZwH-lAAX9q0D5A&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAH-zFs9H5dAZIVHSPp3FCYOw4XYE3Wr0xRhWuha3exsA&oe=6592F9A3	person_profile	0	Smart Design Expo	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414124826_1584638602070741_5982672481305796528_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wn2wU6LfOjYAX_gM9Rb&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmYadiFBGsSOg4-8wGHKluGX3kaRTkF8zrHV2YBiOlmw&oe=65919B3F			0	3	The essence of island-inspired architecture 🏜️<br /> <br /> Sand and clay - every aspect of this booth has been meticulously designed and crafted. Incorporating elements of Southern-inspired architecture adds an exotic flair.<br /> <br /> The fusion of modern products and tropical styles creates a unique space that reflects the innovativeness of the &#064;ciarko_design brand. It’s more than just a booth, it’s an experience.<br /> <br /> Design and construction: Smart Design Expo - &#064;joanna_dittmar <br /> Photo collection by &#064;fotomohito.eu <br /> <br /> #warsawhome #inspiration #color #exhibition #stand #smartdesignexpo #design #construction		Smart Design Expo		1958	https://facebook.com/SmartDesignExpo	0		WATCH_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68650	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		1012115223354533	1	3.4904102246084E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	29248284143		0	ScholarMan			120201542027480751		www.amazon.com	Shop now		NONE	video			https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJDG6MJK		1701457013	29248284143	ScholarMan	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407451034_1361970321360462_1970576729216696361_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yfM38SEOWcYAX_nE2Dn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBWpNOcSNBa9sqDpgoaUiuJ9olg4OIrafSbQFPaGczJnA&oe=6591756B	person_profile	0	ScholarMan	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407385109_163445830158754_8571242999058832849_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_CY_WHOV_6sAX8BQd6z&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBjqLMkxY6GJ-oZcv3O47iqW-4PJa7Fce1XiSFyu6DqZA&oe=659271C6			0	3	NOW SHIPPING, NEW SUSPENSE THRILLER, &quot;THE SAC HOUSE&quot; BY C. SCHMIDT:<br /> <br /> Gabriel and his sister Joanna are promising young adults, thriving as best they can in a busy city. After losing their mother, they have adapted to being on their own and not relying on their father. He had been a hustler and a drifter, usually creating more problems than good. In spite of this, Gabe and Joanna were resilient. They have handled their affairs well, despite any drama their father unintentionally brought their way. However, this time, something more serious has occurred. It has caused them to make a choice they had never considered before: running. It seemed like a good idea at first. Yet, in their efforts to find safety, they found something much more sinister than what they left behind. Surviving through the consequences of their choice is their only goal.<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> .<br /> #book #books #novel #novels #author #amazon #Kindle #suspense #thriller #goodreads #gmabookclub		ScholarMan		6607	https://facebook.com/ScholarManMusic	0		SHOP_NOW						1701417600		View Edit Delete
66600	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		332864562886246	2	9.0681998110269E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	106809038380343		0	Joanna Gabrielle			120205736086430174		joannagabrielle.com.br	Learn more		NONE	video			https://joannagabrielle.com.br/ceb/		1703196958	1.0680903838034E+14	Joanna Gabrielle	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412972000_277233101994011_7615119186266013715_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sXLLN8pWp1gAX-oV6A4&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAnAYc18ciWBGg7Uks8HKN9jTGta84KTWXV4t_87OBEmQ&oe=65915ADB	person_profile	0	Joanna gabrielle | Aprenda inglês	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412944260_2090705257938554_2582744266618632231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LPGhDnPjohYAX-_sYZT&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDEXncwW-r0M79lDTqq167SKjdgwg6r7FXAx9579njRfA&oe=6592D271			0	3	Entender e falar Inglês Fluente seria bom pra você?<br /> (mesmo começando do zero)<br /> <br /> Olha, eu aprendi 5 idiomas antes dos 25 anos, ensinei a Jessie (filha de 4 anos) e outras centenas de alunos, usando uma Metodologia própria. <br /> <br /> Agora, eu quero te levar do Zero à Fluência, mesmo que você:<br /> <br /> - sinta dificuldade de memorizar<br /> - não entenda bem o que escuta no inglês<br /> - não consegue formar frases corretamente<br /> - não faça ideia de por onde iniciar<br /> <br /> Clique no SAIBA MAIS e descubra a minha proposta irrecusável de final de ano!		Joanna Gabrielle		184	https://facebook.com/joannagabriellei	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69418	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760175	1725054164		67		662784766036270	1	2.0629466251583E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	330511345659		0	PARMA Recordings			120201118662920156					NONE	image	PARMA Recordings	We make music. It sounds terrific.	https://facebook.com/PARMArecordings		1700841646	330511345659	PARMA Recordings	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404607073_692473319300024_3012517918321741207_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NAE7NMuUiK0AX-N6dvr&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDb9rIzx3Uz3dr8Ed36R1gBEVjVpjAbEcC-OSWCfNCk-Q&oe=6591CAA0	person_profile	0	PARMA Recordings	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405559420_1035425467703752_4189569119101773428_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1NWgCSPVRPUAX8vLA-L&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDiBjPJGMVMCWu-gkRsWZw34KhgucB2r1_MbdTk5iDW2Q&oe=65925BBE			0	3	LONDON CELLO CONNECTION from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Ovidiu-Marinescu/100063619568048/">Ovidiu Marinescu</a> and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/londonsymphonyorchestra">London Symphony Orchestra</a> is &quot;a highly technical display of contemporary sounds&quot; says <a href="https://www.facebook.com/takeeffectreviews">Take Effect Reviews</a>. Read their full review of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/navonarecords">Navona Records</a> release here.<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftakeeffectreviews.com%2Fnovember-2023-2%2F2023%2F11%2F13%2Fvarious-artists-1&amp;h=AT1lFhad6to0TJS8BQ7IQ4pXUOR2MRpUiKmVk0POfZjfEi02LANu-WhdoTM91DI16w3gwCLXm2HoiTi6rW3FL1nOwu_M2VsWLetbU2wvNL0Ag5oOoqBDkIzS7MhVxrJmmhUi4OYJgZtwF625u9ukQklcYK7rgYUkWXc0XA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://takeeffectreviews.com/november-2023-2/2023/11/13/various-artists-1</a>		PARMA Recordings		6312	https://facebook.com/PARMArecordings	0								1700812800		View Edit Delete
66997	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760160	1725054164		67		352888417342314	1	6.5581730294518E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	109712895562645		0	IG boss babes co			120201626669050129		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joanna_sagrero		1703191918	1.0971289556264E+14	IG boss babes co	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412894487_1206224670765362_247806770972304539_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=L-rIpGfi5pkAX-hislp&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCCEUsM2j83LtJcQsuWkLgr_x_bbGPQu3XFxMs3br9K9Q&oe=6591FAE4	person_profile	0	JoAnna Sagrero	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412743903_899051651564926_3259114991265956938_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=94p8r1B_lYQAX-H9b5a&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBsFk5qkQQ9126zevCLUG8OVQNn3vZ_Fj2gXruCHM6KcA&oe=6591C9ED			0	3	Our mindset is our greatest asset… <br /> <br /> In order to expand your inco*e mindset you need to<br /> take daily action toward it and the opportunities that<br /> become available to you... that’s what’s going to get<br /> you to the inco*e and lifestyle you want.<br /> <br /> &gt;&gt; To learn more about creating your own profitable<br /> Passive income business with Digital marketing:<br /> <br /> Click the link in my bio to join my *free masterclass*!<br /> <br /> You’ll learn:<br /> +My exact strategy for consistent 10k+ months<br /> while homeschooling my son and living a freedom<br /> lifestyle (+ how to get the exact replica of it!)<br /> <br /> +How to start a profitable done for you digital<br /> marketing business as soon as 24 hours from now<br /> <br /> + How to setup instagram to start making passive sales<br /> (ie consistent sales throughout<br /> the month with my secret hands free traffic strategies.<br /> And you’ve probably never heard of it)<br /> <br /> +And learn all about IG Passive Profits® + if it’s right for<br /> you!<br /> <br /> 1ST LINK IN BIO TO JOIN 🎉<br /> <br /> OR dm me: ‘I’m Ready’ and lets chat <br /> <br /> - JoAnna Xoxo		IG boss babes co		2	https://facebook.com/61550866101187	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67325	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054164		67		1363508754526786	1	6.6262377270006E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	149440964908731		0	Xmasgift Store 63			120203132612620654		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls17?unisex-sweatshirt%3Fspsid=103166&color=black&size&product=unisex-sweatshirt		1702888419	1.4944096490873E+14	Xmasgift Store 63	https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412039454_1322766355041531_2970375526146566491_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jvuI3r2ZrHsAX9ZYX3g&_nc_ht=scontent.fphl1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDLFHYYNxT77NL6CUA2QCS2wucMItJhdV1aa3IklNCiTQ&oe=6591860E	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls17%3Funisex-sweatshirt%253Fspsid%3D103166%26color%3Dblack%26size%26product%3Dunisex-sweatshirt&amp;h=AT1zAAUq91_fDap7BdlxeSU7_IK0hpfbGN1PGJ0R8Ooq0T5mynpicQaee3uTvRVFq3-VOIZSLT0phvd9atNuiPiAVcjTyrEUHmB9mp_kPBmI-lnTLqKfAGH5I96TpJwNFVbEze5MaRqpMv0fh7OVh1hp-y8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls17?unisex-sweatshirt%3Fspsid=103166&amp;color=black&amp;size&amp;product=unisex-sweatshirt</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0XScoG4RUJO94itWSKBJOnmZJ8-yeqLSssuEihMJIXm-OSS88FhqBIK1L0d0CntZq3ULzZ4MlFGilgP2xFwfAMfHw_mTiRNBA58qtGVnCdbmlGPeIDTr-7Qyfjk6Px8JoD_UvuTrqi_nde1a8a9KMGAy0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Xmasgift Store 63		0	https://facebook.com/61552029025241	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
66668	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760159	1725054164		67		934368924984279	1	2.1364279000222E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820613180777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561271	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413037547_658437906365168_1233717790963720275_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3cvIZHcQ3f4AX-m2OHj&_nc_oc=AQkyists9_uoQpJWXuukn-mNLg-_3k9kD49iy14_-N0uQ14oA9y8n8aLX4G4577CBaJ8P319pZqkd6d0r_82CN4e&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBQLsY-2ay6F8eFEPpatlJpU1lwFytK2SUzOlBCyItn7Q&oe=65918D32	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414183890_1589290721812777_88260681980897968_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vADsmuQg2_YAX9BbPos&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBCmKVVqtsUlB6nky2Sfv-Kep56BM2HEtJouKcW1HxMcg&oe=65916630			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete
66623	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760158	1725054164		67		388186927107871	1	7.3476868855436E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204137202440102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1703580908	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412936262_878173723913621_8752449638457710345_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FnUXfY69AawAX96i4c-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDhf8-QJbaFxmX_Kw3qc2MZoB4NR09BJJgagMQvKkfYYw&oe=65921999	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414208857_639732981494038_6874847824083377792_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hvkTS0ny_twAX_uuCCK&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfARgAiSytm0gYgp14RJp2J-stualRjnDxc6HvqmyGzdfw&oe=65922389			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4993	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68563	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		729890321902343	1	1.5087622365691E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1054880307978117		0	LVNA By Drake Dustin			120201440749690249		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/lunabydrakedustin		1701717833	1.0548803079781E+15	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407687937_362629002916359_521187055794424269_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=it79EhYdBCgAX-QNMSW&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmqRVU21AKOpkn0zfU6CRfTO43pHvcGCT97pktSsYmEg&oe=65916222	person_profile	0	LVNA By Drake Dustin	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407721979_1597657157709230_7686680800966949785_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-jU4cibldvUAX-i1Tby&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCs_KPV68Lo8je5w0119cG2iMHICeVNJQpvbuXUSlp8Ww&oe=6591F59D			0	3	IN HER ELEMENT. For the most-awaited April 2023 issue of #TatlerPhilippines (&#064;tatlerphilippines), #NadineLustre (&#064;nadine) stunned everyone again with her ethereal appearance that is as beautiful as a scenic view. This time, Nadine was really ‘In Her Element’ as she became vocal about the imperative role of everyone to teach the young about environmentalism’s significance in today’s world. Read an article excerpt from Nadine’s cover issue and heed her call to start saving the planet in our simple ways. <br /> <br /> Photographed by BJ Pascual &#064;bjpascual <br /> Styling by Joanna Garcia &#064;joannagee <br /> Hair by Paul Nebres &#064;paulnebres <br /> Makeup by Jelly Eugenio &#064;jellyeugenio <br /> Nadine wearing &#064;ushisato &amp; &#064;lunabydrakedustin<br /> <br /> Grab a copy now of &#064;tatlerphilippines April 2023 featuring #NadineLustre ✨		LVNA By Drake Dustin		273685	https://facebook.com/LunaByDrakeDustin	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701676800		View Edit Delete
68669	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760171	1725054164		67		380989554270562	2	3.5706944564777E+15		1701763200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120200879004210773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701424003	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407393257_3467409040238714_5988519937306100646_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oE7pBexjsSIAX-MnHw1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBAYRvcY3zFrWDF44HgdjEpu8eeaKSFKL1D6nwg6XXNCg&oe=6593074C	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407403630_934143908277828_6836896048264888137_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7LxagS9yOiIAX9kn7_i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfATFz7bnADKW3Ay6vzbrw4k0ftg3Hs5p4iCdWbeOboLuw&oe=65926CCF			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4997	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701417600		View Edit Delete
67419	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760162	1725054164		67		330189903205950	1	2.9950156308197E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202766079530465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702381	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411388950_732591325080922_3640642186348620709_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZxTFw-KxjwYAX9P_9uV&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCBuoI8EEVjPN54pqz8miIzNUo-EEHr7a0rZoN4mlbvig&oe=6591AE5F	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411418613_263916916364448_5601478904939456656_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aGcwEGsLyIMAX_AAot9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC9BcjCnlcw71gHOaZcBmjykOIP-X8CVCXuRfnJbYYF2A&oe=65918F68			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
70064	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054165		67		1520817485422481	1	8.7638850711232E+14		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201112124540243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700554454	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402563814_359985943274406_1710205946942716353_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EzKHbYbwuksAX8aOCJV&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA_aXlgph5P4_-0p1V_WWvz1vTcAKKL5MW80LS0meE7nQ&oe=6591A00E	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402585978_1697914357384472_9132540215127032967_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PpH0UQXjptgAX8k01B9&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC8dhsCQaG41izL8Zyt5K8epBSw280sexk3SEotqfSyYw&oe=65923ED6			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70046	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054165		67		613519337480211	1	9.9880129121422E+14		1701849600	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	105357625974805		0	simoneconforte			120201500090650649		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/simoneconforte		1700565824	1.0535762597480E+14	simoneconforte	https://scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/17332491_1336952829696541_8672851143262470144_a.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=-l8HpeClIokAX9NqveU&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBn-tdb-JLwD9lRPfAtN1GwTdXJBoifry6o6o8n8YBwaQ&oe=65918A3F	ig_ads_identity	1	Simone Conforte	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402910917_1058753838488813_5412406599014298737_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2e8Q4k5uTsUAX8lhkCg&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBMaZhDKdjFGhl8W6cGzNrWhfgY9J9hoUYPr_SpkpSUrA&oe=65933221			0	3	The issue#03 of STELLAPublication is OUT OUT. Triple love but not the same. THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES. Here again and again are artists, journeys, forests and jungles, city bright lights and cameras in rain, pursuit and chasing through love and rage, details and massive truth. RIBELLIOUS, DIFFERENT AND DUTIFUL. Out today. This is #3 of STELLAPublication. We praise everyone taking part of process for your keen contributions, for your generous art and for the urgency of your narratives.<br /> <br /> On cover_ “STELLA” signed by Joanna Wos, September 2023.<br /> <br /> 📲Preorder on <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FSTELLAPublication.com%2Fshop&amp;h=AT3ZnyP2As1xT5eIXgjS7M9Kf5JQ5tVU9uIxdmO3R2f2Szgkv0jPcYyR6ngC3XJShqtGkJ-9qnP3BbmRlGc3NgZElaZfuaApBpojprOPCIbJrAxi2A4hPKNAUyk4ePhbGkH_jD2mRLiCcc3ynWbboTsyFYc" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">STELLAPublication.com/shop</a>		simoneconforte		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/simoneconforte	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
68763	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054165		67		2504834516363669	1	2.27889934578E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	578313285668155		0	Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics			6459943216234			Send message		NONE	video					1701346210	5.7831328566816E+14	Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404740367_24273171098964333_8239557174144620474_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xiSfm5p54soAX9VBN0g&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC0g-jp6oZAPmjbAyzSVDH59LZ-RP0K3-MG49OMBOHSZw&oe=65926F2B	person_profile	0	Oxford Uehiro Centre for Pract	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404762723_737769617763930_191869049256612696_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=14DhRbC5Ce8AX8sBumh&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCKd9wgnzyt2xOaKEnZCLvu3n0BCNYKgxmh0T2qs-X_Sw&oe=659159B1			0	3	Interested in difficult ethical questions about the world today? In Year 11-13 (or international equivalent)? Take part in our global ethics and responsibility competition! Deadline 8th January:<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk%2Fpractical-ethics-and-responsibility-competition&amp;h=AT2h8BFRFc5T8dVHR9VkGnMqZ362LENUT7FEb4OTTRfv_iWfaMSOQ2GOmuUl9WQBojz24JAk2CLgJ6jkfA4VJ0iNA-gCGJ6fSXsKJTUjH8M_VtRlpFvSx61CYnLrTRMe0sgeRx6EWIPimFgv6EFa5QzX7nUdC__gpSdqnw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/practical-ethics-and-responsibility-competition</a>		Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics		1651	https://facebook.com/OxfordUehiro	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68178	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760167	1725054166		67		281530841060227	1	9.0002879505133E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1598210863727191		0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art			6517369214112		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapilarczyk		1702226478	1.5982108637272E+15	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408772192_267195189342268_8212370749743684102_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AqaZAxL4bcwAX-7Df7D&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKNhn8K2bCHYKXEwU-RfCDjHSr7g6FkoJ9UKQm3bdOcg&oe=6591E4D4	person_profile	0	Joanna Pilarczyk Art	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408768291_1128600394792355_4206297952672233817_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4_GK5R6utacAX-tuMrk&_nc_oc=AQnZxFU6hM8rNlvUdAJKD5a2S3dWb9OIJe3UaHz70w2sP5QfJR6MA3bVeEwEcaqWgKA&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDe_Y9wJqg5juUwpsoeFjyNqoS22vLzkSIFD2g0ksepFA&oe=65922D1E			0	3	I am thrilled to have the painting ’My Brazil’ selected as the winner in the &#064;boynesartistaward in November 2023:) <br /> It’s my second Prize received from Chantal Boynes, as I won exactly a year ago with the painting ’Serene’. <br /> Both paintings are special to me. They portray my friend Renato and his partner Alex. <br /> The theme of November’s competition was Unity in Diversity. <br /> Congratulations to Laurin and Alexandra who also won the Boynes Monthly Art Award. <br /> <br /> #MonthlyArtAward #artisticexcellence #winners #boynesmonthlyartaward #winnerpainting #artistachivement #contemporaryart #Polishfigurativeartist #modernrealismart #polishartist		Joanna Pilarczyk Art		914	https://facebook.com/JoannaPilarczykArt	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68876	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760172	1725054166		67		1025657688704549	1	1.5850766755657E+15		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100802715811938		0	Best APP to release stress			120201140437530070		dynamic.bestnovelapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	<Meu Marido Bilionário Secreto>	Leia online！！	https://dynamic.bestnovelapp.com/noah-ssg/wn/202309192/27884910600562805+1+3+facebook?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}		1701246869	1.0080271581194E+14	Best APP to release stress	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404776147_877585043901172_1316116495654571637_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=59unR4QnG0IAX_HQ16x&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCTl4rfXiPLgqgzhlqFpjTBGq_QpjIGscWThnjgVrC5fw&oe=6591B4E1	person_profile	0	Best APP to release stress	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404750107_313323351529139_965139659840395923_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OTUXsy-ffgUAX_rjkdw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAR-ut8jtRdNqy9FItUB0B8vZrxhx47WB5s_h9ZJBnoeA&oe=65925AE8			0	3	&quot;Marido, eu não quero mais, me sinto péssima...&quot; &quot;Amor, seja boazinha, termine de tomar esse remédio.&quot;<br /> O homem bonito abraça a mulher em seus braços, acariciando-a delicadamente enquanto a alimenta com o remédio.<br /> Joanna Lawrence se depara com Ashton Heath, o herdeiro mais estimado de toda a cidade de Closia, e acaba passando a noite com ele. Depois que ele oferece benefícios em troca de seu casamento, a recém nomeada Sra. Heath de repente tem o poder de ter tudo o que sempre desejou.<br /> &quot;Marido, eu dei um tapa na Rainha do Cinema Faye hoje, eu exagerei?&quot;<br /> &quot;Amor, sua mão está doendo? Deixe-me massageá-la para você.&quot;<br /> &quot;Marido, eu estourei o limite do seu cartão de crédito, você está bravo?&quot;<br /> &quot;Amor, você está feliz com suas compras? Avise-me quando precisar de mais.&quot;<br /> &quot;Marido, estou cansada hoje, não quero me mexer...&quot;<br /> <br /> Clique para ler mais &lt;Meu Marido Bilionário Secreto&gt;		Best APP to release stress		4921	https://facebook.com/100079851744054	0		LEARN_MORE						1701244800		View Edit Delete
70084	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760179	1725054166		67		719668686343025	1	1.05150906931E+15		1700553600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	119061657800841		0	OasisFun			120201111817960243		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞🔥Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/isspj4ebdibgj2u3abnmpdl3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700553726	1.1906165780084E+14	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403606229_1073255970781917_7592557743465243059_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aUrPBfM2HCsAX_Gekrr&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrzhsazIIoE1WV86mZaf8l6k8-iqTGMn0OeoIu89Idig&oe=6591D85A	person_profile	0	OasisFun	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403603656_1564731260985625_1047185084548743206_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=53abnxoSrnIAX-vQq0g&_nc_oc=AQlbBOWLmkZJ3ssN0VJNgNjpoH2NKimUqJzSEynOnpiNXvi_eBIFdyjaxcCkKsGSCrg&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBmdWt22pBC9w_JOXQTMMZYpv9ImHz3syko2X8Rz5XXXw&oe=6592A0DF			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisFun		427	https://facebook.com/100091233910499	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67244	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	8/30/24, 4:42 PM	1703760161	1725054166		67		1046663926460848		2.9387042645447E+14		1703059200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108482371656615		0	Celebratized			120203143700200280		en.onechicagocenter.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O'Neal e Joanna Moore. "Eu passei por muita coisa", disse Tatum. Aqui está mais...		https://en.onechicagocenter.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-br-occ&src=facebook		1702963072	1.0848237165662E+14	Celebratized	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410020309_243357215443722_5629172979757188871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D_-FkIaOP6oAX_EH7C_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZVeKhb3QsqmOPd_6ifILDimyN_R_ywSx4VUWe9eozBQ&oe=65923A48	person_profile	0					0	3	Tatum O&#039;Neal, de 60 anos, está agora a sofrer de várias doenças após anos de maus-tratos e hábitos mortais que aprendeu dos seus próprios pais, o falecido Ryan O&#039;Neal e Joanna Moore. &quot;Eu passei por muita coisa&quot;, disse Tatum. Aqui está mais para saber sobre Tatum.		Celebratized		7585	https://facebook.com/100075750675644	0		NO_BUTTON						1702886400		View Edit Delete
67991	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/15/24, 8:37 PM	1703760166	1731724636		67		6896282143798065	1	9.1559335352648E+14		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202434527060465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702447844	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410026727_1289504195070375_7315979488389460537_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PYVxc7HhcwEAX8p2ZTJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAnoqNPtYlj1An7a26WTjIjDIQ4KaRwJNFVcm5HWJ9M4A&oe=6592EDA3	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410170396_310136128241482_6633774063823640752_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ng8tFlislqIAX-RKAER&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDCWvPiZNMCk4q3W0P3IVsTvOZ-QF1uhdgt5UDaAYwAbw&oe=6591F494			0	3	Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66706	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/8/25, 8:31 AM	1703760159	1746711090		67		1902937966769907		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203557795540335		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703491406	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414186907_409565638061267_1732802934211341380_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8vSTIqESu6UAX9DkNcf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCYhWoiA1bE-zKUQKjQ6-btLdezlvLWHQHX-6C2GRgNXQ&oe=65933CAE	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412870653_896191058891796_3080748791807514494_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STo1OTbIGM0AX8avzPu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBV32X1J8yCi5HFiyZ_nlaPkGjBdOWDSki36p9lgzMuJQ&oe=65926598			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68736	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/25/25, 6:18 AM	1703760172	1748171901		67		321001784045660	2	6.6329897588573E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497701440404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357850	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406646128_1053790169040507_7509356515946298230_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5ozeJDydlA4AX8rx4oY&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCLa8FVVK2P27Okfq0jk8V0Bf8oqDEVLotjDvnmmKf5xQ&oe=6592BC82	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406654766_249487224556689_8317548710258892450_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cm3mW2-IRaMAX-n4hHc&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC4xnVxtqA_s1YSW0E26vc0ZhdYNoUxGpOkslSD_XDSOw&oe=659315AE			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68860	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 4:46 AM	1703760172	1749635208		67		1417140739181853		8.188272099976E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	225900558306982		0	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine			120201714817350520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701250801	2.2590055830698E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Magazine	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406237676_1003362174071863_1033910792031400060_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c0oDYsSxXjQAX8rohL_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAf1EgRKPrrP59EaAWA-5WUbtiw4KBfEE6UfY-znGUF1Q&oe=65930BC6	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		Lifestyle A2Z Magazine		665	https://facebook.com/lifestyle.a2z.magazine	0		NO_BUTTON						1701244800		View Edit Delete
67668	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/25/25, 9:04 PM	1703760164	1748225083		67		882152083543036	1	1.0661805077815E+15		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	330511345659		0	PARMA Recordings			120202606376150156		parmarecordings.com	Learn more		NONE	image	PARMA Artists Selected as 2023 Global Music Award Winners - PARMA Recordings	We’re proud to see the following PARMA artists honored in the 2022 Global Music Awards. Congratulations to all on these accolades!	https://www.parmarecordings.com/parma-artists-selected-as-2023-global-music-award-winners/		1702581633	330511345659	PARMA Recordings	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409804048_892946105768807_4001433898670391830_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Yk0hIxGEZQYAX9kmsHg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB4laCT8HWbrQjxPlUY88tLiu4RDGj905HYwaMfyEgGzg&oe=6592D4DB	person_profile	0					0	3	The results from this month&#039;s round of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/globalmusicawards">Global Music Awards</a> are in! We&#039;re honored to see PARMA artists <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Joanna-Estelle/100066700864475/">Joanna Estelle</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stangrillcomposer">Stanley Grill, Composer</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thechristopherjessup">Christopher Jessup</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kuhnchoir.cz">Kühnův smíšený sbor</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fanyalinpiano">Fanya Lin 林泛亞</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ian.gindes.pianist">Ian Gindes</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tjmesa90">Tommy Mesa, Cellist</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/michellecannpianist">Michelle Cann</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sunwrae.music">Sunwrae</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sjwallin">Sarah Wallin-Huff</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unlvdivisionofwindbandstudies">UNLV Division of Wind Band Studies</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chickcorea">Chick Corea</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SantiagoKodela">Santiago Kodela</a>, and more receive recognition for their work. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.parmarecordings.com%2Fparma-artists-selected-as-2023-global-music-award-winners%2F&amp;h=AT2F4f2iuP4h1QLijcqDvVt4ANbTX-fZBQsyJWdmeSrQNHydeKouO5N_r0e1v6zKB-vSpEIhZSiShBLPccgNOaf57y4gaNTCHwmjmBSt0tchS1KhPVXq-swAFTpo3ujydUWuWY_fLbPrjQoW-4UEMw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.parmarecordings.com/parma-artists-selected-as-2023-global-music-award-winners/</a>		PARMA Recordings		6312	https://facebook.com/PARMArecordings	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
68035	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/14/24, 6:46 AM	1703760166	1731588409		67		874656607702601		6.7743684786976E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101517766011216		0	S Is For Serial			120207707030550456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390403	1.0151776601122E+14	S Is For Serial	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410456516_1760163194429156_3234338792136871526_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DFJ5VRolz3IAX8ef2Hi&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBKXKwHClVxltTdVLZe2EM5yRDfaFhaUFH9YkD9dl_YFg&oe=65918DFB	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		S Is For Serial		279	https://facebook.com/100084409758466	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67061	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	10/5/24, 1:15 AM	1703760161	1728108904		67		1059214241890801	1	6.5664926654076E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	122217117651549		0	IDOL - The Band			6541945952266			Send message		NONE	image	IDOL - Holiday For You (Official Music Video)	IDOL // HOLIDAY FOR YOU // SINGLE OUT NOWBuy/Stream: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/idol7/holiday-for-youhttps://linktr.ee/thebandidolonlineIDOL Presents:...		{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?","response":""},{"title":"Can you tell me more about your ad?","response":""},{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?","response":""}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703135065	1.2221711765155E+14	IDOL - The Band	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412913844_884830483234841_8272741493161641410_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b4NSkCZCb1UAX_UuO0_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdJHPiz3Dp-QXR-oQjdnGt67iDbbKkD-VZLmWm51M4yw&oe=6592DCDB	person_profile	0	IDOL	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412947849_730623261931675_7867773573260795697_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lsRLuDeyQXcAX-3Hbou&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCcYOgkHdWRbxAUQxnhciAACDdSIke75XDtROCVRJN5ww&oe=65930007			0	3	🎄IDOL Presents: “Holiday For You” OUT NOW!🎄<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FIgR7vkPG7nM%3Fsi%3Dl6XsouJ7Kd5Va8jQ&amp;h=AT36TNg2cwOx-NWEcpRQUfJlHKojfOMUIt-3iQpSarA99yEcwm6Ker8SZ0wSaG4NwgqgN0MbZ-i2f7mil-Yq4nHufKagr4gcOIXarggZnafW-lXKp77ZHNA5MFeU3aqZQybDK7ztPZGIcZ9Dw9-njw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://youtu.be/IgR7vkPG7nM?si=l6XsouJ7Kd5Va8jQ</a><br /> <br /> IDOL is:<br /> Q Michael K-<a href="https://www.facebook.com/QuintonKufahlOfficial">Quinton Kufahl</a><br /> Shadow 1-Jacob Popowski<br /> Shadow 2-Maverick Nicolas<br /> <br /> Recorded/Mixed/Mastered: Derek Moffat of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/608studios">608 Studios</a><br /> <br /> Filmed: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diegolpedrozavisuals">DLP Visuals</a><br /> Photographed: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kelleycurranphotography">Kelley Curran Photography</a><br /> <br /> The Shadows:<br /> Jamie Beckman<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jeff.kitzman.1">Jeff Kitzman</a> <br /> Steve Watson<br /> Eric Ostovich<br /> Bill Seaman<br /> Mason Bahr<br /> <br /> Characters:<br /> Josephine Red played by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kelley.crayon">Kelley Curran</a><br /> Conrad Dickard played by Mark Kufahl<br /> <br /> Extras:<br /> Chris Cauwels<br /> Irina Cauwels<br /> Dominic Grossi<br /> Joanna Grossi<br /> <span class="_39_n">Casey Sabinash</span><br /> Abigail Sabinash<br /> Paula Eileen<br /> Amy E Kopfmann<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Lily-Black/pfbid02gpCT2kVuyADYoyVZZCSzhmfxpLbLXuqNHhLwdHWRLiSCpSAV1kh3pAqRzFsukfCPl/">Lily Black</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Olive-Fritz/pfbid0421qjSNKCfv9pyMShQuBVCX6LUUtJbFnijfbhBwMZ8YYQU3XE4Uu8K5H1wQFJcNsl/">Olive Fritz</a><br /> Lana Stachowski<br /> <br /> Special Thanks:<br /> BD Greer<br /> <span class="_39_n">Nancy Kufahl</span><br /> Deb Hatcher<br /> Collin Kufahl<br /> Isabella Norante		IDOL - The Band		193	https://facebook.com/idoltheband	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703059200		View Edit Delete
68740	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/26/25, 12:46 AM	1703760172	1748238364		67		382049381039079	2	1.3867805722157E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203497692670404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701357815	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407265035_1716151202229876_61382779868905933_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FJ4EHPfLrN4AX9-eVVR&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCv65RK7yC_mXE0gzEWc2MehU9pzH7wyPCmlIlVBzFIlw&oe=659173E8	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406243666_247763948073735_1097626027319651152_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=L7be2loihVkAX-Yd6J8&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDx5gAMJsmNJoYPqA4oWZK_hLUa1ykvGPwAEeP6H8Yh4w&oe=6592B766			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701331200		View Edit Delete
67743	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/26/25, 2:45 AM	1703760164	1748245548		67		1030667094886215				1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1625774737527434		0	USWalldecor.com			120202327319430671		uswalldecor.com	Shop now	68	NONE	dpa	{{product.name}}	Shop online for latest trends in wallcoverings by top designers such as Joanna Gaines, Thibaut, and Rifle Paper Co. Our easy peel and stick wallpaper and decals make a great addition to your walls at home, in your apartment, business, or classroom. Free shipping and samples available. Located in the...	https://USWalldecor.com/		1702496216	1.6257747375274E+15	USWalldecor.com	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410452038_872295524378996_6951093191659627857_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_N3ccRmFIrcAX_U_kv-&_nc_oc=AQnRoopjrc8EHGdwzlTjsjNNUktydN3SHpTt_URCCn5sOeuso6QKLOeL3THHiFLZM9r4cpm5DRZ0i2WsyHpYWM0a&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAN5tWKe9oOm-gCjYmjx2L9d8S114iPs1bmFVd3aFEk4g&oe=6592C0C1	person_profile	0	US Wall Decor	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410419333_1569585713801941_2325324195316088238_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b_sJ_C8P2YMAX9TGIfO&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB9_UQzYh7RIQwlk0z7MIHaV0npaSV_1j9JdxcD1KzwVg&oe=6592F97E			0	3			USWalldecor.com		4208	https://facebook.com/uswalldecor	0		SHOP_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67449	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 5:28 AM	1703760163	1749637694		67		2630238743797812	1	1.8365153144101E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765836770465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702333	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411152746_399099645774447_4710114145492107724_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t-eVApzKW4IAX-6DAsE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfClw_-XQG12y_EBYct2MiTjNu5hTVVob4MUOFgccmTIHQ&oe=659282EF	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411114262_1061934248222528_6916316336255880542_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7ZllejpmjZQAX8zo-Vp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDj3CFd6CeTxdu5deBSbV5uv-wpKXGJhePJDsELSy6B-A&oe=6591A277			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68923	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 5:02 AM	1703760173	1749636136		67		1271649616797304	1	3.1111896180652E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201210412510123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701171822	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404744090_1320479941989115_9010157741518293746_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zeR2bI72Yf4AX-E-ftl&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA32xeHkMC8E3M-P296GUJ_qw3Krq-HjxIK1KG9m7Z18A&oe=6592DD91	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404679384_2346772642181450_8579970152742610141_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OtaeBxHKM-YAX8toNgW&_nc_oc=AQm-sq_IdW-qws8Fx_YNqDiZYuH4ISHz_W_fyuH3nKsc4dyvO0zBTbvebhgi_lClpbzvjf2cbJU3zGRsyRLGaKeJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGKjP0Hfv8KkikpA0cf2ru8eXjUC_07VJtk-3WaJ2_jw&oe=6591783B			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66971	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	11/14/24, 11:30 AM	1703760160	1731605437		67		1421065535167982	6	1.9150066404804E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829710990756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213286	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412245351_1525851681535175_6482378805252949989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Qmngrs6JrgAX_B1J2n&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDwjsqOtbygLT55F8QACsqwr1LGXGQIoWSb3Rp7m9Fdvg&oe=659217DC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66986	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:55 AM	1703760160	1749650141		67		356868163612497	1	4.1422702093063E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	157384851487469		0	Joanna Rengel			120203771143990024		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/joannarengel_corp		1703194570	1.5738485148747E+14	Joanna Rengel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412860152_1078262986935749_2409103268490804935_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_lG6JBmQi3IAX_DltvU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJuis5C4Mo8G9eYBMOzB5cquYHHGx9iPhKgylRPr8cAg&oe=6591911E	person_profile	0	Coach Creativa & Espiritual	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412730312_742323300768486_8109920748890593645_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cIOxmClYCj0AX8STMWi&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCjezHVLALSO_ZAInxJAldyDIBdkB3ro_L4q5mpDjhHwg&oe=65917AC8			0	3	Un alma rebelde es libre y soñadora! 🔥<br /> <br /> 🧡 Las mujeres rebeldes pensamos en grande, somos decididas, somos espirituales, somos creativas, queremos crear un impacto en el mundo, queremos dejar un legado, valoramos la libertad. 🧡<br /> <br /> 🧡 Atrévete a soñar como yo, en grande, a construir tu negocio soñado, a lidiar con las emociones y liberarte de creencias que te limitan. 🧡<br /> <br /> ¿Eres rebelde como yo? ¿Te atreves a dejar tu huella? <br /> Escribe REBELDE en los comentarios o agenda una llamada gratuita!! ☎️💕<br /> <br /> 👉🏻 Con mi Mentoría 1:1 te ayudo a reconectar contigo misma y a brillar para darle vida a tu negocio soñado. ✨✨✨✨<br /> <br /> #creativelifehappylife #creativehealing #creative #crecimientoespiritual #energia #mindset #creativelife #selflove #amorpropio #selfcare #innerchild #innerpeace #intentionalliving #marcasquevibran #creenciaslimitantes #poderdelamente		Joanna Rengel		1141	https://facebook.com/joannarengel	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67193	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:56 AM	1703760161	1749650192		67		274908291870278	1	3.1867687106442E+14		1703491200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	107990975681655		0	Family Gift B2			120203902310240568		mfamilygift.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTION	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilygift.store/joanna-y1		1702974561	1.0799097568166E+14	Family Gift B2	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412297471_275166351844140_1580177599771270861_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8XFCNEgaAEwAX-2-1ku&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBfby6XnQgIntSyaejjPb3BhVWFfgy25U01d28Br22pqw&oe=659174A1	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilygift.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT2xiw0JIT156pPZ-6xSOS3_2emZjFd0DDgV4of6kquufekHiCrc3xljk0CDpSoHj50Gn6EBt9a_7PZ5VdwhUMezv3e5ex9rLjBx5Dqr-LJaONQfcdoSC6NXUIEQKKuB9LKyEGJKTigLLjM88i_nIovX5ZVWmiMXHLUdKQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilygift.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Gift B2		24	https://facebook.com/100094095135666	0		SHOP_NOW						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67411	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:57 AM	1703760162	1749650278		67		261294993328526	1	6.6878626879264E+14		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	311136718916927		0	Leonis Summer Houses			120201986702620647		leonis.gr	Book now		NONE	image			http://www.leonis.gr/		1702292176	3.1113671891693E+14	Leonis Summer Houses	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408476791_1009640686760613_7363818524127732107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JwkOsquG9dkAX9rpugG&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAnHhzLmUVQfzG8TVCbUFp-yay-kUukRDZ2g9N-hgZXdQ&oe=65920167	person_profile	0	www.leonis.gr	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406825562_3598161450473036_6281783793428032350_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CfpV7AmeRNwAX9U98VT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDiAddYSJ8iAW98IgV_TvyHqimQc0oC6EijtyE9GXQYbA&oe=6591A3F6			0	3	There are several words that keep showing up on our guests’s comments, such as “view”, “relaxed” and “friendliness” for example. One word you won’t miss though, even if you read just a couple of reviews, is “breakfast”.<br /> <br /> Probably the greatest evidence of how seriously we take our guests’ experience at Leonis Summer Houses is the love and care that we have put in creating the hotel’s signature breakfast. <br /> <br /> Every morning, a local bakery brings us different kinds of bread, all made with traditional recipes. At 7:00 am, we start baking butter croissants (that’s right, butter, not margarine croissants, we just can’t stop spoiling you), along with savoury treats like the adored spinach pie and sweets like the creamy “bougatsa” pie. This way, you get to enjoy the rich flavour of freshly baked goods with every single breakfast.<br /> <br /> Breakfast preparation includes all the vitamins you need to start your day, with the cutting of fresh fruits for your colourful fruit salad and squeezing oranges for your juice. As if the Greek yogurt we serve wasn’t delicious enough on its own, we provide you with honey that we buy from an actual farmer - not from a supermarket - and traditional sweets that pair incredibly with your yogurt.<br /> <br /> The marmalades we use consist 100% of fruit, there’s no sugar added. Every day should be a cheat day when it comes to our chocolate spread though. Use that thing on a croissant and moan like Meg Ryan on “When Harry Met Sally”. <br /> <br /> To top it all off, you get your morning boiled eggs and a variety of cold cuts and cheese. Once you’re finished, you should expect to get hungry again at dinnertime. What raises the breakfast experience to a whole other level is the fact that you get to enjoy it on your terrace, with a breathtaking sea view.<br /> <br /> Treat yourself to the LSH experience by making your reservation online at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leonis.gr%2F&amp;h=AT1tpKrHT8XVI5TFB20Vo8SEs3cGY-jEc3NKTkZRwLugCnoJNt4hqTmWxnl0jVOhnl9uwZjP9PeTmhOIZk8IjKZUBLjZXgC1WmeX5MNhBXH3RvTl1N7UszeMNVLbxeFjDcxFNlSsLv7V7sWJlTiUPFehf_oEIFwUe1ilyuzB" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">www.leonis.gr</a> or by sending your request at welcome&#064;leonis.gr<br /> <br /> Season Premiere on 20 April 2024<br /> <br /> #mykonos #greece #travel #hotel #photooftheday		Leonis Summer Houses		9128	https://facebook.com/LeonisMykonos	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68952	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:58 AM	1703760173	1749650296		67		889607809440160	1	1.0474234230684E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203300670880596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701151646	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406261692_724976142856137_6542226751633806603_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hiJGhr0GtisAX9x09N_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfANgXNIWOObwFg86RV3ePPvW52OJJMBiYLvkrpfO3R21w&oe=6591C991	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406309107_3595311444061001_5968297759956515285_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TT5jFH4Zx0wAX9I1hVp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhsLPqI8sVSwlzswqH1pTy5rpKaF8k8TluQXv27_kC5A&oe=6592127D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69037	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:58 AM	1703760173	1749650309		67		639977051431224	2	1.4427700929366E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715934550115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140269	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404677721_1363356901276034_6161332146090626020_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zPKuzz91_jsAX-m5SyW&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDd1yksOW7JQ3DQSN31DghrcZbxNt-gsFl8exhoWBxkgg&oe=6592B316	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404662494_877103120476573_5451417641774691699_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hnCFeHG2Uo4AX9NDVza&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAJatSDm_wKTYDJtJ_cGnL9bUPJFXTojjwxjKWGsj-Ijg&oe=659179A5			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69412	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 10:06 AM	1703760175	1749654407		67		881283130171976	1	1.0813056865579E+15		1700985600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201123542050123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700827910	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405086065_1064799631963019_5884123303672008553_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pBTXWoN0nScAX_wagI0&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtnfcFrk8aKioj2uNLIg-D3MBO3W3NTZVu8aACcahnkQ&oe=659255E4	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405311367_1379194099684101_6796675279183476601_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gS0ThdqIlpgAX_msei7&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAGLSRy2dI2TYbDAed9VfqZhqv-wSwjRRgtHVuybuZw5g&oe=6592BD81			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69686	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/26/25, 5:07 PM	1703760177	1748297266		67		706182371179609		6.8907228669931E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721075470167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678939	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404304695_307157035603840_685326367727654247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TyHd4-SmwfEAX-LhUc1&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUdiGqhUl_14sMkF_DBNMh2zgJsdRIUyfalzb3eC1SLA&oe=659184AB	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69457	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 7:47 PM	1703760176	1745887621		67		2100146743663052	1	3.6066820637673E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632013000115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796596	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405522556_681274287443149_1667927256033080689_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TR-UjMHvwuAAX8TdNZ6&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfBTIwZ5_H_792hFq0IjvaVuTdBK-cmVgUgN-QnJu-vtGg&oe=65914DE4	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405498611_246107628236269_4053352566179592021_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ufDx4sMZ8LIAX9jy1P2&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfCZCGMkJr6r239U3eX5pyyUqo7_1MAg7fzI_mtbRSaMMg&oe=65922A0C			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69779	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/28/25, 7:52 PM	1703760177	1745887946		67		1240877930636376	5	3.5632109572798E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100591998719781		0	Graduatez - Hit the Books			120200721409990167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679679	1.0059199871978E+14	Graduatez - Hit the Books	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404478545_996064758122985_9149296117747152661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hUUWkjfAGPIAX_KU8aj&_nc_oc=AQms_jjohDf3MISQF3i9JXcl2JeHxarnPdT4CkVnbTErb9N9pglMoIWxNqiodll-cAj2mtjQNsf9mdOgf4xVIzok&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBIWr3muc7hxIYPYBYKC9L4Zp5-2BX61F79riFtnJrtLA&oe=6591F4E3	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Graduatez - Hit the Books		957	https://facebook.com/100067310437950	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67832	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760165	1742988641		67		323120850543184	2	1.8294816908026E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104682145044102		0	Lena Hendrix Author			23858292338850253		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Small Town, Brother's Best Friend Romance!	Start reading now...	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091V6X69L		1693841498	1.046821450441E+14	Lena Hendrix Author	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/375564882_274290835461057_5581859090234556069_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6AcbV62SsO4AX9iOPge&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB7y9b_x1vUCUKd7bD_k4REiaGf8q3zEJQzNRGpYj7GtA&oe=6591C72C	person_profile	0					0	3	I felt like I was falling apart at the seams; Joanna pulled at one thread and I was unraveling at her feet.<br /> <br /> FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3Z2D9ao&amp;h=AT3g6p5x1vsqcAUr2x03tocjqDN_iUcxHp7ez90dXJ7y4jwd9DO2KAzJO1RlNpl9vurePrE0_Wm1BkcFkBsOmvQiNK6lOR9tIaKqm03ini0GJFsdU7hVwqTwiw_-Azso3f0_1wVIkQJJcmy-9AI4efo93D0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">https://bit.ly/3Z2D9ao</a>		Lena Hendrix Author		950	https://facebook.com/lenahendrixwrites	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69854	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/29/25, 2:57 AM	1703760178	1745913446		67		4497138217236287	2	6.3822013824974E+14		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113840200491489		0	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊			6501446289503		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/dearjoannaa		1700673276	1.1384020049149E+14	𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		person_profile	0	joanna tam	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404922026_368566498923236_8106595358796248022_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CKONRW9zlQAX8RImhS&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqGmFHS7FVR904lb1gliTCfkRNm2lCR--X0ZIXkQfM9w&oe=659269FB			0	3	pretty dresses + tea parties 🫖 &#064;houseofcb		𝙹𝚘𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊		0	https://facebook.com/100080768289817	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67544	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/27/25, 5:29 AM	1703760163	1748341772		67		1264870997775897	1	7.0174311838409E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	102733795339737		0	Bee County, TX			120208020275760456		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Bee County!	Brawlin' in the Aisles: Waco, Texas H-E-B Becomes Unexpected Ring for Epic Showdown!. I blame Chip and Joanna Gaines. The fight in the video a the bottom of this article probably would not have gone down if it weren't for the duo's famous Fixer Upper TV show. Stay with me now.	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0qAHsidA?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1702630765	1.0273379533974E+14	Bee County, TX	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409931874_2195780980625383_2521069723501699646_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=az3m67_wSogAX8lXgYx&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSjsYTBa3BMNKg0Ru9hm8iahExcSDGNGmKFlh4lqcgsA&oe=6592575B	person_profile	0	Bee County, TX	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409929047_1320634475321676_2664469509728330527_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2cNycuPTIpEAX8_cdO4&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCaleuNKRbmsSgIHdTM_btnq9kbSy7lincG3A5TmZb7PA&oe=6592B8F9			0	3	Bee County News: Fists and Pork Rinds Fly During Chaotic Waco, Texas H-E-B Brawl.		Bee County, TX		43	https://facebook.com/100068272359098	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67019	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/27/25, 7:24 AM	1703760160	1748348682		67		738723294350354	1	3.9301522650712E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	128872460299034		0	Windstore12-2			120205220286920663		thaoutee.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Best gifts for your family	JOANNA-A16	http://thaoutee.com/joanna-a16		1703152402	1.2887246029903E+14	Windstore12-2	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412348761_1050445226264921_685030044516064026_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hgy4O-ZKtWMAX9dUUv8&_nc_oc=AQmXvUL1E9m5eFbtggRNd5yEm624ABLhOLjU9lJg9T93E5jdz1-DMFfDmfUr-DKIVuU&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWzYfUojIgScdBFRQZY6D6XE4FwmyIdsc6URv5P0uC1w&oe=6592886B	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthaoutee.com%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0JipdzJxIsW9u2dQWzN4DcsnIOHbt3VuIVc448ynigcB7t46vDS7qoZEdgH3zQuc2dP5RNujyBHQOfRfasGvRP6h2Mmt7-vxy1K8rbBp7pVarRx162zPjUbXP4aRAPAsWBc0KtSJZ00VHbtsrstg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">http://thaoutee.com/collection/joanna</a>		Windstore12-2		2	https://facebook.com/61550627315369	0		SHOP_NOW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
67146	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/27/25, 3:07 PM	1703760161	1748376430		67		1478826675996228	1	1.0110556666716E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1690071827911682		0	Cleancult			120204033097820481		www.walmart.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Free from the Harsh Stuff	Now Available at Walmart	https://www.walmart.com/search?q=cleancult&facet=brand%3Acleancult&sort=price_low		1702996868	1.6900718279117E+15	Cleancult	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412360103_392781329854068_8028573615865915017_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_lSBpSEeCYEAX_7A3De&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBLqtnrWmvPoBlFRFOpEJ5-MtP3cep95zC67s1I9pBKfw&oe=6591B609	person_profile	0	Cleancult	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412422251_1075762716791386_7010553486237496889_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8rlrD3GQM48AX9PCJpC&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBQ5xuZzKbc7FhcKzXo7YVFtZv_03VRmxJqa1N8jHeBag&oe=659244D2			0	3	This cult never sacrifices safety for power. Try our all-purpose cleaner in divine aluminum for a safer home and a spotless soul.		Cleancult		19906	https://facebook.com/cleancult	0		SHOP_NOW						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68212	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:24 PM	1703760168	1749691469		67		714471747274381	4	8.2245211630123E+14		1702195200	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100662392307897		0	joannapegier.art			120201910238210431		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapegier.art		1702162708	1.006623923079E+14	joannapegier.art	https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/343572976_3489330761282565_5896789005078121418_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Hb_BVhIQewwAX86nACl&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBF0vhbhG3NBfnXCWXg_dYogJCHXQKQSNrQRW5pN9PiTw&oe=6593108D	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Pęgier	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409921096_251199017750802_409221090301921333_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NzFY-vZA9XYAX-2uqCA&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfByYosHQGPnabwFhbVUAC8SkdksVVvocEuDSP1tPBVtBg&oe=65923376			0	3	🇺🇸Greetings from Miami Beach 🇺🇸<br /> 😍 My latest artwork &quot;Scream&quot; from the series &quot;Into Myself&quot;, digital art technique, has qualified for one of the most important art events in the world! Art Week Miami Beach!<br /> <br /> 👉In my series of paintings &quot;Into Myself&quot;, I portray our bodies as sacred in moments of intimacy and honesty with ourselves.<br /> <br /> I am there only in spirit and represented by my work, represented by a gallery - next time together😉😀<br /> ❗️Attention, I have tickets available if any of you happen to be in Miami, let me know. 😍😀!<br /> <br /> #artcurator #modernart #contemporaryart #abstraction #contemporaryartist #polishart #polishartist #exhibition #artforsale #malarstwopolskie #artgallery #artcollector #artweekmiamibeach #galeriasztukiwspółczesnej #galleryofart		joannapegier.art		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joannapegier.art	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
66443	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/4/25, 9:39 PM	1703760157	1749091187		67		1480228982550702				1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120202362651350087		joannaczech.com	Shop now	147	NONE	dpa	{{product.name}}		https://www.joannaczech.com/		1701271993	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404780699_132200206653762_1563164270495979669_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XateHrYxmygAX_YcuqR&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfB76B7oEaF7_hlfgqtA_q9FJ9lk2V3TfDfqOTSgqjRaMw&oe=65926BF3	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404802463_730445835617262_4719683800735096545_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YkWytapMHboAX9mnTmp&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCRKujSFmpBaHJLsgRx7r4-6Ns4lifj2adH0KXJgaLf2w&oe=659274FF			0	3	Fresh favorites for your skincare routine.		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69106	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/29/25, 4:08 AM	1703760174	1745917717		67		772916184660309	1	1.480992742469E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104897268381196		0	LeNovel			120203281110100596		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/tzdymgh4o0rmc1yjet0j5jkj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701068371	1.048972683812E+14	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405669853_390496909974124_5860306620503949097_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cDGUgX0jetMAX8yMif3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRhtcxiy7UTYvWJUisxkRO94NliqYvLQ891bcULxNMmQ&oe=65919447	person_profile	0	LeNovel	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405687051_1060990688654099_4586940231195615910_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W0vSkbzoOfMAX9Ngt7q&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDcAAt5Lcv6nmEY1iuhuCz5Inri90_LkxkP5NCO8mz5hQ&oe=659333F4			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		LeNovel		724	https://facebook.com/100077514365255	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66680	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/12/25, 12:24 AM	1703760159	1749705850		67		1508014106445150	1	1.4492689358017E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	134903889714448		0	Tukors			120203734382750627		www.tukors.com	Sign up		NONE	video			http://www.tukors.com/promotion/?pu=Q6WADKXPCIF6		1703518403	1.3490388971445E+14	Tukors	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413926151_879173453667921_7271027362597533883_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gxahkYE3nWYAX-wXZUX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDnJ0Cnq70UzI8Gzji7tMfLT2xHhtnz-7JL9ZL2D2IqZQ&oe=6592FC2B	person_profile	0	TUKORS	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413939971_1494105321446689_4040702029287276321_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9YW6AfYX_LAAX-Vw2Vm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCt2ww6Ko_JsTe1ttrJnNCRp6nGAQkIu9BZIrNd6yEexA&oe=65926B5B			0	3	Friends with thin ears are easy to deceive.<br /> Let&#039;s Learn Korean with Tutor Joanna!<br /> <br /> #learningkorean #koreanlanguage #hangul #hangeul #韓国語 #韓国語勉強		Tukors		18	https://facebook.com/Tukors1	0		SIGN_UP						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68185	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/12/25, 12:05 AM	1703760167	1749704745		67		1046430226482193	2	7.3060463228822E+14		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204866616160427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702207792	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406476572_357819306794300_78169672285947900_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vZUxuIIFXXYAX82Zg4J&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfApU1tPldGcc8c1OAzNGe2sEeGAL2ltUIx7_xRoIxHFYw&oe=6591FBCA	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.fdet3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406472808_275314135126418_4622004728332189307_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3ea-lre7V0cAX8NkkmU&_nc_ht=scontent.fdet3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAM61IIdJHKBoRR_qv0UMoF4TB8L9Y54gpNCUpjPeQ4Wg&oe=65930FB6			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68820	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/12/25, 12:57 AM	1703760172	1749707848		67		1022840198976499	1	7.3142370501736E+14		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203115912430294		dreame.onelink.me	Download		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"		https://m.dreame.com/novel/1800871680?auto_jump=true&utm_source=facebook_ads&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&af_prt=risingtechnolog&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701257143	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406695601_1853719015045136_626577908125497179_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bPyygcbOUBoAX_PuFVC&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBol-w2g2rAlGpI6R4FA1JWSoth-oPFMC7h-MHU4PKDUw&oe=659199B5	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406696024_232832473031730_7751744868972381255_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UrWABNlxtAAAX86z0Uh&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAw_2wX-cR_OeIZ5qvnpcQVcYZ1ljJSVSeEgoMHz-yYmw&oe=65919281			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		DOWNLOAD						1701244800		View Edit Delete
66478	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/12/25, 3:31 AM	1703760158	1749717069		67		1405390570383879	1	1.2872854052699E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868937230268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_A8260321B81A20767040645D1784B54A_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699174	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412994628_327981743413744_7398791145384701052_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NnNTsYJlEFsAX8sMZMo&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfANCVsVeNYVTK9VlcoD2w_4Smy9OYQDRDLxlb1sm_P7tQ&oe=65924C16	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a bookstore clerk, never fancied athletes. But Knox, a star football player with a secret struggle, is about to rewrite her playbook		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
67167	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/12/25, 6:30 AM	1703760161	1749727828		67		950564499818920	1	6.8333309393232E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475865050743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976994	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410014065_274519785242442_4422291416492732949_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4uMnXBJ6I_0AX8rwlEE&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAKcrfo1nUFxVbEM7JAFu5vbnNCwGfN9YSfY2j4xURTCg&oe=6592F6A0	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410009182_259765083519227_1446204740505399029_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EJ79q4pMyuMAX9ilsA-&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCyJs7EjXVKdTKwHaz0YspzYCExn9r9YWSrCPNDPFKcQg&oe=6592FD95			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
67657	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/27/25, 11:10 AM	1703760164	1743091846		67		1415461089067778	1	7.0744182468568E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120203185829780102		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702611523	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409752687_1042455520170354_3486276738559578557_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vWO_3tfrRZoAX9vZaNc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAu4-FAU2aYsyruZMQaYND6HW-TSM_MhRcoW07bgtysDA&oe=6591FE53	person_profile	0					0	3	😍😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
67440	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/3/25, 1:36 AM	1703760163	1748932584		67		1351004492189548	1	8.4773618715135E+14		1702800000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120202765856910465		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Lire la suite 📜Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/5alnvv1llnjglcqjkzvf5kgr?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702702307	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411071793_1569955880207973_2619546808143837206_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nUYwNoLetysAX_NvApo&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCkKdZQ29XuBk-Cl_EQLplISh-b5q-2ecpMP7anndMbrw&oe=65929AC2	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411171518_288736263660353_6975689600204394979_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AbeEHsIQNQoAX_vk3v1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxr6fnQ1HRZ6v8OrX8xNYGjx8XJSYUKlvgZYM0QGAa-Q&oe=6592AABB			0	3	💔💥Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène. <br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68470	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/12/25, 8:08 AM	1703760170	1749733698		67		736018165229428	1	8.2744668246522E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201458883420691		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701856377	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407786617_332021443020441_3867850141437930662_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dJiHt9Gg7ToAX9C9Z5S&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCyb6ti7Q3oakcfTGGO3ZhhdQl1kd3wJPdhuM7n8HOcMA&oe=65927650	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407774380_324550543676081_7394727894959601881_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SedW6OOAjg4AX-bPEfd&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfACuWl3sC5ouYyYb-wDTdY6niYtYPzyOpk02SNjIcZDwA&oe=6592791B			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
66437	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/15/25, 12:47 AM	1703760157	1747288032		67		954849518920267	2	9.865378626115E+14		1694156400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	1387948014788528		0	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian			23858688503130562		https://projektbogini.pl	Learn more		NONE	image	Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości	Dla kobiet kochających, czułych, z sercem, dających z siebie za dużo które powtarzają te same niechciane historie w relacjach ODCZARUJ BOLESNE WZORCE MIŁOŚCI Natychmiastowy i trwały sposób, aby ODKRYĆ I NA ZAWSZE POZBYĆ SIĘ bolesnych, trudnych, nieuświadomionych wzorców i schematów, ...	https://projektbogini.pl/		1693688333	1.3879480147885E+15	Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/374262180_207368435438827_5763664930283400073_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K0hK13bL514AX9serzf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBXV9fpw2DMOHq4ziW9QvcMyBVYFDxHimRyzfNSPyU_hg&oe=659148BD	person_profile	0					0	3	🔴O co chodzi z tymi ( bolesnymi) wzorcami miłości?<br /> Twój związek lub jego brak, to odbicie Twoich “wewnętrznych” wzorców miłości.<br /> Czym właściwie są wzorce miłości, i skąd się biorą?<br /> <br /> A co ważniejsze, czy jeśli są dla Ciebie “bolesne”, prowokują trudne <br /> i nierówne relacje, to czy możesz coś z tym zrobić?<br /> <br /> Czy też już raz na zawsze jesteś na nie skazana?<br /> <br /> Na ile w ogóle masz wpływ na te wzorce?<br /> <br /> Skąd się biorą?<br /> <br /> Twoje wzorce miłości to odzwierciedlenie często relacji w Twojej rodzinie.<br /> To odbicie Twoich “trudów” dzieciństwa.<br /> <br /> Odbicie ukrytych dynamik relacji z matką, ojcem.<br /> <br /> Które nie zawsze wyglądały jak “groźne traumy”, a jednak sączyły się do Twojej podświadomości.<br /> #<br /> Czasem nie wiesz, że byłaś “kochana boleśnie”.<br /> <br /> Byłaś uczona, że masz z siebie dawać,<br /> że masz zasłużyć,<br /> że masz czekać,<br /> że taka jaka jesteś, jesteś do poprawy, korekty, zmiany, naprawy.<br /> <br /> #<br /> Byłaś “odrzucana”, bo nie tak jak być powinno, niewystarczająca dobra.<br /> Zbyt…<br /> Za…<br /> Niewystarczająco…<br /> <br /> #<br /> Byłaś za wcześniej dorosła, ponad miarę.<br /> Matkowałaś rodzicom.<br /> <br /> Żeby być akceptowana starałaś się bardziej.<br /> Dawałaś z siebie więcej.<br /> Ukrywałaś co czujesz naprawdę.<br /> <br /> Różnie…<br /> <br /> #<br /> <br /> A dzisiaj Twoje relacje pokazują Twoje podświadome bolesne wzorce miłości.<br /> <br /> A to<br /> * dajesz więcej z siebie i dopasowujesz się do jego planów, celów, czasu,<br /> dopasowujesz się do - nie wiadomo czego,<br /> <br /> * jesteś niewidziana,<br /> <br /> * Twoje potrzeby są umniejszane, ignorowane,<br /> <br /> * matkujesz, ogarniasz,<br /> <br /> * jesteś tą trzecią/ na boku…,<br /> <br /> * jesteś zdradzona,<br /> <br /> * on nie umie się zdecydować,<br /> <br /> * on pojawia się i znika…<br /> <br /> 🔵<br /> <br /> On<br /> taki sam, ze swoimi bolesnymi wzorcami…<br /> <br /> Prawda jest taka, że możesz to zmienić.<br /> <br /> Jak?<br /> <br /> Kiedy świadomie na to popatrzysz, zidentyfikujesz całą misterna grę w niemiłość.<br /> I uznasz, że to jest.<br /> I, że jest w Tobie.<br /> <br /> Kiedy uświadomisz sobie, że masz moc, aby to zmienić.<br /> Bo świadome popatrzenie w siebie i uznanie tego co było, jakie było, bez osądu daje moc.<br /> I ZAŁOŻYSZ, że to co stare i bolesne NIE musi Cię obowiązywać.<br /> <br /> Kiedy zaczniesz siebie postrzegać jako<br /> chcianą,<br /> kochaną,<br /> szanowaną,<br /> ważną,<br /> szczęśliwą.<br /> <br /> Kiedy zbudujesz swoją wizję kobiety/ Bogini.<br /> I tylko tym się staniesz.<br /> <br /> To jest możliwe.<br /> I realne.<br /> I od Ciebie wymaga- tylko jednej rzeczy.<br /> <br /> DECYZJI. Że chcesz dobrej miłości.<br /> I jesteś gotowa zaangażować się w ten proces.<br /> I wiesz, że zmiana w Tobie odzwierciedla się na zewnątrz.<br /> <br /> Zacznij tutaj<br /> Warto odczarować bolesne wzorce miłości. Być jedyną, najważniejszą. Priorytetem. Zacznij ze mną. Kliknij i odbierz 1 sze wideo<br /> a potem dołącz do kursu<br /> Odczaruj Bolesne Wzorce Miłości<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprojektbogini.pl%2F&amp;h=AT1zhkbMAyFhcXD5hNAXQdlwxmCAa78zbS7UfHE1jTiqvRyGOBOZbDkn1z7aLeC0gEzMhD4gi12uvrd3DUYEdU9TqdLzvhZ3tYBIhxpqpyAhXxsy4nrbHkR2j09qMeK3h54k-ljZeuMKkv3WDWxJxQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://projektbogini.pl/</a>		Joanna Grabska - Inspirator Zmian		7449	https://facebook.com/JoannaGrabskaInspiratorZmian	0		LEARN_MORE						1693724400		View Edit Delete
69882	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/29/25, 1:13 PM	1703760178	1745950399		67		309980778631204	4	1.3093793964447E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201579107430115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633204	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402980347_3544923595756259_2717242285472965820_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c61YJhYV16EAX8jks3O&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAP9LpTHxyCiOusdeGTan83nFyNQclol5E8xq_9idlqGQ&oe=6592DC39	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403091254_1364805320797765_2024988479997896501_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xLHipM1GsBgAX9pfaZN&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCJLn6eiXPAqavaEjR85m4USIXWo2jkq5EnwHyCtjd8MQ&oe=65924AC0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69189	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/28/25, 1:18 PM	1703760174	1748456334		67		1003107397467106	4	3.764241743862E+15		1701158400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145382420740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Speaks Out to the World Breaking Her Silence.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806339	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403619811_170204919511898_587871113483397454_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a9jSauIAHhYAX9tOHV-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAjm792_bNmObCxU8MX02ylGNcYantdDPkNpa57egzRwQ&oe=659291F0	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers Hid This for Years, Now Joanna Breaks Silence on Husband and Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Show Ending.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
67484	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/9/25, 9:15 PM	1703760163	1746843336		67		262651523186844	1	7.2990578568470E+14		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101928486111131		0	YummyStory			120204011772540506		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👉Click to Read more about📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/qq41bo2f4vulppwrw5wskr1i?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702636965	1.0192848611113E+14	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409848658_1039748883796467_2939608002727517692_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=npaIOwWVNjoAX83JNxE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDvB81PzHsxbwf3Zmcg_UNA8zuqjz7l_xOYg2i2hsMcxg&oe=6591BEE4	person_profile	0	YummyStory	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409855988_203075172866003_3703130539103410307_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=b5pT-jDX2asAX_7Aruz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCcYCvb2ocwEgJSY1JavBEKtOEuF7ruFofIA_7ZCzBHwg&oe=65924794			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		YummyStory		194	https://facebook.com/100088816688674	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68096	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/5/25, 3:51 PM	1703760166	1738792302		67		369947269047527	1	1.0563872923431E+15		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120205058022720427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702371251	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406863610_300325822991840_1764951358569034642_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-k69e6YIMYkAX-NHhSP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAkdi0utzeim501QmAHQR_RcidsmI2B8hSj-eyPVhgy5g&oe=65916479	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409159359_1096025024621295_498727012572029690_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bl_xsFU7XYEAX_qpOwa&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBSqU0wCbauK6UW9Ft96afnKOEjfOufFO5UwWCaYOGyFQ&oe=6591BEF1			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68318	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/28/25, 6:26 PM	1703760169	1748474813		67		3495573694086051		7.257495728074E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102890561862959		0	Wander Prints Home Decor			120201327401020733			Shop now		NONE	image			https://wanderprints.com/gt383nel1901		1702010409	1.0289056186296E+14	Wander Prints Home Decor	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408132878_6968651419836703_842521470513606602_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g-VvSRQCzm8AX-SY8vg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDCEisr0WLabMk-IRzQgvZLQgluH4HxGvxisFsufhi8IQ&oe=6592674C	person_profile	0	Wander Prints	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408131267_318462497660306_5797470389169523324_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BHWRR96-ljEAX_oECxW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAfPt-O_-Zi7XOqdcULoTSWs0T26hSdURGdUf6eq2BaIw&oe=65923D1A			0	3	Personalized Gift For Besties!<br /> Order here → <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwanderprints.com%2Fgt383nel1901&amp;h=AT3BKyNXQEl_RM4Rl-x5hBWRqfVlq9DfE7U3OWB9nZfyvu_q0vJ1gFnMuaE1aWCqZKjD7-koLTsPgolS29xb-BHEntMiNX9cDzJlIanQXkwrYZ3ywTwfvm--Q5K4-EP_zVFT3kazoO_xlLHqSZx4mQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://wanderprints.com/gt383nel1901</a><br /> Worldwide Shipping!<br /> #besties #bff #bestfriends #friendship		Wander Prints Home Decor		67969	https://facebook.com/wanderprintsglobal	0		SHOP_NOW						1702022400		View Edit Delete
67405	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/28/25, 6:36 PM	1703760162	1748475362		67		866565411807713	4	8.2245211630123E+14		1702800000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	100662392307897		0	joannapegier.art			120202502744580431		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/joannapegier.art		1702740172	1.006623923079E+14	joannapegier.art	https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/343572976_3489330761282565_5896789005078121418_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Hb_BVhIQewwAX9qYIc7&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBWwO07Wj3qCdY-gdrCVmY0-K0skhzO204EdN8PzG4ZjA&oe=6593108D	ig_ads_identity	1	Joanna Pęgier	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410227318_1346432362901841_7285564703831953824_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OEJf_L8DxI4AX-kAmNZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCfrDU0HHg-MpkeImSr1WhdKTHKyrf3-qLJ_s_79cTidw&oe=65916EDE			0	3	🇺🇸Greetings from Miami Beach 🇺🇸<br /> 😍 My latest artwork &quot;Scream&quot; from the series &quot;Into Myself&quot;, digital art technique, has qualified for one of the most important art events in the world! Art Week Miami Beach!<br /> <br /> 👉In my series of paintings &quot;Into Myself&quot;, I portray our bodies as sacred in moments of intimacy and honesty with ourselves.<br /> <br /> I am there only in spirit and represented by my work, represented by a gallery - next time together😉😀<br /> ❗️Attention, I have tickets available if any of you happen to be in Miami, let me know. 😍😀!<br /> <br /> #artcurator #modernart #contemporaryart #abstraction #contemporaryartist #polishart #polishartist #exhibition #artforsale #malarstwopolskie #artgallery #artcollector #artweekmiamibeach #galeriasztukiwspółczesnej #galleryofart		joannapegier.art		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/joannapegier.art	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702713600		View Edit Delete
68504	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/28/25, 8:11 PM	1703760170	1748481084		67		1078392283173317	1	1.0665252945409E+15		1702022400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118760431268839		0	lookporcelaingirl			120202569928240681		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/lookporcelaingirl		1701854150	1.1876043126884E+14	lookporcelaingirl	https://scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/358377870_1425775771603663_8927361842888995981_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=kqmJK4WO36oAX_WrFaw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfC9WAQFKd1xtioEEJBTNqo5EruvayMsTIiiAe0fhbfKcw&oe=6591804A	ig_ads_identity	1	em.	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408101782_898204595008042_5369834192116004201_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oTJ4WF19W_QAX-3ZwQQ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_b05wSVudWz1aLUYP940LdwmyYDMu1ynp-DsEz6f_Dw&oe=6592BC13			0	3	żeby listkom było wietrznie<br /> i żeby sercu <br /> bezpiecznie.<br /> <br /> w z i e l e n i z:<br /> &#064;jolawachelfotografie <br /> &#064;joanna8grzywacz <br /> &#064;monikaturekfashion <br /> <br /> fascynator:<br /> &#064;marta_ruta_hats <br /> <br /> #sesjafashion #fashion #fashionsession #photosession #model #modelka #sesjaproduktowa #sesjamodowa #fashionphotography #fashionstyle #retro #retrostyle #fashionmodel #polskamarka #martarutahats #oplotka #streetphotography #naturalphotography #nature #streestyle #streetphotos #fotografiaartystyczna #art #artphoto #retrofashion #photoart		lookporcelaingirl		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/lookporcelaingirl	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69856	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/28/25, 9:01 PM	1703760178	1748484107		67		886873073067417	1	1.059709702046E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100159368886874		0	Joanna Grygo- szkolenia.Gdynia			6457848623234		szkoleniefeelthecolour.grwebsite.pl	Learn more		NONE	video	Odkryj 𝙏𝙖𝙟𝙚𝙢𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚̨ Kolorowych Rzęs!		https://szkoleniefeelthecolour.grwebsite.pl/		1700555460	1.0015936888687E+14	Joanna Grygo- szkolenia.Gdynia	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402638002_892441935243524_7572911099270705442_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xGjc9TsfIAsAX8xotEM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCMKHa-A_hAlDle9w6IIu1vtGPuRg-BBN9gDYDxaRet6g&oe=6591CAEA	person_profile	0	Joanna Grygo	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402634700_1068749624133909_6695769925460425636_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mzhtz-lZTbYAX_8AjJJ&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDl_41Q_LtaCw0t83EYXcih2qY3kViZCJGfGU6MjDP-kQ&oe=659160E4			0	3	Podbij Sztukę Stylizacji Rzęs! 👁️<br /> Jedyne dostępne szkolenie w Polsce!<br /> &quot;𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙧&quot;<br /> <br /> Czy jesteś gotowa, aby Twoje usługi stylizacji rzęs wyróżniały się na tle konkurencji?<br /> <br /> Szkolenie „𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙧” to klucz do odkrycia tajemnic efektywnego wykorzystania kolorów, które zachwycą Twoje klientki.<br /> <br /> W tej specjalnie zaprojektowanej dla stylistek rzęs sesji szkoleniowej nauczysz się:<br /> <br /> 👉Jak dobierać kolory rzęs, aby idealnie komponowały się z kolorem oczu i skóry klientki.<br /> <br /> 👉Techniki harmonizowania kolorów rzęs z najnowszymi trendami w makijażu.<br /> <br /> 👉Sekrety kreowania wyjątkowych stylizacji, które podkreślą indywidualność każdej klientki.<br /> <br /> Zrób kolejny krok w swojej karierze!🎯<br /> <br /> Zapisz się teraz na szkolenie „𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙧” i odkryj, jak kolor może odmienić Twój salon rzęs.<br /> <br /> Kliknij &quot;Dowiedz się więcej&quot;, aby rozpocząć podróż po świecie kolorów, które ożywią Twoje stylizacje		Joanna Grygo- szkolenia.Gdynia		450	https://facebook.com/joannagrygo.szkolenia	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68080	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 3:18 AM	1703760166	1748506693		67		1295423717821885				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	332852867116118		0	SARZA			120202431843900441		sarzastore.com	Shop now	13498	NONE	dpa	{{product.name}}		https://www.sarzastore.com/		1702380647	3.3285286711612E+14	SARZA	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409734399_995639054865027_3333004400415699880_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ls_6cOXV9hgAX_YY49D&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3jfnOS6C_NwULVqujwmAk8Ykl-k1W13J3euETdLt1gg&oe=6592E275	person_profile	0	ＳＡＲＺＡ	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409543921_383428417445411_3201096235973062900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VyFLD8RqW3YAX8W5Mff&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2s_IEdlWUE4AVLd-4fDDHUBQcrGjTLGAuCHnerQy1Dw&oe=659301A7			0	3	Make your home as beautiful &amp; unique as you are! Shop our range of exceptionally made items now.<br /> .<br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;Sarza is my favorite specialty merchandise store. I call it &quot;the African&quot; store. They carry a huge collection of items primarily made in South Africa, but also unique artifacts from other African countries. Whenever I need a gift for my family member or a friend, I know that I will find something beautiful &amp; unusual at Sarza.” - Joanna P.<br /> .<br /> Shop unique pieces with impeccable design &amp; sentimental stories today!		SARZA		5684	https://facebook.com/SarzaStore	0		SHOP_NOW						1702368000		View Edit Delete
66381	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 3:42 AM	1703760157	1748508147		67		1081019379922983	1	3.4405280825832E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	130264507048538		0	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store			120204741663430651		joannadahdah.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Joanna Dahdah's holiday picks	Discover More	https://joannadahdah.com/product-category/holiday-picks/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}		1702997389	1.3026450704854E+14	Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413015183_806798201204854_5936754239992129883_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0l_x9RA0m2gAX-CE5k2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfArODl4_VXDumzHUMyqsEu1h-BGT33_LsduvrcxawazTw&oe=6591CB56	person_profile	0	JOANNA DAHDAH - Fine Jewellery	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413011583_1088031649044673_3677836434823386507_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zn0M38eV2tUAX8vUgOi&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAUqVX46PyHYTMeBtxPJ0osvzCyhAqXfoolx7zh_nDdbg&oe=65928084			0	3	✨ Elevate the Joy of the Season with Joanna Dahdah&#039;s Holiday Picks! ✨ From delicate necklaces and charms to statement rings, bracelets and earrings, each piece is meticulously crafted to be a symbol of love and connection.		Joanna Dahdah's Jewellery Store		2428	https://facebook.com/joannadahdah	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
68254	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/8/25, 7:16 PM	1703760168	1739042167		67		281444317756536	4	3.6017906668063E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104004358796647		0	IMIND Mental Health			120201977410450224		fb.me	Learn more		NONE	image	Experience Freedom From Depression With TMS Therapy		http://fb.me/		1701803349	1.0400435879665E+14	IMIND Mental Health	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408044445_2051447535218730_4251588098596658744_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wHSr7FQyGVoAX-69WcE&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCj6jYdlh0jO0Br9vH5LcnL3rFAoPIZ_VsAvwhVku8IZA&oe=6591D9FB	person_profile	0	iMind Mental Health Solutions	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407849277_1079092816760410_1784455359833168243_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MTBouzrTQYMAX_er8zF&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDdGGbvF4hajNPfyQ8Clgay6CpvXUGpR-K7zhgvyC5pvQ&oe=65919901			0	3	Many depression sufferers have tried everything. <br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried anti-depressants...sometimes 3 or 4 different kinds.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried traditional &quot;talk&quot; counseling.<br /> <br /> They&#039;ve tried following mental health advice.<br /> <br /> They’ve listened to their friends and family tell them to “just choose to be happy”.<br /> <br /> But for many people suffering from depression, none of the above have truly helped them find lasting relief.<br /> <br /> Until now.<br /> <br /> A new form of treatment known as Brainsway TMS Therapy has been clinically proven to be effective at treating depression at its source.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy uses magnetic-stimulation to reach the part of the brain that controls whether a person feels happy or sad.<br /> <br /> In fact, Brainsway TMS Therapy has been proven to be effective for ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​patients who didn&#039;t respond to traditional depression treatments.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS therapy can potentially help depression sufferers get off their antidepressants, which is a major plus for many patients.<br /> <br /> Brainsway TMS Therapy is:<br /> <br /> ☑️ Safe<br /> ☑️ FDA-approved<br /> ☑️ Medication-free<br /> ☑️ Covered by most insurances<br /> ☑️ No systemic side effects<br /> <br /> Thinking Brainsway TMS Therapy may be the right choice? And want more information? <br /> <br /> Here’s what to do:<br /> <br /> Click &quot;Learn More&quot; below<br /> Fill out the form (30 seconds)<br /> Schedule a free phone consultation.<br /> <br /> Talk soon!<br /> <br /> Dr. JoAnna VanVleet, D.O., D.F.A.P.A.<br /> iMind Mental<br /> Port St. Lucie, FL<br /> <br /> For faster service, call (877) 355-8780		IMIND Mental Health		222	https://facebook.com/iMindMentalHealth	0		LEARN_MORE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66924	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/8/25, 5:23 PM	1703760160	1739057010		67		1432576757377099	1	8.7280861125483E+14		1703232000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	152764014582333		0	NovelBar			120202575273710530		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qvon.novelbar		1703214628	1.5276401458233E+14	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413005229_384000824096296_8203551095067638712_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0H_ardBV13kAX-aGYpy&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAx9ihPABMOR7ec8WZddDeqzm2x7j5MOnQFH6xQj1mo3g&oe=6592925C	person_profile	0	NovelBar	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412682938_870412724877667_285575191179029184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z8fT1D6Lgc4AX_cxWQH&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbbcyfkRS--aBci5ox0acVw0RqeGr3MgPKBChjdLauug&oe=65932572			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		NovelBar		171	https://facebook.com/61552664542443	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1703232000		View Edit Delete
66448	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 3:47 PM	1703760157	1748551668		67		1991044634606126				1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1575519442724412		0	Joanna Czech			120204448575920087		joannaczech.com	Shop now	75	NONE	dpa	Morning Essentials with Joanna Czech		https://www.joannaczech.com/collections/morning-routine		1703181167	1.5755194427244E+15	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410851692_1221375098836702_5438699697239719415_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ToYRkt7zq98AX_prjul&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC_-sy2cLgRCVPZq-n5XlL9ET1-d2Y4mgNdgDykNFgpSg&oe=659244B8	person_profile	0	Joanna Czech	https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410844846_1553257032091700_755546660130588546_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6pZ5Xmaa0iAAX9wbz5K&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCytLkBCvVJT6iXXSYkl2ODxVDKXGjKq5d8DPA1MiTBWg&oe=6591DE8D			0	3	Hand in hand with her morning espresso, here are some of Joanna&#039;s favorite products to get her ready for the day.		Joanna Czech		5585	https://facebook.com/joannaczechofficial	0		SHOP_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66695	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 2:05 PM	1703760159	1748545546		67		798976515323405		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203800483330518		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703505657	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412548317_910401070136295_3759380771553876049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YyHxtmIiNW8AX_cgGtt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDVwitTV7hcla6Hgijwpj6EpXUAzvYL2U5MO9JAXlfqRA&oe=65923355	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414027881_750574450278860_8000123261913264303_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HXs6vtVNe-0AX8X9WoX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDSPQBHfViLg4J5yWZwiyXM8vcJWjMxUT8noVUyfgOqkg&oe=65920708			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
70020	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 6:02 PM	1703760179	1748559742		67		2279555868921709	1	3.5988518656046E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103029735010459		0	My Daily Magazine Fitness			120202711288970204		ourfashiontrends.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://ourfashiontrends.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628566	1.0302973501046E+14	My Daily Magazine Fitness	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402944606_1246999580036166_3756997877442309377_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VF1csILWWWwAX-l6gFJ&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB8BqIYkofnT-Lzk9AN9qqpQJBkFfpDPGAGxQ2DpmeE6g&oe=65928FD9	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇		My Daily Magazine Fitness		2	https://facebook.com/100063637492457	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
70022	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/9/25, 10:36 PM	1703760179	1746848194		67		1002730217462464	4	8.5476698305394E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124900667376340		0	Live and See			120201388465950388		sneakertoast.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://sneakertoast.com/trending/funny-say-sleep-syn/?utm_campaign=Sleep%20Talk%20Tweets%20EN%20V1%20MM2111%20Dynamic%20B2B%20206%20LMM%209808%20-%20Unknown%20WW%20FB%20LMM&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=WC&utm_content=DC&network_code=LMM&v=8		1700614331	1.2490066737634E+14	Live and See	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403618634_885567016417495_4450854584342386049_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oCepxjzG82UAX_2vTQk&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA8FuEPYV5NE16JfHx-f9IKrLfOaJUqkJuQ8R9ASTuSFw&oe=6592FC62	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Live and See		13	https://facebook.com/61551734783441	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66798	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/2/25, 4:44 PM	1703760159	1751492680		67		1768030307004733	1	3.7838759818596E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	101792592502893		0	Jody Grant Lovitt			6552958641110		lovittbydesign.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Lovitt by Design: Home Staging and Design Services	Lovitt by Design offers home staging, design, redesign, short-term rentals, and e-design services in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. (734) 807-9896	https://lovittbydesign.com/		1703381406	1.0179259250289E+14	Jody Grant Lovitt	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413973509_1320733375247184_1612495221430050725_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bm6Vie2EIC4AX8HIkNg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC3JlKXj7e8PZRfSsPM5eHWOhVXpKFCKT6B1XJRVNGx1w&oe=659166DC	person_profile	0	Jody Grant Lovitt	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413964928_1420589675160047_5978900292051596730_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TLJ_OYQ7kYUAX9bBKLP&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2gou1nAEbTv9bPeT7irSHeLMHrl5feYUQJLUbkK2QPQ&oe=65932C9C			0	3	🌟 Meet the Dedicated Lovitt by Design Team! 🌟<br /> <br /> Our passionate team at Lovitt by Design went above and beyond yesterday, pouring heart and soul into transforming not one but two homes! 💼💪<br /> <br /> 🛋️ Staging is more than a job for us; it’s a commitment to creating spaces that resonate with warmth and style. Our 13-1/2 hour day was filled with creativity, teamwork, and the shared goal of making homes truly stand out.<br /> <br /> 🤩 Huge shoutout to the incredible talents of our team – Joanna, Sally, Tracy, and Jeff (I was there too) – for their hard work and dedication. Each member plays a vital role in turning houses into homes that captivate hearts.<br /> <br /> 🏡 At Lovitt by Design, it’s not just about the hours we put in; it’s about the passion we infuse into every space. A massive thank you to our team for their unwavering commitment to excellence! 💖<br /> <br /> #LovittByDesign #StagingTeam #PassionForDesign #HomeTransformation #HardWorkPaysOff 🚀		Jody Grant Lovitt		396	https://facebook.com/jody.lovitt	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66847	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/29/25, 7:29 PM	1703760159	1748564987		67		6942901979124861	1	7.2700711273241E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	191431450717039		0	Myteez Store 555			120204114538600154		myteez.store	Shop now		NONE	image	Buy More Save More!	Worldwide Shipping	https://myteez.store/joanna-dls45		1703301690	1.9143145071704E+14	Myteez Store 555	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412799097_868317635300942_2846541035337726335_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ioEpZ4vTmDYAX8pBSa3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCW8TgsjWyPaiJxFNfDl3aJmLDsNZEgadNExxujr7yQAg&oe=6592EF1C	person_profile	0					0	3	Perfect gift for Your Family ♥<br /> Order here &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fjoanna-dls45&amp;h=AT3un2ojcFmQjKcbMtrk80EF5JAv96IbsXdS6P0b7XffkWWZEPo4jZjAJTU735TU7vkI6gpx3A37ErqweO9iX-4uLvL-E8PbfAGta5ewZj-oXLkwL63HEB1jCfvIQtm8PVL0aM43Wxv7xCLVXTs7RcGnrc5JB2UqevD6XOHh75U" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/joanna-dls45</a><br /> Collections &gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyteez.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3olNTCPjdztsGA5GdxFF0svWfHxAWI2qRcdKokSr8I8zgKXG_YvqJoWuzhm4dsmJ2v1Xr6GfOMu_q6xE9VoyDzOYJib0l1SrlwQkEo3iXd4lQZMfYYr81d4FX7hyAUJTKPnOc7TkFKaSFIbKbsgaWUPVAqMs0O2pp6ximFdF0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://myteez.store/collection/joanna</a>		Myteez Store 555		2	https://facebook.com/61554082484100	0		SHOP_NOW						1703318400		View Edit Delete
67723	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:58 AM	1703760164	1749650287		67		2346885962183042				1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	149307721590609		0	Yacht & Cadillacs			120202128913430458		yachtsandcars.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.yachtsandcars.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702471906	1.4930772159061E+14	Yacht & Cadillacs	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409699339_7186015234824935_5238124261964643541_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UwKwUKDradoAX_SdgOA&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-Wgu0iFFYHri4eGu0Uk70CIv39-TcheatCPxfTqLkAA&oe=6592D38C	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Yacht & Cadillacs		113	https://facebook.com/61551661572082	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69244	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:34 AM	1703760174	1742988860		67		1085031059320495				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104524871533020		0	Motivo Scar Care			120201464540200382		fb.me	Sign up		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	http://fb.me/		1700948278	1.0452487153302E+14	Motivo Scar Care	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405572099_724012895879829_3967266987413608491_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ccedcUsq6IgAX_ySMIX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHpPnAwhHyQQxXa5pb837Ze6bnsXOF-T6uX9_C7ssYNg&oe=65919238	person_profile	0	Motivo Scar Care	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405677894_356423196938784_1791099633577129083_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4cvDxDCbRhMAX_VC8Rs&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXuncsKSOdbycIWCDDfMQZ2c2_47H7c1vtLaddPtjlcg&oe=6591C939			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Motivo Scar Care		208	https://facebook.com/MotivoScarCare	0		SIGN_UP						1700899200		View Edit Delete
70038	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/11/25, 9:34 AM	1703760179	1739266443		67		317070257770778	1	3.5768827333371E+14		1700640000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	174889489033361		1	Story-telling session			120203839914790679		heplk.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://heplk.com/market/goodnovel/1?lpid=6509&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700560508	1.7488948903336E+14	Story-telling session	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403788400_281291878237225_616862854253292310_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D9NFR-ilRnkAX-Ll7kb&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDENO8FHoajrVjsMopSA_SNJ-NlTnn-waY0xiynLbTdOA&oe=659145CC	regular_page	0	Story-telling session	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404078620_904702107715420_4711891839302757043_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=58MS0zGEkVEAX9sxF3D&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDO4kIqMPjjqDi8-fFGHQNaVkWC6kS3OtwtStu9O6ROSg&oe=65930D8B			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
66764	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:25 AM	1703760159	1742995547		67		931115351908838	1	1.5449519296608E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	586922838084317		0	Heart's Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center			6522941680856		heartsdesirehypnosis.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Heart's Desire Hypnosis	Hypnosis practice in North Tonawanda, NY: Joanna Zoe Christopher, NGH Certified Hypnotist	http://heartsdesirehypnosis.com/index.html		1703466695	5.8692283808432E+14	Heart's Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412721445_742977897220570_7883930530366477850_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=spyZmE3sNMEAX-pM99T&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABxVX3ugTgNnULSg4id-lJKXq7Y8987gPG-sNaNt3JCw&oe=65930EAB	person_profile	0	Joanna Zoe Christopher	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412672355_336867082621279_725677602764294440_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UPynClq9G0YAX8qI7q2&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCg10shqvHrCHydbDkN2UG251GtlF1cwE5e0dUN-0Yovg&oe=65919529			0	3	For that person on your list who has everything, how about an introduction to the healing energy of Reiki? How about a brief refreshment for yourself after being immersed in holiday stress?<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeartsDesireHypnosis">Heart&#039;s Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center</a> is now offering 30 minute Reiki sessions (in person or remote) for $45. <br /> <br /> But wait! 😊<br /> <br /> There&#039;s more! <br /> <br /> Now until the end of the year enter promo code WINTER23 to get $10 off. The egift cards are delivered immediately or on a future date, per your instructions, via email and are valid for one year from date of purchase. <br /> <br /> Click <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsquareup.com%2Fgift%2FCW5P57GMNBX5E%2Forder&amp;h=AT3S3yUUavfKYorOj0rHziJDXG0__uS9TZlG6c9B5Xnn79th16uYx5LgyPhoWY6_B4P6BeTBfhdhZ-CFy0hbJu_zn-mybnDYIJ6Vlq4ko6lO8lbrxjoKa77D2rrzQfisMPa6PkgdaJ3973ABoR_iKJWjjGA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://squareup.com/gift/CW5P57GMNBX5E/order</a> to order now!		Heart's Desire Hypnosis and Wellness Center		1863	https://facebook.com/HeartsDesireHypnosis	0		LEARN_MORE						1703404800		View Edit Delete
67999	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/9/25, 7:14 PM	1703760166	1746836056		67		268514066214058	1	3.4234680174559E+14		1702540800	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103102889409561		0	bernwilde_			120202148561460761		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/bernwilde_		1702433531	1.0310288940956E+14	bernwilde_	https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/354796450_1017564119654837_8312601682028372871_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=Pbb_HBgB6mMAX-Sztm1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfB-GmmlBFpMWWwZfkVHu4zriTwEymTB-D1njtGXEnFJcA&oe=65916EF4	ig_ads_identity	1	BERN WILDE	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409716969_886892929325974_4025546212544110108_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IbVBRVd6VE4AX--472s&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAWE5VvA2HYWEuoC9FAq3wrBdJuVef65jFaoaHnabBj8g&oe=6592B2D3			0	3	If I knew you once<br /> now I know you less<br /> In the sinking sand <br /> where we&#039;ve come to rest<br /> Have I had a hand in your loneliness?<br /> <br /> 🎶 Go Long by Joanna Newsom <br /> <br /> Original photography with Samantha Pearce		bernwilde_		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/bernwilde_	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
67818	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/11/25, 2:51 PM	1703760165	1739285460		67		914993413314440	1	1.0681445808895E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	81551561368		0	Charleston Animal Society			120202795893530636		charlestonanimalsociety.org	Donate now		NONE	video	Help Save Strawberry		http://charlestonanimalsociety.org/holiday-giving		1702492607	81551561368	Charleston Animal Society	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410422324_2441736776006824_1142480635036459664_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=doQuTcUWinAAX92L_eV&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBrhVtHkmxht7AmnEMRIRozi7M5N0vU-uiFfFTL61iCSg&oe=6591FF16	person_profile	0	Charleston Animal Society	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410436617_970467934417600_2233442931531397630_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_c8qK9zNUQsAX8aU7he&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCgrNsR4UraxhgrsZYqY9JIhH88J0k8cr3Mdu6hwE6lmQ&oe=65921768			0	3	Strawberry is just one of the almost 20,000 animals whose lives were touched by our Lifesaving Team in 2023. You can help us continue to be there for animals like her in 2024 by donating today at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FCharlestonAnimalSociety.org%2FHoliday-Giving&amp;h=AT3OurVJ5sfVgdH2GpfHo4ATwIHG9XUPiHL477bG8sWHHu5lWISRGgaH7z8Z3CnqNS3idWB8dI92KNoCpC5-wfoCplESkJ9nQPjpEttb2SC5p_AhFLuNJ628lB9Xz3qHv0GwNJoyi6hTbAe9RvAxUJJ0CFE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">CharlestonAnimalSociety.org/Holiday-Giving</a>. <br /> <br /> This beautiful 21-year-old mare was found alone in a Ravenel field with only a bucket of dirty water and two bales of hay that appeared to be weeks old. Her ribs and spine were easily visible and her hooves were in a deplorable condition. If she had stayed in these conditions much longer, Strawberry&#039;s death would have been a guarantee. Thankfully, her suffering was brought to an end as she was seized by the sheriff&#039;s department and brought into our care. <br /> Today, Strawberry is nearly unrecognizable, having gained back the needed weight and now showing off a playful side to her personality, that had been absent in the timid horse who first came into our care in August. <br /> <br /> All donations made now through December 31st will be matched up to $25,000 thanks to a generous gift from Hank &amp; Laurel Greer. <br /> <br /> Go to <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.CharlestonAnimalSociety.org%2FHoliday-Giving&amp;h=AT1c1rJT4_RZB6EuD3ahhMEoO4fvpWEGt6HEw0LyYRj9jbDecG3-F629r3bT_KiVh9pW6dUNESYMT7C4llM5hV3EaUpVcWVvTB_hO60jDV9OjL74JRzdXlr6KZg_rZAodWMMPM6svQCpQLIH9P0-S1Qzwcg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">www.CharlestonAnimalSociety.org/Holiday-Giving</a> to help save lives.		Charleston Animal Society		256001	https://facebook.com/CharlestonAnimalSociety	0		DONATE_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69229	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/11/25, 9:28 AM	1703760174	1739287713		67		1049702752893345	2	2.7543289549886E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674070250115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969843	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406129681_1041649250287418_373640837266725952_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=962U_lvBBr0AX865Vd5&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrlqflbd2uSZjRrLZPF36kRPrQKAIvGjK2IoGGvzAixQ&oe=6591DBD9	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405789135_1114599526586129_5224439648903918200_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Puqr6TctAfUAX9W_TSr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBNJInEaoUNmng_t2B64UYCnehLIDR6zz2jaIA_F2w1ng&oe=6592D0E0			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
67043	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/11/25, 9:49 AM	1703760160	1739288998		67		227745203697011		1.5123013262127E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120204381893780297		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703139595	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412713952_732008095197950_8155256927368682485_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u2AFIWe7dSYAX-DynuN&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCewjF1-s9aSNOk92h_Rm5Qp_D7z1rO-02fa0S11vPbzQ&oe=65916794	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69443	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/29/25, 5:59 PM	1703760176	1745967588		67		724622672890683	2	9.9595591483504E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201632035960115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700796614	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403873617_880602426849525_5929196506416961951_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X5Ehj8_CKUQAX_9aK7j&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCOC_yOeWJ_KlLXa5dtML7cvY2V17uMVOY2BIK20nCOHg&oe=65928366	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403891595_882044056472421_4263304889018970210_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EQapFS4zEmIAX-jQK3-&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCl2RTJkgGhuQtKqchdO_Wg9l5HhFkZE3u_3GWb_1VXFQ&oe=6592070D			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
66591	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/10/25, 6:17 AM	1703760158	1746875829		67		673762881616387				1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	149187418450228		0	Epic Reads			6521119017656		www.epicreads.com	Learn more		NONE	video	"A vitally important story.” —Misa Sugiura, author	New from Joanna Ho.	https://www.epicreads.com/books/9780063059351/the-silence-that-binds-us/?maas=maas_adg_569212BEA739C4E9C3CA25B3A699D1C8_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thesilencethatbindsus		1702937200	1.4918741845023E+14	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412448663_1780847235697855_1528644953620140027_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sRdwwbMiuxsAX84qPwy&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBP1q_QXx_DaR8yeAA4T42NemjGIob1FVfxBbE4rdW-yQ&oe=6591B016	person_profile	0	Epic Reads	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412657974_1238011967173682_687848832503026442_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dqmLmSvBySoAX-pV91R&_nc_oc=AQmROLqWfsH4dM6ww9GfYIyogc6hhODpJuic_mqyBfZCTnnwjtM3GfldlxRDDu00WTQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCcRELTdNnM5FrBWZ5y59mbAHtJlDDnXYKfCX0ZYS_62Q&oe=65926C89			0	3	Start reading the powerful YA debut from New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho! Now available in paperback.		Epic Reads		1164999	https://facebook.com/EpicReads	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
67709	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/12/25, 9:15 PM	1703760164	1739416514		67		888478579192203				1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	138028449384137		0	Past Life			120202376013170724		pastchronicles.com	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.pastchronicles.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702470307	1.3802844938414E+14	Past Life	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410315165_368589312511636_564804614893002555_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VopF4mef9PQAX91cmwT&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDFs28itoBPCrm6GXJHUG7NRoGOlmWujZSMB-gOghucgA&oe=6591BA20	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Past Life		24	https://facebook.com/61550933261623	0		LEARN_MORE						1702540800		View Edit Delete
69352	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	2/16/25, 3:02 AM	1703760175	1739696535		67		1959148101132704	1	2.0596095588289E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203343776360404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700843536	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403091251_873994207597005_1264819472283265094_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4JvVi7zYw_AAX_7ew0u&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfALVPpfzwdabpx0l0grccO7hdZ-VUFd7VJPt5e3c5a3hg&oe=65925A3A	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403098334_242817575480875_5697087263336300117_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P2q1Rg4KJIwAX8CU-4S&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBa3waSAzM6rOrtmE-ZRFUFCl_9HWESas9IeO_JBGk3hA&oe=659201FE			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68169	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/13/25, 1:43 AM	1703760167	1749797010		67		317021517910182	1	3.295096098658E+14		1702800000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	109080568825640		0	Family Store A1			120202357429700521		mfamilygift.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTION	Best gifts for your Family	https://mfamilygift.store/joanna-f1		1702284030	1.0908056882564E+14	Family Store A1	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409409067_6915639491883143_8560887964558026860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HDQxTAT5Ld8AX-IHgZ6&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBjcmhmAbuY2srltLsJFlRT0sJ6bfnltYcnp2cBF4pbcw&oe=65925513	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> View your collection here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmfamilygift.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT0IYMjK1GQ5VrYnuBp0aA5sX3z6WCEj-YpQ83qG5-pH4EAu69ttqtR9QKMOfhB-nQArIMVkBLRv3wxJCiVuATIK-szzWEEApEzJCIstJOsc8wzHyjKmQPw8ua-QDF3kXwdED46r2Uexw3dUStNKuw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mfamilygift.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Store A1		34	https://facebook.com/100091830608558	0		SHOP_NOW						1702281600		View Edit Delete
69083	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/13/25, 1:43 AM	1703760174	1749797022		67		371580541978730	4	1.3711089701987E+15		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201690726890115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701055912	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406199123_321400957346381_1914944500292414093_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZcbuMvzUfnYAX_Ixn4w&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAmHP6v8LEJ17UtLb-qQHG6GCKxLGl93exyn3DuROhWsw&oe=659146F6	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406199273_328748639789811_2138078232723886436_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=x8kaj1wVMUUAX8hi7bT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCBRpX-h6-NAyBxL3I8r8VRqXfePXXT5MiyiuO3Ab2CJQ&oe=65921779			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69239	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/13/25, 1:43 AM	1703760174	1749797028		67		1407377453149652	2	3.6470296275256E+14		1701072000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201674068310115		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700969833	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405989596_310885018535777_1270851359001587947_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8lZgZ3RTApoAX8SyaMJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD0JGz8prY3BL04p5y3hn3-oDmoy2oPQ7BXphvm5aZC3w&oe=6592288A	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405993436_188437834341936_7056867476556834761_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mauZ6uYkbeUAX8lPK4F&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAZ1LwHIYfRX7fk8UCceapL-wa1cxnThHDy7d3zTC7BhA&oe=6592544A			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
69893	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/30/25, 10:31 AM	1703760178	1748619110		67		815684566998361		3.0774430217007E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158888170403		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633021	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402999566_309318291934283_3642747628061230793_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jDssrisXVz8AX-LTwDB&_nc_oc=AQmPalOHDznrOfKU-YZiVKeYVxth4L3J9eTO0r8XxpGLMzjcXHdorS6hExeqwrws6Nk&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCubw9bEX_jwgAa_IpI4xJyYjHIOpxlsJ61WVI5CoS8kw&oe=659170AC	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403061348_6948949935187294_4909721305717563074_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=01CorrRGxaUAX_RuiZs&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAJODecoxpo8QdLjhVWOogsSnboWJRYZ0mF-HtR9ok1-A&oe=6591A40F			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68112	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/17/25, 3:45 PM	1703760167	1750193133		67		194469100412138	1	3.4545392215427E+15		1703664000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107994988993702		0	Joanna Joanna			120201433132870328			Contact us		NONE	image	2 Beds 1 Bath - Apartment		https://facebook.com/marketplace/item/1030348568249463/		1702325308	1.079949889937E+14	Joanna Joanna		regular_page	1	Joey Rosado	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406848365_3229071960720213_2784127829801271561_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rVu7HTaYT5AAX-KPhvJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-ST-zmrCZrsPBQ-x7RxTRh2K46_3sP2ygRiSdYjBBZA&oe=65917CF2			0	3	2 Beds 1 Bath - Apartment - $845.00<br /> <br /> &quot;Newly updated 2BR/1BA apartment available now! Features include large bedrooms, private balcony, spacious closets, and secured parking. Conveniently located to restaurants and shopping. <br /> Monthly rent: $845. Don&#039;t miss out on this great opportunity!&quot;<br /> Facebook Marketplace		Joanna Joanna		0	/marketplace/?seller_profile=100080150565277	0		CONTACT_US						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66509	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:23 AM	1703760158	1742995435		67		892989625687921	1	3.9135875998871E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120204868928780268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_7C91B630D453DDCC23F0D12CC33A9E7E_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1703699148	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414599857_711550251041698_8308766584088594197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5uxas16zMLoAX8M_vQT&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCT871VvvJIq5FioywKE5Y8NHI3HEsEH4W3KLIMTA9iYg&oe=65916D57	person_profile	0					0	3	He’s on a self-imposed celibacy vow. She&#039;s sworn off jocks forever. When Knox and Joanna cross paths, their unexpected chemistry ignites a romance they never saw coming		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68217	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/11/25, 6:10 PM	1703760168	1744413054		67		373481998456804		1.0813951533077E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120204753701830427		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702119688	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409312939_630066919129274_7219093102629213544_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=l2gAjIlkdnUAX9b11Nm&_nc_oc=AQkchsB1dJwYwqAbLMWkmz8TsgLgIM9ONcHMz9SeYeQTX4LarJd35n3VccXnNBiKZ6g&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD3pHrjfGKdpkpp5BS5o98VWC2aX2LBERY3k0ZeZlr8jg&oe=6592D13F	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent.ftri1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409425568_363224712920985_6666607384394241625_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=giDTUqq_MNEAX-S2KLU&_nc_ht=scontent.ftri1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDygYMOouWq6_HH0im55EmsFFZOS6rPlhzjMQWadKrAWg&oe=6592C9FA			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
68436	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/30/25, 9:12 AM	1703760169	1746022330		67		311344028461357	1	1.5125948029125E+15		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102490281855010		0	RHB Images			120201605945560107		linktr.ee	Learn more		NONE	carousel			https://linktr.ee/riileybrennan		1701906191	1.0249028185501E+14	RHB Images	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406780521_1034771371069992_1159621857985422549_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NUnRSkv_gBUAX8LYUGt&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfC8OCCFs6xaNPd-Z7tdp_MCSw8WRX_T-MZ3O7poTjxwMw&oe=65933E9A	person_profile	0	RILEY BRENNAN | NY PHOTOGRAPHY	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408455941_326503776832284_6200256969980343793_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=21cNTrp7vYwAX-xkeau&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsUb0NnfEiCekotVQlIiNbgQnetjYnTV_akI49qs49dA&oe=6592A188			0	3	joanna &amp; nick had such an incredible wedding day from getting ready together in the lower east side, to walking over to city hall for a short and sweet ceremony, followed by boba in chinatown and then pizza at Rubirosa with friends and family… days like these where I get to explore the city with an amazing couple are such a dream 🤍<br /> <br /> shot for &#064;stephanienaruphoto ✨		RHB Images		23	https://facebook.com/rhbimages	0		LEARN_MORE						1701849600		View Edit Delete
69386	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/13/25, 3:41 AM	1703760175	1749804120		67		835749784904558	1	7.3097819559688E+14		1700899200	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220476820404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582514	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404274901_898199298316098_5855596065691252797_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wAIcVJXuXYAAX9K2m3U&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCsr0ARx-idRf2eTSNboVJwhkhpfB7URhY6T7vdBYN3Ug&oe=65916DB6	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402964722_1092774285408021_8409005436153726193_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TvEUK_fJWOUAX8OGom_&_nc_ht=scontent.flas1-2.fna&oh=00_AfCeEz9jthRZMyubhdza7q7UHROc8VhlcNRgOh3lTLRUuA&oe=65914F4E			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69751	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:11 AM	1703760177	1749553918		67		905988481130265	5	7.2234098268851E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109657078608486		0	Learn Something			120200721153830167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679055	1.0965707860849E+14	Learn Something	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405499495_6696053400449536_785684262627965749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KsGTOzKqL7wAX9-9dHk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB3lTq8MgkvVxeZ3aPXXi6dTvc8XiMY9dvV2kYZRmesqw&oe=65925DF5	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Learn Something		5447	https://facebook.com/100086954096959	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
68791	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/2/25, 8:18 AM	1703760172	1748870318		67		1446713229528679		6.6188194936214E+14		1701331200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100958279167471		0	Dreame for DL3			120203681734790226		play.google.com	Use app		NONE	image	Continue reading 👉"When A Witch Loves A Werewolf"	Great Story Starts Here	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreame.reader&referrer=utm_source%3Dapps.facebook.com%26utm_campaign%3Dfb4a%26utm_content%3D%257B%2522app%2522%253A0%252C%2522t%2522%253A1662468060%252C%2522source%2522%253Anull%257D		1701256539	1.0095827916747E+14	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404763001_735863031779815_3651833085392326176_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=taD16ZG5R-kAX8vaqwU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA8A8owcm_dskVNFJWr9rxRodOmp1ahS4OL1eq57_JtRg&oe=659286E2	person_profile	0	Dreame for DL3	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405713679_3739556653000385_3029514349507632844_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=G-Nf0JxweyYAX8O_FUA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHPTb1rujIiHvg2Ib6aNb1bLG5eg9N0ljdb26aCZwbkQ&oe=6591AB02			0	3	&quot;Keep your hands off my man!!&quot; I stared at my boyfriend and his new girl in anger, but words never split from my lips.<br /> Jessie was mere inches away. He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead. She bit her lip. He inhaled deeply. He slid his nose down to her and nuzzled her.<br /> He had never done that to me before.<br /> I realized she was gripping his tie.<br /> Heat coursed through me. The whole room felt like a furnace.<br /> I could have yelled out but that&#039;s just not the best plan for revenge.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;I heard you want to take his pack down.&quot; I made that phone call.<br /> &quot;Yes, and if you did more investigation, you&#039;ll know that&#039;s not the only thing I want.&quot; The male&#039;s voice sounds not that evil.<br /> &quot;What else do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;You!&quot;<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> The wind howled like a wolf in the presence of the full moon. The rain hammered against the roof. Thunder boomed in my ears and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating my dark bedroom momentarily. I sighed. The weather matched my mood. Toady was the first day of my senior year at Ambrosia High and I was less than thrilled about it.<br /> In Ambrosia, werewolves ran the school. They were so naturally athletic that almost every single one of them was a star on some sports team or the other. Jocks, I grumbled inwardly. Humans adored them and in return, they were given protection. The Ambrosia Wolf Pack protected the town from any and every possible threat. Witches, on the other hand, were respected by humans out of fear. They were captivated and frightened of our magic simultaneously. I, as the Maiden of the Ambrosia Coven, was the most feared, which is ridiculous because I was the shyest and most introverted person at the whole school. I chuckled to myself. I was not looking forward to another day of people scampering away from me and whispering and exchanging nervous glances as I walk by. I had really enjoyed my time at home this holiday season. I spent almost all of it indoors, except when the moon was full. I could not resist a full moon. My mother would say I must have a little werewolf blood in me. I laughed at the thought. Witches observed the full moon too. The lunar phases corresponded with different spells. The wolves did not own the Moon like the owned the school.<br /> I showered, letting the warm water run over my long dark brown curls and golden skin. I shutd my large hazel eyes to shut out the water and the world. When I was done, I put on my school uniform. Yes. I said it. School uniform. Ambrosia High had a strict dress code. We were only allowed to wear our own clothes on Fridays as a treat and today was Monday. Fridays were also half day, ending at twelve. Every other week day dragged on from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. At least the uniform was actually flattering. It was pretty cute to be honest. Girls wore knee-length, pleated lavender skirts with light grey buttoned down shirts tucked in. The girls’ skirts had puffed sleeves which I personally loved. The guys wore grey pants with lavender buttoned down shirts. No puff sleeves. They also had to wear grey ties. We all wore black socks with black ankle boots. I sprayed on my favourite perfume. It was a blend of roses, jasmine and lily of the valley.<br /> I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy downpour. I trudged to the car where my father, James Jaded, was already waiting in the driver’s seat. My mother, Jacqueline Jaded, was in the front passenger seat. He looked cheerful. His green eyes sparkled as he laughed, tossing his head back. He had pale skin and blonde hair which contrasted my mother’s mocha skin, jet black curls and dark brown eyes. They were both beautiful and outgoing. My mother had even been a beauty queen in her day, winning Miss Ambrosia before I was born. I looked like neither of them exactly with my golden skin and long brown loose curls and waves that always seemed windswept no matter how neatly I styled them. My amber eyes were large and heavily rimmed by long dark lashes. If you saw both of my parents together with me, then you could tell I was theirs. My parents were always telling me I was beautiful. I did not believe them. They were just trying to build my confidence so that I would come out of my shell more, but my shyness had very little to do with my looks. There were things about me even my parents did not know.<br /> “Jamie, I can tell you’re really excited for your first day back,” my dad said, teasing me. He glanced back at my sullen expression. My mother looked back at me, frowning with worry.<br /> “I’m ok, mom,” I lied, perking up.<br /> They now both looked suspicious but said nothing further as they drove through a the torrential downpour of rain to get to the school. I let my mind wander. I hated school but I was excited to see him again. I was sure he might have heard about me as I was the Maiden of the Witch Coven but we had never spoken. I sighed.<br /> “If I didn’t know any better,” my father’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “I would say you could control the weather with your moods, Jamie. This weather matches your expression, my little thistle-witch.” My father chuckled lightheartedly. My mother, though, peered at me through the rearview mirror. She looked at me as though there might be truth to that joke.<br /> I hurriedly grab my huge purple fuzzy backpack and rush out the car. I had left my umbrella behind. I curse inwardly as I run as quickly as someone who hates every sport can. I was slim despite my distaste for sports. I splash through a few puddles as I run through the path to the double front doors. The path was lined with purple rose bushes that were heavily laden with thorns. The school building was boasted five floors. Grey brick with stein glass windows on the outside. Hardwood floors and floral wallpapering on the inside. The stein glass made the light inside reflect all the colours of whatever scene was depicted on each window. Every window told a story of werewolf or witch kind. I scrambled through the double doors, slipping on the wet floor. I could not catch my balance. I waited for my body to hit the hard wood but it did not. Someone caught me in their arms. It was him.<br /> <br /> Thanks for reading! I love reading comments! It&#039;s so encouraging!<br /> A/N: I have a F a c e book page now. It&#039;s Joanna J just like my name here. The username is &#064;joannajwriter<br /> :)<br /> Part I: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 2: His Little Witch<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> I was over the moon about my first day of senior year. I leapt out of bed that morning and showered in cold water to perk myself up even more. I ran down the stairs and into my car. Since I turned seventeen, my parents had been allowing me to drive myself to school. My eighteenth birthday was only a few days away. I would finally be able to phase and could take over the Ambrosia Wolf Pack, which was thought to be the strongest wolf pack in the world. My father, Henry Gold, and my mother, Henrietta Gold, waved from the driveway, seeing me off. They were both tall, olive-skinned, black-haired and blue-eyed. My father stood at six feet and six inches. My mother was five feet and eleven inches. I looked exactly like them but did not keep my hair short like my father. Mine was shoulder-length and slightly wavy. I was six feet and two inches and constantly telling my father that I was going to be taller than him after I phased. After phasing at age eighteen, wolves increased in height and build in their human forms, especially the new alpha. My father and mother were the current Alpha and Luna of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. They were also called the Alpha King and Luna Queen because of our lineage. We were descended from the very first werewolf, Bastion and his mate, Reina. My birthday was Friday which could not come fast enough. I was already faster in my human form than most even in their werewolf forms. I could not wait to inherit all of my powers. I loved Ambrosia and was excited to protect her. I call the town a she by the way. Most members of the Wolf Pack referred to the town this way.<br /> I sped through the rain. I was not worried about getting a ticket. Being the future Alpha in Ambrosia had its privileges. My future Beta, Dalton Drakes, and my future Gamma, Zachary Stronghold also took advantage of their privileges. They had already turned eighteen and phased but they were waiting for me, their future Alpha before they officially took their fathers’ posts. They were also my best friends. We were like brothers. We had been raised together as our parents knew we would one day take over the pack and would need to have a good bond. Ever since, they had both phased, they were able to speak to each other telepathically. I had to admit I felt a little left out. I was impatient to feel like the trio we had always been again. I knew they were anticipating it too. I heard my phone pinging constantly in the passenger’s seat. I knew it was our group chat, messaging excitedly about my eighteenth birthday party on Friday. My parents were planning it with my two best friends help and they enjoyed teasing me about not knowing any of the details. I pulled into Ambrosia High. The huge grey building loomed before me. I parked in my spot. Yes. I had a reserved parking spot as the future Alpha and thereby protector of this town. I thought it was overmurder. I was still just a teenager and a student here. However, on this Monday, with its heavy rain and murky puddles, I was glad for it. I was parked near to the school doors. I ran into the building. Almost as if I had summoned them, Dalton and Zachary appeared before me, walking down the winding staircase in the entrance hall. They were both a few inches taller than me post-phase and they were lean but muscular. Dalton Drakes, my future Beta, was pale as the moon with hooded grey eyes, sharp cheek bones and a chiseled jaw. His hair was shoulder-length like mine but his was a medium ash brown. Zachary Stronghold, my future Gamma, was blue eyed, olive skinned and black haired just like me but he kept his hair cut short. People thought we were brothers sometimes or at least cousins but I was an only child and I liked it that way. Although, I was outgoing, I did enjoy my alone time on occasion. Both guys grinned wolfishly at me. Pun intended. I saw them flicker their eye colours momentarily from blue and grey respectively to the pitch black of their inner wolves.<br /> “Awesome,” I said, not able to hide my jealousy. They both burst into raucous laughter. A group of junior human girls nearby giggled and whispered excitedly, eyeing the three of us. We were well-liked at school. Dalton raised as eyebrows at the girls, smirking at him. They squealed and ran off in a fit of giggles. Okay. Well-liked was an understatement. The Pack Members especially if they held special positions were the heartthrobs of the school and their respective mates were the envy of every girl. I grumbled to myself. Dalton and Zachary had both found their mates right after they phased. I had yet to find mine. It was not possible to know with any real certainty who your mate was until you had phased the first time. After that, your inner wolf could communicate with you and your eyes would be opened to who she was. She could be right under my nose and I would not even know because I had yet to phase.<br /> The doors of the entrance hall burst open before Dalton and Zachary could respond. They did not even flinch. They had probably heard the person approaching even through the rain and thunder with their heightened senses, another benefit post-phase. I turned away from them to look at her. I knew who it was before I turned though. I knew that smell anywhere. She always smelled like a meadow brimming over with flowers to me. I knew I should not take so much notice of her. She was the Maiden of Witches after all and I as the future Alpha should have kept my distance but I could not help myself for some reason. She was a feast for my senses. Her dark brown curls were tousled from the wind and the rain. I loved the way she looked, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice - high-pitched and melodious. She spoke so infrequently so it was a treat for me whenever I got to hear her speak in class. We had never spoken directly. I had never reached her but I assumed her golden skin would soft and smooth. That left one final fifth sense. Taste. I looked at her small doll-like mouth. I tried to snap out of it. I knew the guys were smirking at me knowingly.<br /> Mere moments after she entered the entrance hall, she slipped on the wet floor. She was several feet away but I was there in a flash. I caught her, my hands gripping her outstretched arms. I was right. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was cool to the reach compared to my warm skin. The look of panic in her eyes was replaced by one of confusion. She looked up at me. She could not be more than five feet and four, maybe five inches. She took a step back breaking the contact between us. I felt a bit disappointed but this was the first time our eyes had met so I perked up again. Her amber eyes looked like a warm brown in this dim light. She seemed stunned for some reason.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> It was him. I felt his strong, large hands grasp my arms to prevent me from falling. It was effortless for him. He supported my weight like I was a rag doll. Noticing our height difference, I was a doll to him. He towered over me. I needed to take a step back just to be able to meet his eyes without awkwardly craning me. I drank him in with my eyes. He was gorgeous, broad-shouldered and lean with muscles even though he was yet to phase. Everyone in the school was aware of the future Alpha’s approaching eighteenth birthday. A new Alpha was a big deal for the entire town. Even the haughtiest of witches were aware of him. My amber eyes met his blue ones. They seemed to soften as he looked me over. We had never really acknowledged each other like this before. I wondered what he thought of me. He was probably shocked at how clumsy and quiet I was for the Maiden of the Ambrosia Witch Coven. I had turned eighteen during the vacation before senior year. My eighteenth birthday was not a big deal. I had become the Maiden officially since my thirteenth birthday. Witches got their powers much earlier.<br /> “Sorry,” I managed to make myself say. “The floor is a bit wet.” I paused, trying to think of something more to say. I broke eye contact and stared down at my wet, muddy boots and then I looked at his pristine boots. How did he manage to keep so dry in this rain? Was he faster than the raindrops or something? Good grief.<br /> “Don’t apologise, Jamie,” he said politely, he turned his back on me and returned to his friends, the future Beta and Gamma, who were both giving me weird looks. I squirmed under the heat of their gaze. I was embarrassed at how quickly he turned his attention away from me, like I was nothing. I was meant to lead the Coven just as he was meant to lead his Pack. My parents sometimes met with his parents at Ambrosia’s Hall of Justice along with the human Mayor and his wife. However, he and I did not attend those meetings. The Jaded Family and the Gold Family had to be courteous with each other. Courteous but not friendly. Lines were drawn in the sand. Witches and Werewolves did not get friendly so he was not behaving unusually but I wanted more for some reason.<br /> “Wait!” I exclaimed like a complete naive guy. Even Dalton and Zachary were startled by my outburst and nothing startles them. Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned towards me again.<br /> “Um, yeah,” he murmured, his eyes filled with surprise and something else. Was that hope in his eyes? What was he hoping for?<br /> “Thank you,” I said. I literally bowed with a flourish of my hand before I realised how ridiculous that must look. I cringed inwardly. What is wrong with me? Dalton and Zachery seemed to share my sentiments. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and a literal third eye. Then, they began to fidget. I could tell they were trying hard not to laugh. Even if they thought me strange, they were not bold enough to laugh at a future High Witch. I knew werewolves felt witches could turn on someone at any moment. They feared our magic and we feared their strength.<br /> Jesse’s face broke into a huge grin. He chuckled. Dalton and Zachary looked at him, mouths agape. They were shocked at how openly he had laughed. He was about to shock them further. He bowed deeply and with a flourish of his hand said, “You’re most welcome.” He straightened up and laughed wholeheartedly. He was making fun of me but it did not seem mean-spirited.<br /> In spite of myself, I smiled, returning his now intense gaze. He bit him.He bent towards me so that our noses were mere inches apart. He extended a hand and reached one of my curls, tucking it behind my ear. This gave me chills. The good kind. He lent in even nearr until his mouth was so near to my ear that I could feel his hot breath, “Be careful next time, my little witch.”<br /> After that, he and his friends disappeared like nothing earth shattering had just happened and I remained standing there spell-struck until the bell rang.<br /> Part 1: A Storm at School<br /> Chapter 3: Her Big Bad Wolf<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> Even though I had left her in the entrance hall, my mind was with her still. I did not know what had come over me. Her little half-bow and thank you were so cute. It made something inside of my torso burn. I wanted to reach her. Somehow. I made myself leave before I did anything even dumber. I was not allowed to entertain this. My parents would be horrified if they knew I had a liking for that little witch. Not just any witch, I reminded myself. The Maiden of Witches. The future Mother of her Coven once she was matched with someone. Witches did not have definite, fate-chosen mates like we werewolves did. They had some witchy ceremony in which they “matched” with someone. This happened once every year and the “matching” was covertly decided by their parents and revealed to the respective witch and wizard at the ceremony. I did not know anymore than that. Just that it was not anything like the true love we had with our mates. It was basically an arranged marriage cooked up by the parents of the bride and groom. They decided who their kids could and could not marry. We wolves let fate decide. Witches could even divorce. Wolves mated for life. We did not need divorce. The mate bond was so unbreakable. I had never actually heard of anyone resisting the bond successfully. Why would anyone want to? To be with your mate was bliss, a heaven on earth so to speak.<br /> Dalton and Zachary sat to my left. There were three people per bench in the high-ceilinged classroom. The roof was dome-shaped. The dome was made of glass. Not stein glass like the windows. Clear so we could see the rain make rivers down the sides of the dome as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Amid the thunder, Zachary chastised me.<br /> “What was that? What do you think you are doing?” He spat.<br /> “Reading this textbook,” I said innocently as I leafed through Charmed and Dangerous, one of the senior textbooks for our Magic Class. Ambrosia High curriculum matched the diversity of its students. We studied magic as well as lupine smurders and even human subjects like mathematics. Just because I had super speed and strength did not mean I got away from learning calculus.<br /> Zachary sighed. “Look. I know you have a thing for that little witch. You’re my future alpha and I respect you but I can’t sit by while you actually entertain the thought of fraternising with her. She’s the Maiden of Witches. What if she puts a spell on you? What will happen to the pack?”<br /> “Do you think our future alpha is not strong enough to fight off a spell,” countered Dalton, surprising me by taking my side. Werewolves were about ten times harder to spellbind than humans. It was possible but the stronger the wolf, the stronger the immunity and I was to be Alpha, strongest of the strong.<br /> Zachery smirked. “She’s the Maiden so she’s got powerful magic but she won’t even need it. I see the way he looks at her. He’s under her spell all right. She did not even need to cast it.”<br /> My face flushed. I buried my head in the book. Was it that obvious? She was cute. I was a man still. She was a woman. Werewolves and Witches acted like they we did not have anything in common. I knew a few Werewolves who had hooked up with Witches. They moved on when they found their true mates of course and the witches went their merry way after their matching ceremony. Relationships like that had to be kept under wraps but we all knew of them. He was right though. What was the point of flirting with her? My birthday was Friday and today was Monday. In a couple of days, I would phase and my inner wolf would show me my mate. I had no inkling of who it was though and this worried me. Dalton and Zachery both had crushed on the girls they ended up being mated to even before they phased. Wolves usually felt a natural attraction to their mate before phasing. There was always a high chance your current girlfriend or crush was your future mate when you were a wolf. Every she-wolf that was unmated and every available human girl had their eyes on me but none of them drew me in. It was not like I had a thing for witches either. I did not know the name of a single witch at school besides Jamie.<br /> She entered the classroom just then. The thunder seemed to grow louder and the lightning brighter. The rain was falling in sheets now. Was she responsible for this? I pushed the thought out of my mind. Witches always got blamed for everything. I did not want to be like that. There had been witch hunts in Ambrosia centuries ago before the treaty. She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked in. Whispers greeted her entrance. She was nearing my bench. Humans and Witches craned them to look at her. The humans regarded her with fear and the witches, with respect. The wolves pretended to take no notice but I could feel them collectively stiffen. My heart went out to her. She must be so lonely. Everyone was the opposite with me, warm and welcoming. The classroom was chilly. She hugged herself to keep warm. My little witch. I would keep you warm. I silently cursed myself. What had gotten into me? It felt like I was even crazier about her this school year. I thought my feelings would fade as I got nearr to my phasing but they were growing. She sat in the only empty seat left which was directly behind me. I stiffened. Dalton smirked. He was amused. Perhaps, Dalton was less annoyed than Zachary because Dalton’s mate was human. Wolves could be mated to humans. It was not common but it did occur naturally and was accepted. The human would not get any special powers but would be granted with immortality when marked and mated by the wolf who was bonded to them. The gift of immortality could only be bestowed upon a human mate by his or her wolf mate. We were not able to hand this out freely. Otherwise, every rich human would have bribed their way to immortality by now.<br /> The bench Jamie was at was empty but the two other seats had backpacks placed on them. Dalton and Zachery were saving those two seats for their mates. Chloe Harper and Zoe Vale walked in and my boys’ faces lit up like children on Christmas morning. I grinned in spite of myself. It was always funny to see how much these big bad wolves softened when their mates were around. Both girls were around Jamie’s height. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about Jamie? Chloe had wavy light blonde hair down to her mid-back, alabaster skin, and astonishingly blue eyes. Zoe had a caramel complexion with big brown eyes and ebony curls. Both girls were movie-star beautiful. Chloe was a she-wolf and Zoe was human. Zachary pulled Chloe into<br /> <br /> ***Adult Content. Find more by downloading****<br /> <br /> Sometimes, it was torture being around the guys and their mates when I had no one yet. Both Chloe and Zoe had been marked and mated. Zoe had been gifted with immortality by Dalton. She was still human but now she could remain young and unchanged like Dalton indefinitely. Wolves could not stand to lose their mate once they’ve already found them so human mates had to become immortal. Otherwise, their wolves would suffer the rest of eternity alone once the humans aged and died. Dalton still treated Zoe as though she were made of glass despite her newfound immortality. He was now gently pulling on one of her curls and watching it spring back into place. I suddenly wanted to reach one of Jamie’s curls again. I looked back at her before I could stop myself and Dalton and Zachery were too absorbed with their mates to notice.<br /> Jamie met my eyes again. I smiled. That was when it happened.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> When the bell rang, I scurried down the hallway and into my first class according to my senior year schedule. I was not expecting all three of those wolves to be in my class. I tried my hardest not to look at Jesse or his friends, keeping my eyes down. I walked up the stairs. The class was built like a theatre with each bench a step higher than the next. There were three chairs per bench. Only the back bench still had room. It was a full class. I sat directly behind Jesse. The other two chairs had backpacks on them. He was probably creeped out by me. All the classmates besides the wolves were whispering about me. My stomach was in knots. The rain became heavier and the thunder roared. The lightning illuminated the dim dome again and again. I was wringing my handkerchief nervously between my hands. The whispers seemed to intensify and the stares became more blatant. They were enjoying the show. The Maiden Witch was sitting behind the Alpha Wolf. Chloe Harper, a blonde, pale she-wolf, and Zoe Vale, a caramel complected human with jet-black curls, walked in. Oh no! These two seats beside me were being saved for the mates of the Beta and Gamma. Zoe was Beta Dalton’s human mate. She had recently become immortal. Chloe was the mate of Gamma Zachery. I was relieved when both girls ended up in the laps of their mates instead of next to me. I knew they would have to stop the PDA and sit in their seats when the teacher came but at least then class would be in session and I would not have to sit in awkward silence among wolves. I watched Chloe and Zoe both getting cuddled in the middle of class. Wolves were so open with their love. I usually found it inappropriate but today I felt something else. I felt envy. Jessie was as still as if he had been turned to stone but I knew he was aware of everything. I was reminded of Jessie reaching my hair earlier. I turned instinctively to look at his back only to find that he had turned around. Our eyes met. I wish I were on him. He would find his mate Friday and it could not be me. I was a witch. It could be a she-wolf or even a human but not me. That was the first time I let myself think about was his birthday really meant. By next Monday, I would be in this same class watching him k and his mate on him. I had not exactly admitted that so plainly to myself before. Something inside me snapped as the realisation hit me. He would not look back at me like this next Monday. He would only have eyes for her, whomever she was. I screamed inwardly and it happened. I really did not mean to do it. I should have known better as the Maiden of Witches. My essence lashed out of its own accord. As a witch, one should always remain calm but I was having a panic attack and the storm raged reaching a crescendo. The rain was so heavy it was as loud as the thunder. I heard a cracking sound. Everyone looked up. The glass dome had a crack in it. The crack widened making a sickening sound and all the students wisely started running out of the classroom. All except me. I stood there staring at the widening crack watching the glass dome split apart. I was trying to calm myself. The Beta and Gamma practically carried their mates out of the room. The Alpha would be obsessed with his mate’s safety by next week. My blood boiled. I saw red. The glass shattered. I heard a gasp. Jesse was still in the room. How had I not noticed that? I screamed not for myself but for him. I could no longer stop the glass from crashing over him.<br /> <br /> Jesse’s POV<br /> The glass dome had a crack in it. Everyone panicked. My Beta and Gamma took their mates to safety. Everyone but Jamie and I had left the room. I glared at her. Was she doing this? Was she insane? Even if this was her doing, why was she not getting herself to safety? I though about just scooping her up like my friends had done with their mates. That might terrify her momentarily but would keep her safe. Unfortunately, there was no time left. The glass shattered. Jamie screamed. My body reacted. In a flash, I had her in my arms. There was not enough time to exit before the glass fell but I was able to shield her body with mine as I pulled both of us under a bench for cover.<br /> <br /> Jamie’s POV<br /> Jesse flew into action. One moment he was standing staring upwards, the next he was holding me and pulling me under a bench. Good idea. I had a better one. I cast a forcefield with my magic over the bench we were under so all the falling shards of glass just bounced off of it. We were left completely unscathed. After the downpour of glass, I had to drop the forcefield because I was exhausted from all the magic I had just expended unintentionally and then intentionally. We began to get wet in the rain which now fell freely into the roof-less classroom. The bench provided some shelter but the rain was still very heavy. Jessie had me cradled in his arms holding me from behind, his body covering mine. He sat under the bench and spun me around to face him. We were nose to nose cramped under the bench. The realisation that he had just put himself in harm’s way for me hit me. It seemed the realisation that I had shielded both of us with magic hit him because he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed impressed.<br /> “Good job, my little witch,” he almost purred. “You can handle yourself.” He sounded so proud.<br /> I beamed at him. “Thanks my big bad wolf,” I said, laughing.<br /> Jamie looked astonished at my nickname for him. His face broke into a grin again. He pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He was so warm. His body felt so strong. He could break every bone in my body but he held me so delicately. I put my arms around him, nuzzling into him. Why was I trying to break my own heart now? This could not continue. But it did. My body felt like it had caught on fire. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body. Shivers ran through me. This was getting out of hand and I was thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Another storm was brewing. This one was not just in Ambrosia or at school. This storm was inside me.<br /> Part 2: An Ill-advised Invitation<br /> Chapter 4: His Mere Mortal<br /> <br /> Dalton’s POV<br /> I wrapped my arms protectively around Zoe. She was my everything. From the time I first phased and realised that Zoe was truly my mate, I vowed to protect her always. She leaned into me, nuzzling her little head into my shirt. Everyone from the class had congregated in the entrance hall after fleeing the dome classroom. The sound of glass shattering made my heart wrench. I sniffed the air. Jessie was missing, and so was Jamie. I immediately deduced what must have happened. This was Jamie’s storm. I doubted she purposefully conjured it but Jessie must have stayed back to help her in some way. Jessie was my future alpha and as his future beta, I had to check on him. Some glass could not take an alpha out but still, I had to check. I reluctantly released Zoe. She began to protest, but I gave her a firm look. She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.<br /> I ran into the hallway. Glass was strewn everywhere and light and rainwater filled the hallway. I ran to the dome classroom. The dome was gone. Shattered. That explained all the glass and the light streaming in and the rainwater gushing everywhere. I carefully stepped over mounds of glass, searching for Jamie and Jessie. I spotted them under a bench. I smirked. I could smell both Jessie’s and Jamie’s scent. I had never told Jessie or Zachery this but I had started a relationship with Zoe long before she officially became my mate. I knew she would be. Wolves were often inexplicably drawn to their mates before they phased and knew with certainty. Zoe and I would sneak around, I grinned to myself at the memories. She was a mere mortal back then. My mere mortal. She was never afraid of me, a powerful future Beta and the most feared Pack. When I finally phased and could officially reveal her as my mate, I granted her immortality. She would always be delicate in my eyes though.<br /> “What are you two up to?” I drawled, not able to hide my grin.<br /> Jessie and Jamie broke apart. Jessie was quickly on his feet. Jamie struggled a bit. Good grief she was clumsy, I thought to myself. Jessie extended his hand and pulled Jamie to her feet. He did not know his own strength and the little witch slipped and fell right into his arms. I broke into raucous laughter, until my future alpha silenced me with a look. I kept my smirk though. Jessie lifted Jamie into his arms and carried her away from the broken glass, down the hallway and into an empty classroom with a regular ceiling. I followed behind them.<br /> “You guys looked cosy. I wish I hadn’t interrupted,” I lied. I had no choice but to seek out my best friend and future alpha. Jessie grunted at me and stalked off, leaving Jamie looking forlorn. The door swung shut behind Jessie. I regarded Jamie.<br /> “Aren’t you going to leave too?” She asked, her eyes wide.<br /> “No,” I said simply. She reminded me so much of my Zoe sometimes. I had to get back to my Zoe but I had something up my sleeve first.<br /> “I have a special gift for you, little witch,” I said, revealing a gold envelope I had stashed in my pants’ pocket.<br /> Jamie’s eyes widened even more. I snickered. She looked at me like I was crazy but hesitantly took the envelope.<br /> “Open it,” I said.<br /> “What is it?” She asked.<br /> “An invitation,” I bowed as she had done earlier that day to Jessie and flourished my hands. She immediately recognised me mocking her and scowled but opened the envelope.<br /> The gold envelope contained white parchment with gold curly script that read:<br /> You have hereby been cordially invited to the Eighteenth Birthday of the Jessie Gold, Future Alpha of the Ambrosia Wolf Pack. The ceremony will be held this Friday, from 7pm to midnight. Jessie will phase at 11:11pm the time of his birth, officially becoming the new alpha. We hope you will be there to congratulate and welcome your new alpha.<br /> Dress Code: Formal, no exceptions<br /> <br /> Jamie’s eyes were like two saucers now. She was shocked.<br /> “You’re inviting me?” She asked incredulously.<br /> “Yeah,” I said simply, “Jessie’s gonna love to see you in a ballgown. He’ll think I’m the best Beta there is.”<br /> I chuckled to myself.<br /> “Yeah, um, and then he’ll phase and fall in love with his real mate,” whined Jamie.<br /> I laughed. She looked at me like I was heartless.<br /> “I have my reasons and I’m never wrong. I’m a really special wolf you know. My intuition is…” I paused for dramatic effect, “…magical.”<br /> I left Jamie, still clutching the invitation in shock. I hurried back to the entrance hall.<br /> “Class has been cancelled for the rest of the day!” Squealed my Zoe, flinging herself into my arms. The school administration needed all these wolves, witches and humans gone to clean up the mess Jessie’s little witch girlfriend made.<br /> “Why did you stay behind?” Asked Jessie, regarding me with suspicion.<br /> “I felt bad for Jamie,” I said. It was not a lie. I was not able to actually lie to my future alpha as his beta. “I thought I’d talk to her a bit.”<br /> Zoe looked up at me from under her long dark lashes with a knowing smile. I smirked. My little human knew me so well. She and I were on the party planning committee for the alpha’s ceremony. It was one of my endless duties as future beta, and naturally my mate assisted. Zachery, the future gamma, was none the wiser. He was helping plan the party to along with his mate, she-wolf Chloe, but they constantly missed meetings to go make out and who knows what else.<br /> “Let’s go to the mall,” came Chloe’s serene voice. She was always calm. The whole of Ambrosia could be in chaos and Chloe would be cool as a cucumber. The only person that could make that she-wolf feel anything was her mate Zachery.<br /> “Yes, I love the mall. Nothing is better than standing around while Zoe spends my money,” I tested. Zoe playfully hit me but we piled into three cars. Zoe and I in my car. Chloe and Zachery in Zachery’ car and poor Jessie by himself. Not for long, I thought.<br /> Once we were alone, driving through the slowly subsiding rain, Zoe and I exchanged conspiratorially glances.<br /> “If I am a good guesser,” started Zoe.<br /> “You’re the good-est,” I said. She really was the best at guessing my plans.<br /> “Then a certain witch will be at the werewolf ceremony,” she mused.<br /> “You don’t say,” I said in mock surprise. I parked the car and neard the short distance between us. I pulled her into me. She straddled me. I grinned.<br /> A sharp knock on the window glass startled us. I let the window down to reveal a smirking Jessie.<br /> “Let’s go, lovebirds,” my future alpha ordered.<br /> ...<br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉		Dreame for DL3		8682	https://facebook.com/100077279157636	0		USE_MOBILE_APP						1701244800		View Edit Delete
66835	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/10/25, 2:50 PM	1703760159	1746906625		67		885690136261120	1	6.7583575469942E+14		1703664000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	177696225434273		0	147.CherrySneakers			120202745635700086		cherrysneakers.com	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA SNEAKERS	Best gifts for your Family	https://cherrysneakers.com/joanna-sneakers		1703323272	1.7769622543427E+14	147.CherrySneakers	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411934871_870448014824465_7002731721960683758_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AS-N7E_UXCgAX8Kfx34&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAFgVKRMZj21AayuqOcJzcTSJJm6axiIGP17t56UuPPgA&oe=659232BC	person_profile	0					0	3	Get yours here : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcherrysneakers.com%2Fjoanna-sneakers&amp;h=AT26iSUGrfbMl8x5t2NejOz8icsQD3thQWNbbWXJ5p0ypmikKPRVhW7jOn-YYDhGi-PhmvUGbB8S1kh70294vU8IoijEQK7kRBPdGzICGcpBVbJemR8rJ2tXzKXQ3OUYc7_PhEUAcJZ1srcX8HIo6U7bSec" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://cherrysneakers.com/joanna-sneakers</a> . Visit store : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcherrysneakers.com%2Fcollections%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT13BYGysjpq44XBhB7MNG4X4W6ih_nxAabcCBzoTTNaU8OyFUjk3cHp8VvbUkTxza2_vFXElcm4vh_3Fq3raYlNLukadjb6RTqhHrcs5dkGIyqnl1xnrtDCvUghgcvKFBnxvBgikBCPDtHg1VGvb69dmV0" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://cherrysneakers.com/collections/joanna</a>		147.CherrySneakers		4	https://facebook.com/61554496211526	0		SHOP_NOW						1703404800		View Edit Delete
69942	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 10:49 AM	1703760178	1748706557		67		911006680442070	2	3.6759741574331E+14		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	114302685099444		0	Lereader-Excellent Novel			120201158900510403		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/vtdgp52lfydnyynjhofq2iy3?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700633012	1.1430268509944E+14	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402660879_869688841422966_1372190590659649293_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7_2XKwHcGhoAX9f4_JH&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC9hlh-FZbq7SnhnPCuvPkX4UT_1Rrnw3zEPmmxjslQGg&oe=659209D1	person_profile	0	Lereader-Excellent Novel	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405004018_261003933284328_5412246504218279477_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hnQ5Vw9L5I4AX8AChYX&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBKjby6J1ZjxEQQRAx7UvGa9tGr7mNFKwk_NIi_ygV1uQ&oe=65923647			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		Lereader-Excellent Novel		232	https://facebook.com/61550357834620	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67039	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/10/25, 3:58 PM	1703760160	1746910716		67		1012076759877155		1.5123013262127E+15		1703145600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100416769039566		0	Lifestyle A2Z Español			120202911436570160		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	Con tristeza compartimos la noticia acerca de Chip y Joanna Gaines quienes confirmaron que...	El anuncio de Chip y Joanna Gaines	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story-es/		1703140341	1.0041676903957E+14	Lifestyle A2Z Español	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412953155_1062182564816987_8515920085979359899_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_LDyjnyFVFsAX-k08tQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDdbkXjW3dIyPyJprv_U6Uh6gwkvGkUCe_qrD7KEhBZ3A&oe=6591DAB4	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip y Joanna Gaines dejan estupefactos a sus admiradores con la noticia.		Lifestyle A2Z Español		5592	https://facebook.com/lifestylea2z.spanish	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68012	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/31/25, 10:34 AM	1703760166	1748705665		67		2280571075455834		1.4427714265846E+15		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100602492862162		0	History Nation			120207706766100456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390147	1.0060249286216E+14	History Nation	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408507056_1041312267106374_2010214942325827276_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M74Q-JAZV-QAX8RblRD&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAct3Ba-xBEHlR_QTdeyaxDp24VTjI0ipqNYeafWwv40A&oe=6592BA4F	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History Nation		3643	https://facebook.com/100087250000253	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
66538	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/22/25, 12:07 PM	1703760158	1745341680		67		324216653846871	2	1.5256489549551E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	198290303365335		0	Once Upon O'Clock			6529470029063			No button		NONE	image	Once Upon O'Clock	Follow the making of a short animation that touches hearts and wins an Oscar (💛 from Jo)	https://facebook.com/61554571122948		1703598921	1.9829030336534E+14	Once Upon O'Clock	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412608439_835092735036314_1068442248298613810_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0UMBOa4oebYAX_bgVmk&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAyyCCcrJz8w77H65iXE9M3sGrkHTJTKsDiOStXYGaDtA&oe=65930F81	person_profile	0	Once Upon O'Clock	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414110379_1098677684651864_1930354630075284012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=34nm-3A8S0YAX958zCe&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfD5STyaVtFUAbZUZVIow3_PKcRAgTCQRMMUhrOfaZhJOA&oe=6592D31E			0	3	Merry GIVEAWAY. WIN A PRICELESS COMMISSION<br /> ❤️🧡💛<br /> It&#039;s this magical time of the year...<br /> <br /> Once Upon O&#039;Clock is a story about a special bond between little Susie and her grandpa (as in the illustration above). <br /> <br /> You can win a digital drawing of you (or anyone you choose) and your loved one (whoever it might be for you) in the style of our film illustrations.<br /> <br /> The artist behind -Jo Korus &#064;joanna_korus never does commissions so this is a UNIQUE opportunity. Might not happen again :)<br /> <br /> PLEASE NOTE - there will be one winner for both INSTAGRAM &amp; FACEBOOK<br /> <br /> To enter:<br /> Like this post<br /> Follow &#064;onceuponoclock - Instagram or facebook account<br /> Tag a friend in a comment in this post<br /> <br /> SHARE ON YOUR STORIES FOR AN ADDITIONAL ENTRY.<br /> <br /> 🎄😘🎅<br /> <br /> Each comment counts as one entry.<br /> Giveaway ends Saturday 30.12.2023 23:59 and the winner will be announced on our stories on Sunday 31.12.2023<br /> <br /> Good luck! ❤️🧡💛<br /> <br /> #christmasgiveaway #giveaway #competition #illustration #illustrationart #2dart #digitalart #whiterabbit #winterillustration #inspiration #motivation #findinspiration #ilustracjapolska #ilustracja #art #sztuka #artstagram #art #artwork #artoftheday #grafika #rysunek #cozychristmaschallenge23 #snowglobeartchallenge23 #cutecharacter		Once Upon O'Clock		12	https://facebook.com/61554571122948	0		NO_BUTTON						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66796	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/13/25, 12:27 PM	1703760159	1749835674		67		201726132934420	1	7.1587919050882E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	291675147600708		0	Grace Assembly of God			6529184216672			Send message		NONE	image				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703381477	2.9167514760071E+14	Grace Assembly of God	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413961054_685411907034759_3119926923612541511_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0UnXn7tZ8lsAX-NoS9D&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDE0RH2XiuZDKwxIokgavGWgfBG3_EL1nYTVYyMPXuthg&oe=6591F873	person_profile	0	Grace Assembly of God	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413970415_1060644691801417_364060945611253239_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iP8uHADqwjgAX8Ky26w&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDyyrQOUzeUeXU5u5tKyRnEcVITtaPWA6hCosvPnABljA&oe=65924F63			0	3	MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family from our staff team here at Grace. We are so looking forward to what God has in store for all of us in 2024. It&#039;s a new season!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wayne.murray.716">Wayne Murray</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/traci.murray.16">Traci Murray</a><br /> &#064;DavidHull <br /> Mark Harris<br /> Evan Fortunato<br /> DaveAdams<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zach.loomis">Zach Loomis</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Greg-Wallace/100063651362443/">Greg Wallace</a><br /> &#064;CaseyFloyd<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/braden.murray.12">Braden Murray</a><br /> Elliott Murray<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/brenda.sullivanmontgomerypowers">Brenda Powers</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evan.pierquet.1">Evan Pierquet</a><br /> Edward Sluder<br /> &#064;JenniferMcDaniel <br /> &#064;JacobPhillips<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rachael.behrman">Rachael Behrman</a><br /> &#064;KevinRand<br /> &#064;WilsonWainaina<br /> &#064;EmilyLoomis<br /> &#064;RyleeSchneider<br /> &#064;KarineSideris<br /> Sydney Rae McDaniel<br /> &#064;JoannaGosser		Grace Assembly of God		7538	https://facebook.com/thegraceag	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66758	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	7/3/25, 8:32 AM	1703760159	1751549571		67		682166563771046	1	3.611661565637E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	193825190667043		0	Union Congregational United Church of Christ			120205719034570385			Call Now		NONE	video	Christmas Eve Candlelight Service			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?","response":""},{"title":"Can you tell me more about your ad?","response":""},{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?","response":""}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703479306	1.9382519066704E+14	Union Congregational United Church of Christ	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414183249_1406198743664823_2108904112101015344_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q-l1tmadvd0AX-ZdvmD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCE2Cmz4YXXUf7my_8yJNeKCaHgzf6599P7G1MNio6JXA&oe=6591560B	person_profile	0					0	3	December 24, 2023		Union Congregational United Church of Christ		332	https://facebook.com/unionucc	0		CALL_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
68339	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/10/25, 7:18 PM	1703760169	1746922727		67		1584755442267647	1	1.1182495691579E+15		1702022400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	121116260977905		0	Day Magazine Inside			120202044179190375		theprimarymarket.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://theprimarymarket.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-j2-ext/		1701948612	1.2111626097790E+14	Day Magazine Inside	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408496451_1368559753800401_8428004264975236675_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=32jxMeb8LrQAX-QDGUB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCKC-4dpBZmD0qxaIf8d_YPIN6Rx_02aSw9-PUFEkOiAw&oe=6593249C	person_profile	0					0	3	You never know when life can change places from happily living to spend days regretting the decisions... The Dark Secret of &quot;Fixer Upper’s Dark Downers&quot;		Day Magazine Inside		43	https://facebook.com/100092528718253	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
69761	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/1/25, 6:15 AM	1703760177	1748776526		67		1034102551073953	5	6.8907228669931E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101770051918501		0	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing			120200721075470167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678939	1.017700519185E+14	Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404304695_307157035603840_685326367727654247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TyHd4-SmwfEAX9e4l_W&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHX9vsHIdn6B4bYSn0j1z-Z53BtsL_vLMl-XAAxTx_Gg&oe=659184AB	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Bob's Hideout - Sightseeing		320	https://facebook.com/100070822398497	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
68432	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/30/25, 12:51 AM	1703760169	1743313872		67		254670770955761		2.6439084330318E+14		1702108800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	845538165617139		0	HeraldWeekly.com			120202295955390520		domesticatedcompanion.com	No button		NONE	image	Heartbreaking New For Joanna Gaines	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)	https://www.domesticatedcompanion.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1701921711	8.4553816561714E+14	HeraldWeekly.com	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407699122_379555834519618_6593534411702928034_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BbBOYXVRBzYAX-Jng-u&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAR_qnigPrDo_0DTAu4R94yY0gRMl9UVkvfTQFJc79Sdw&oe=65925D86	person_profile	0					0	3	Chip Drops Major Bombshell In Front Of Entire World (Truly Heartbreaking)		HeraldWeekly.com		40735	https://facebook.com/followheraldweekly	0		NO_BUTTON						1701849600		View Edit Delete
68640	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/6/25, 10:40 AM	1703760171	1749224442		67		883081379758473		5.7803483781376E+14		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1212315052125863		0	Bloom Yoga			120202184175590152		lucybloomyoga.com	Sign up		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.lucybloomyoga.com/pages/sisters-of-the-moon		1701530152	1.2123150521259E+15	Bloom Yoga	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407408643_837410284736203_1851550154123575769_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TWcDRr2cc_cAX-AIZ11&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAU1Rzf8rP7guhAqXeF2GzHiUU52vGI8cVTlQPqCptX1g&oe=65915001	person_profile	0	B L O O M by Lucybloom Webb	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407376357_1411900529539306_5851288769850154800_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Whmrcyx58KQAX9ogqpb&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQODQWmXuRJp8jJjdUmOCcrQRizbc399bAS4TPRJQDCg&oe=65928728			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Bloom Yoga		579	https://facebook.com/lucybloomyoga	0		SIGN_UP						1701504000		View Edit Delete
67725	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/12/25, 7:24 PM	1703760164	1744503892		67		902626484583487	1	1.3827573356715E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	1062991483741411		0	Function 101			6534363867330		function101.com	Order now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://function101.com/pages/button-remote-for-apple-tv-landing-page		1702534560	1.0629914837414E+15	Function 101	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411198203_1066236854792036_8992360199001787206_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5xUT0HMFpCoAX_ySl85&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBknff07jXStGKjGuuQcFSlzC8TyThV6u93VUZGw9tt7w&oe=659242D9	person_profile	0					0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		Function 101		1338	https://facebook.com/function101	0		ORDER_NOW						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69928	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/2/25, 6:12 AM	1703760178	1748862766		67		859542049509731	6	1.0526498392064E+15		1700726400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201683732620439		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700636037	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404446809_1456519298258430_7467264730857590515_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qSyYge7R8-MAX9QBTGo&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAh1SfXAGtax4Jv0rWxcnBq5006DffbkeWjBhBtuWWQcA&oe=6591D03E	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.fcxo1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404385037_3347929725499092_7585450054617140184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e1oBlUJTgMYAX-4eCLr&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxo1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBlWMFdvNEq4HRfpKFOmu5Hk5sp1f03LNV0PR46vLNFBw&oe=6592CC27			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66526	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/1/25, 2:34 AM	1703760158	1746084853		67		1440130366908602	1	8.8049446373723E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103784952720276		0	LiB001			120204361672680579		a.libynovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻		https://a.libynovel.com/ad/bGlieS82NTkxMi8yMDIzMTIyNzEzNTkwNC9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}}		1703657239	1.0378495272028E+14	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412743148_2534100210093185_4239201850001015827_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=v84GSS0ulbIAX_-uFJy&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCsDrqArLx75NYnqhp4aHJA3SwtMAvPoe532k4CweM8-Q&oe=65922DD0	person_profile	0	LiB001	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412983876_1348680909115965_4867626824653675575_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IhB-mXrOeOoAX9L0YAw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgpq1RlmsE2O99EAvwlSfil0asN-hdu_geCWQL3C1Y_Q&oe=659269CA			0	3	&quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce. I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot; Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you? Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family. I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;Where are you?&quot;<br /> By the time Joanna received the fifth notification, Bradley Sutton, her husband, had run out of patience.<br /> Ring ring ring.<br /> Her phone kept ringing non-stop.<br /> Finally, on the fourth ring, Joanna picked up the phone.<br /> &quot;Come to the hospital now. Miley needs blood!&quot;<br /> His cold, hasty voice came over the phone. Joanna muttered, &quot;I just gave her blood the day before yesterday...&quot;<br /> &quot;You got twenty minutes.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not feeling well today...&quot;<br /> Beep beep beep.<br /> Before she could explain, Bradley had mercilessly hung up.<br /> Joanna looked at the IV drip on her left-hand side and finally gave a wry smile on the bed.<br /> Due to giving Miley Reed 500ml of blood the day before yesterday, she passed out at home early this morning. If the maid hadn&#039;t contacted the family doctor in time, she would probably have died.<br /> Yet Bradley did not give any information about her, demanding her to do the blood transfusion again.<br /> It was no different from killing her!<br /> Joanna&#039;s tears fell on the phone screen, blurring the word &quot;Hubby&quot; on the contacts.<br /> ***<br /> &quot;Joanna, why are you still lying here instead of cleaning? Are you slacking off?&quot;<br /> When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw Bradley&#039;s sister, Lorie Sutton, rushing into the bedroom. Lorie ignored the drip on her hand, pointed at her, and scolded her.<br /> &quot;Do you have any idea what time it is? And it&#039;s drowning in trash downstairs! You didn&#039;t work yesterday, and you&#039;re still goofing around today?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not...&quot; Joanna coughed and tried to deny it subconsciously.<br /> &quot;I get it. You don&#039;t want to give Miley a blood transfusion, so you&#039;re pretending to be sick!&quot; An idea struck Lorie. She folded her arms before her chest with a look of disgust and scorn.<br /> Because of Lorie&#039;s high volume, the maids outside began to whisper.<br /> Joanna held her dizzy head and tried to sit up, while Lorie continued with a sneer.<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t want to save Miley, right? Trying to feign illness to get Bradley back? Nice try! He gives you at least 1.6 million dollars so that you can stay healthy and give Miley a blood transfusion. Stop acting to be so delicate! You get to marry into our family only because you and Miley both have Rh-negative blood. You&#039;re nothing but a shameless home wrecker!&quot;<br /> Then Lorie looked at the maids outside and said, &quot;Leave the chores to her. Since she didn&#039;t work today, she doesn&#039;t deserve to eat. Tell those in the kitchen not to prepare for her share today.&quot;<br /> With that, Lorie sneered and left.<br /> Joanna felt frustrated. A sense of sadness and embarrassment overwhelmed her.<br /> Lorie&#039;s words were like a sword that was thrust straight into her heart.<br /> She was Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank, and she had long accepted her fate. It was Bradley&#039;s condition of marrying her.<br /> Yet ... home wrecker?<br /> Of the ten years Joanna had known Bradley, she had a crush on him for seven and was married to him for three. Swallowing her pride, she served him and his family like a maid, always making compromises. Eventually, she even lost herself.<br /> All her sacrifices ended up in vain. At the end of the day, she was still considered a home wrecker.<br /> A bitter smile curved Joanna&#039;s lips.<br /> The marriage she worked so hard to maintain turned out to be a farce in the eyes of others.<br /> In this absurd marriage, she was spurned and reviled.<br /> She was nothing but a failure.<br /> Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen and froze in situ.<br /> &quot;You bimbo! You think marrying Bradley makes him yours? Look carefully and see who he belongs to!&quot;<br /> A photo was attached, in which Bradley and Miley were touching. It only captured his side face, looking cold and handsome, yet with a closer look, there was a hint of tenderness.<br /> She had never seen Bradley like this.<br /> Judging from the background and the watermark, the photo was taken last night in a hotel.<br /> Joanna felt suffocated.<br /> She stared at the cruel text and the photo, fighting back her tears.<br /> If it was a farce, she ought to put an end to it as soon as possible.<br /> She called Bradley, and he soon picked up.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re late, Joanna!&quot; It was the angry rebuke she had expected from him.<br /> She turned the volume on her phone to maximum and spoke calmly, &quot;Bradley Sutton.&quot;<br /> It was the first time she had called him by his full name.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;ve got 800 thousand dollars already!&quot; He was implying that she should be grateful.<br /> She could image the look on Bradley&#039;s face just by listening to his icy voice. His jaw must be set, his lips pressing into a thin line. He always had that expression when he was mad.<br /> As if didn&#039;t hear her, Bradley hissed again, &quot;You...&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley Sutton.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not giving her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot;<br /> &quot;What do I want...&quot; Joanna tilted her head back to hold back her tears and removed the drip from her left hand.<br /> &quot;I want her dead!&quot;<br /> With that, she made a big decision.<br /> She said in a hoarse voice, &quot;Meet me at the gate of the courthouse in twenty minutes.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s get a divorce.&quot;<br /> Then Joanna hung up the phone. She closed her eyes, covered her face, and burst into tears...<br /> Joanna changed her clothes, took another look at the place where she had lived for three years, and came downstairs with empty hands.<br /> When she passed the living room, she saw Lorie sitting on the sofa. At the sight of Joanna, Lorie mocked, &quot;Well, well. I guess someone is giving in eventually. Can&#039;t say no to money, huh?&quot;<br /> Joanna ignored her and walked on.<br /> She didn&#039;t want to live like this anymore. Everything would come to an end today.<br /> &quot;Hey! Are you deaf?<br /> &quot;You&#039;d better not come back! Or I&#039;ll make you pay!&quot;<br /> Lorie&#039;s exasperated voice sounded behind Joanna. Joanna stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, &quot;Who cares?&quot;<br /> Enduring the physical discomfort, Joanna left in Lorie&#039;s loud abuse and drove to the courthouse alone.<br /> At 10 a.m., Joanna sat alone in a corner of the packed courthouse and waited quietly.<br /> After 40 minutes, Bradley showed up.<br /> He strode forward and stood in front of her with anger and coldness. &quot;What are you up to this time?&quot; he asked in a low voice.<br /> Joanna looked up at him, her face pale. Since Bradley stood against the light, she found it hard to see his facial features clearly.<br /> Yet she knew that he was furious right now.<br /> She felt a little dizzy and slowly supported herself up with the handle of the chair.<br /> Regaining her balance, Joanna said, &quot;I don&#039;t want to give her another blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s cold face darkened, and there was a clear warning in his expression. &quot;You&#039;ve got the money, Joanna. Be sensible.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t tax my patience.&quot;<br /> &quot;Then let&#039;s get a divorce. You don&#039;t have to put up with me.&quot;<br /> He said nothing.<br /> Seeing her so stubborn, Bradley was furious again. He tugged irritably at his tie.<br /> &quot;You&#039;ve tested my limits again and again. Joanna, I&#039;ve let you get your way too frequently these days!&quot;<br /> Joanna&#039;s heart trembled. She only realized now that she never meant anything to him.<br /> She stared at him with persistence, struggle, as well as deep grievances.<br /> &quot;Yes, you&#039;re right. I&#039;m being insensible.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s divorce now so that I won&#039;t waste your time.&quot;<br /> &quot;OK! Good for you! You&#039;d better not be sorry!&quot; Bradley was so pissed off that he laughed.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s probably the best decision I&#039;ve ever made in my life,&quot; Joanna muttered to herself.<br /> When holding the divorce certificate in her hand, she froze in situ for a while. Those memories came back vividly to her mind.<br /> In the end, she felt relieved.<br /> Everything was over today.<br /> From now on, the name Bradley Sutton would no longer be her nightmare.<br /> &quot;Even if you regret it now, it&#039;s too late. Go get Miley a blood transfusion now.&quot; Seeing Joanna standing where she was, Bradley figured she was repenting. With a sneer, he turned and walked straight on.<br /> Joanna looked at his indifferent back and said calmly.<br /> &quot;This will be the last time. After today, don&#039;t ever come to me even if she dies.&quot;<br /> Bradley stopped abruptly and opened his mouth. His tone was so harsh that it stabbed her heart.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s your biological sister. How can you say that? You just can&#039;t stand seeing her doing well, can you?<br /> &quot;If I had known you were such a ruthless woman, I would never have married you!&quot;<br /> Hearing his cold and sarcastic words, Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Congratulations. From now on, I will no longer be part of the Sutton family.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be Mrs. Sutton or Miley&#039;s mobile blood bank anymore.&quot;<br /> Joanna looked at Bradley, who frowned deeply, and turned away.<br /> She thought, &quot;You&#039;ve used my blood for years, Miley. It&#039;s time to pay!&quot;<br /> Bradley looked at Joanna&#039;s skinny and determined back in a daze. He suddenly found her strange.<br /> He thought, &quot;Is that who she really is? What is the real her?<br /> &quot;Is she a tender, considerate housewife like she used to be? Or that&#039;s just her pretense? She&#039;s actually aggressive, cold-blooded, and cruel like she is now?&quot;<br /> Bradley&#039;s eyes gradually darkened. The feeling of her slipping out of his control distressed him.<br /> ***<br /> Joanna didn&#039;t know what Bradley was thinking. She drove straight to the hospital and went to Miley&#039;s room, knowing her way.<br /> Miley was in a wheelchair, and the nurse was about to take her to a checkup. Seeing Joanna, Miley sneered while saying warmly, &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re here...&quot;<br /> &quot;You want to be Mrs. Sutton?&quot;<br /> Joanna sounded cold.<br /> Before Miley could finish, Joanna grabbed her hair and ripped her out of her wheelchair, slamming her head against the wall.<br /> &quot;What are you talking about... Let go of me!&quot; Miley was struggling and screaming.<br /> Bradley quickly stepped forward and helped Miley to her feet.<br /> &quot;Joanna, you&#039;re crazy!&quot; His voice was tinged with irrepressible anger.<br /> She looked at the way he held Miley in his arms and wobbled.<br /> It turned out that he cared about Miley so much.<br /> She smiled at herself self-mockingly and silently squeezed her nails into her palms, forcing herself to stand up straight.<br /> Miley weakly leaned against Bradley&#039;s arms, holding her swollen forehead with one hand, and there were tears hanging from her eyelashes. She looked nothing but aggrieved. &quot;Joanna, you got me wrong. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton...&quot;<br /> Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;Miley, I know you too well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, what are you talking about? I don&#039;t understand.&quot; Miley&#039;s pale face looked innocent, but with a closer look, there was also a hint of sarcasm and defiance.<br /> &quot;Really?&quot; Joanna asked calmly, with a chill in her eyes that was never seen before.<br /> Miley was slightly stunned when she saw the usually weak Joanna suddenly behaving so strangely.<br /> Before Miley could think further, Joanna had already tossed the phone in front of Bradley.<br /> Bradley saw the two people touching in the photo, and his face darkened immediately.<br /> Miley&#039;s heart skipped a beat. She didn&#039;t expect Joanna to be so bold as to show Bradley the photo and text just like that. Wasn&#039;t Joanna worried that Bradley might get furious?<br /> Seeing how gloomy Bradley was, Miley panicked finally. Yet she managed to calm down and spoke.<br /> &quot;Joanna... This is?&quot;<br /> &quot;Can&#039;t you tell? The text says that I, Joanna Reed, don&#039;t get to be Mrs. Sutton. I&#039;m a home wrecker.<br /> &quot;Who do you think sent the text? And the attached photo. How come someone sent your intimate photo to me?<br /> &quot;Do you want me to describe it to you? In the photo, there&#039;s a man and a woman at the hotel last night...&quot;<br /> Joanna described expressionlessly. In the past, she might not have embarrassed Bradley to his face.<br /> There was a faint murmur of discussion in the distance around them.<br /> &quot;Enough!&quot;<br /> Bradley was not an idiot. Hearing Joanna&#039;s words, he knew that it was Miley who sent the photo.<br /> His face was cold and angry as never before, and the throbbing veins on his forehead showed that his patience had run out.<br /> This time, Joanna did nothing but stare at him without blinking, and she had no intention of dodging away.<br /> Then she looked at Miley calmly.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not a home wrecker. I married into the Sutton family fair and square, and I will leave with an untainted reputation now. Since you want the title of Mrs. Sutton so badly, it&#039;s yours.<br /> &quot;Remember. I don&#039;t want it!&quot; Joanna said word by word.<br /> His chest heaved for a while. Just as he opened his mouth, Miley grabbed his arm with hers and said, about to cry, &quot;Bradley... Trust me, OK? I didn&#039;t do that. I never want to be Mrs. Sutton.<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t take the photo, and I surely didn&#039;t send it. I bet it&#039;s Hailee. She never likes Joanna. I tried to talk to her so many times, but she just wouldn&#039;t listen. I swear it&#039;s her. You know I wouldn&#039;t do such a thing. If ... if Leonel was still with us...&quot; Miley couldn&#039;t go on and burst into tears.<br /> Bradley remembered the dying words of Leonel Sutton, his brother, who had died young to save him. Then he slowly calmed down.<br /> &quot;Doctor, get her checked out and get her ready for a blood transfusion.&quot;<br /> &quot;Bradley, please talk to Joanna and talk things out. Don&#039;t fight because of me. I will no longer accept Joanna&#039;s blood. I will die before having her blood. Please! Don&#039;t fight ever again because of me.&quot;<br /> Miley grabbed Bradley&#039;s arm, refusing to let go. Coupled with her swollen forehead and tears, Joanna knew that she lost again.<br /> Every time, when Miley cried, she would definitely lose.<br /> He looked at Joanna and tried to say something, but Joanna turned to look at the doctor behind him.<br /> &quot;Does she need blood for a sprained foot?&quot;<br /> The doctor was caught off guard and was flustered for a second. Meeting Bradley&#039;s cold eyes, he hastily explained, &quot;It&#039;s ... not like that. Ms. Reed fell upstairs last night and sprained her ankle, and her back was injured, too. She lost a lot of blood.&quot;<br /> &quot;Is that so?&quot; Joanna went forward slowly.<br /> &quot;Yes...&quot;<br /> &quot;The operating room is ready, Mr. Sutton.&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna, we&#039;ll talk later. Go inside now,&quot; Bradley said while seeing Joanna approaching.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m done with you. Yet...&quot;<br /> Without even looking at him, Joanna lifted Miley&#039;s clothes on her back neatly and quickly.<br /> Miley screamed.<br /> She tugged at her clothes hastily.<br /> Yet it was too late.<br /> Her back was immediately exposed to everyone&#039;s eyes. It was tender and fair without even a trace of bruising, let alone wound or blood loss.<br /> The ward fell silent at once.<br /> The doctor tried hard to stop his legs from trembling, and his lips quivered as he tried to explain, whereas Joanna sneered.<br /> &quot;She hurt her back? More like she hurt her brain!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joanna... Bradley... It&#039;s not the case. I really fell off. The doctor got it wrong. I didn&#039;t hurt my back, I hurt my leg...&quot; seeing Bradley&#039;s dark, suspicious gaze, Miley explained in a panic. She even rolled up her trouser leg to reveal her calf, which was bound with gauze.<br /> Yet Joanna had already lost the patience to play along. Joanna interrupted her, &quot;No matter where you &#039;hurt&#039; yourself, I don&#039;t care anymore. From now on, you won&#039;t be my sister, and you won&#039;t be the second daughter of the Reed family.&quot;<br /> Miley was surprised at what Joanna said, and then Miley&#039;s eyes flashed with sarcasm and disdain. She thought, &quot;You&#039;re just a branch of the Reed family. Stop acting like you&#039;re so noble! Who cares?&quot;<br /> Joanna continued, &quot;And mobile blood bank? At least try it with someone else. I&#039;m done!&quot;<br /> Her voice echoed in the narrow corridor, calm and cold.<br /> With those words, Joanna looked at Bradley with an ironic smile and then turned away without stopping.<br /> After getting out of the hospital, she stopped at the door. It was higher than 30 degrees Celsius outside, but she felt no warmth.<br /> She could barely hold on. She was so weak that she fell on the hospital steps.<br /> She used her bloodless hands to shield her from the glare of the sun, and she felt dizzy. Tears ran through her fingers.<br /> Her three years as well as her obsession ended so ridiculously.<br /> She was such a failure.<br /> ***<br /> In the luxurious and tasteful oversized room, Joanna woke up slowly.<br /> Looking at the familiar decorations in the room, she suddenly realized that the past was like a dream she had had. The dream was nothing but ridiculous and frustrating.<br /> Tears once again made her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re still a kid.&quot;<br /> A solemn voice with some vicissitudes sounded. Joanna looked back and saw a serious, loving old man standing at the door with his cane. She didn&#039;t know how long he had been waiting.<br /> Joanna choked again.<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot;<br /> The Reed family was a century-old family in South City, rich and prestigious.<br /> The man standing at the door was Payton Reed, the major head of the Reed family with the greatest power. Joanna was his granddaughter, and he had pampered her since she was a girl. Seeing that she was now so sad for a man, he was both angry and distressed.<br /> He couldn&#039;t bear to punish his granddaughter, and he wanted to take it all out on Bradley, the guy who hurt her so deeply. He wished he could take his cane to beat Bradley hard.<br /> Joanna had always been the apple of his eye, and he raised her all these years. Now that she was so aggrieved, of course, he was angry, yet he felt sorry for her more.<br /> Seeing Payton approaching her, she got out of bed and fell to her knees, crying so hard that she couldn&#039;t stop.<br /> &quot;There, there. Good girl, Joanna. Stop crying...<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll ask Jerold to deal with him! I won&#039;t stop till I kick him out of South City!&quot;<br /> &quot;Grandpa...&quot; Listening to Payton&#039;s doting words and comfort, Joanna gradually stopped crying.<br /> Payton held her up and patted her on the head. &quot;Don&#039;t cry. I know everything. Joanna, you won&#039;t have to suffer that kind of grievance ever again.&quot;<br /> Joanna knew that Payton was referring to the unfair treatment she had received from both the Sutton family and Miley.<br /> &quot;Grandpa, I kicked Miley out of the Reed family...&quot; She looked at him, her eyes red.<br /> &quot;You did the right thing! I never wanted to recognize her from the beginning. An illegitimate child never deserves to be part of us! This kind of wicked woman is not worthy to be the Reed family&#039;s offspring!&quot;<br /> Payton was furious at the mention of Miley.<br /> Seeing that Payton took her side without asking anything, Joanna felt even more bitter.<br /> Miley was brought here more than ten years ago after Joanna&#039;s mom died. At that time, seeing how weak and innocent Miley was, she pitied Miley and let Miley live in the front yard. She never allowed Miley to enter Payton&#039;s room. She had no idea that Miley had mistaken them for just a branch of the Reed family in South City. After Miley built a connection with the Sutton family, she did such an ungrateful thing.<br /> &quot;Joanna, I gave you three years and promised that no matter what you did, I would stay out of it. It has been three years now. According to our agreement, you have to go back to the Reed Group to assume your share of responsibility. And since you&#039;re divorced, you might as well just be a part of the Reed Group directly. It&#039;s time you share your brother&#039;s burden.&quot;<br /> &quot;I understand, Grandpa.&quot;<br /> The long-lasting dream was over. Now that she was awake, she had nothing left.<br /> She now ought to get back on track with her life.		LiB001		32	https://facebook.com/100092993101023	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
70040	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:59 AM	1703760179	1749650385		67		1411554422906792	1	1.0630348681635E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	307762560936		0	Farmington Hills Special Services Department			120200138058950452		fhgov.com	Get showtimes		NONE	carousel	Farmington Hills Special Services Department		https://www.fhgov.com/concerts?show=179911&utm_source=localiq&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=customfb&scid=4512726		1700580024	307762560936	Farmington Hills Special Services Department	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402928328_696666392430501_2994921127641462450_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MbjCVfdNBlkAX_22c8Z&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCwRgKL__A5lqCuwbR_22u31J1Aqc5PeAoCHS7ZKlhCpA&oe=65922317	person_profile	0	Farmington Hills Special Svcs	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402993028_224198507359003_1952460142110989749_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=co1fUCcMEe8AX8qD4tW&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDgG162g3bUWbp2JV1vybm_Neoqn6Ju1nnH4OvIMYaH_g&oe=6591FDDD			0	3	Experience the Magic of Intimate Concerts at The Hawk Black Box Theatre - A Haven for Live Music Lovers! <br /> <br /> Are you tired of being lost in the crowd at big concerts and missing out on the true joy of live music? The Hawk Theatre is here to change the game! Immerse yourself in the intimate campfire-style concerts, where you can feel the warmth of the music and connect with the artist on a whole new level. <br /> <br /> #CampfireConcerts - Ready for an unforgettable night of live music? Our intimate indoor campfire-style concerts provide a unique live music experience. Tickets at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthehawktheatre.com%2F&amp;h=AT0K8S_fHf-YKcijl-1SqimZei2P-chjWRmLY8-5HB0R1NiB28qENajEStc22jroKfFKrV2B01vc_d8C4W5QwWP6akWeUAyEjXSKHW1aqJLplH7_pmCEXSPTjv-CQ3kdasDK-q4xXe0sTYXKBX8H4GACnmY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">thehawktheatre.com</a>		Farmington Hills Special Services Department		6036	https://facebook.com/fhspecialservices	0		GET_SHOWTIMES						1701072000		View Edit Delete
69414	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/22/25, 7:30 PM	1703760175	1745368206		67		1039137783898803	4	6.981368022681E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201123544050123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700827954	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403622935_643957344598719_1785740631046101631_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MKZISNruCIoAX9Uxcnd&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAgO--6bF1DdTMffbXt1yiJZqi0tCrIFrDLrLweublevw&oe=65933C4B	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403620223_6620292234760421_1354765551174543964_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FwtwoMJzd5cAX-Ua-ds&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDBsuIb0be44-G9JCrKLr7dP0sVFE8u4KdYz6Imo89VuQ&oe=6592FA5E			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1700812800		View Edit Delete
69185	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/2/25, 5:22 AM	1703760174	1748859761		67		1059610598405726		1.0142185298623E+15		1701504000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105559839220674		0	Day Magazine Name			23862145435010740		toppoptoday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines Opens Up, Breaking Her Silence Before the World.	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://toppoptoday.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-kd-ext/		1700806369	1.0555983922067E+14	Day Magazine Name	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404312839_2514208338746081_8552745789445159781_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u2GiA7WyNoUAX-kC_N_&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC4-cquR3xL2QcCr3KZXtaXUg5nlxYb3h8jPqkl1iLjww&oe=659174DD	person_profile	0					0	3	Long-Hidden Truths: Joanna Reveals Husband&#039;s Story and Behind-the-Scenes Finale.		Day Magazine Name		86	https://facebook.com/100092990978966	0		LEARN_MORE						1700985600		View Edit Delete
66472	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:23 AM	1703760158	1742995407		67		1857994154619418	1	3.4905465448884E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170297716163901		0	BookBaby New Releases			120201913669410379		amazon.com	Shop now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://www.amazon.com/EcoQueen-Superhero-Reverse-Climate-Change/dp/1736598708/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=joanna+kanow&qid=1619545752&sr=8-1		1701882181	1.702977161639E+14	BookBaby New Releases	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405441764_1711322396012019_1019064948199363942_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-9_s67wNZd0AX_P6ezt&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfDkNlrIUe5jlT5gxhEH1133_Vvkj4xQ3Ay7QIgeCj_9iA&oe=65922F0E	person_profile	0	BookBaby New Releases	https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406988376_3789523494706833_466409700690327230_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F8C0STp117IAX-MQV1a&_nc_oc=AQmO7j32Lh5EeqIsbUVhTPK9kn17QxTzHvavYOJ6vXpBYkpqlioUj4k3PzQrsUdUefkTNaWIsxoZhGMk4DWMYSs_&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-2.fna&oh=00_AfD_Fb1zPZOXg4FJvEVQ8ECDQHDd5FVy9Q5y149ky_Pclg&oe=65925F56			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		BookBaby New Releases		115	https://facebook.com/61553044875102	0		SHOP_NOW						1702108800		View Edit Delete
66637	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:25 AM	1703760158	1742995527		67		408624828158957	2	1.6072447900126E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204676900380021		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/848?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703572252	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412722967_6991118837647762_7999341716004640355_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s1v86i7skksAX8avlzL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBrJbXIdvp_qVkxvfZIhMhlXgElgflY-6Qfd7jw6lPgVg&oe=65924DEF	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414440152_230774000064854_3595610247862624329_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fLVUb29YqQcAX81KtRP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDa70gdzTy4YavOVLWxL49wyd1N-4agPLsIzoBCiAsg7w&oe=65922BE2			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
68930	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:34 AM	1703760173	1742988843		67		671479131770011	1	3.4654224204545E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120200685799220123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700053290	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/401002409_1447878682608252_6342164575096879067_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sf5wu2VRzNAAX_RvPFu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDkueEus0yyw8e2dUi171PDq6S6IHroUVbk-yOKKeHRvg&oe=659269A9	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402344519_1335828550628406_2091806208911085822_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xyVBiaoCqokAX_Qenh2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfANxwDwpXmZjHopRdTroaatx4NuWWmUX4Vtq9XDd5dXaA&oe=659303B3			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66859	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:26 AM	1703760160	1742995579		67		742613053905193		8.9362920225368E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	969967079721584		0	The Home Edit			120202967024940018		ruggable.com	Shop now		NONE	image	✨Up to 20% Off Sitewide!✨	We teamed up with experts and best friends, Clea & Joanna, to put the fun in functional. Meet Ruggable x The Home Edit.	https://ruggable.com/discount/EOY23?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fthe-home-edit-rugs		1703299792	9.6996707972158E+14	The Home Edit	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412888114_7035958693158285_4278619833518091581_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FOe5OHMAcvMAX99O-NZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDJrzbpfLmbMZUSSKQxhJE4knEvq36AJeQNe3qH8aa7RQ&oe=6591D291	person_profile	0	THE HOME EDIT ®	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412878390_1029457648359539_7889435742762184001_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=88VrePMRFmUAX-Oqsgc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBX89rFHdWhacC1uY4st71Xga8X2h3O0uwJjZRoDblTGw&oe=6592E441			0	3	We are so excited to share that our collection of Ruggable washable rugs are on SALE! Save on our fun AND functional rugs during their End of Year Sale. 🌈		The Home Edit		410736	https://facebook.com/thehomeedit	0		SHOP_NOW						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66902	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:26 AM	1703760160	1742995585		67		1407380606834820	1	3.5708974298959E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	151616178212932		0	Premiere Plus Realty, Co.			120205293859750020		https://www.premiereplusrealty.com/?utm_source=Soc...	Learn more		NONE	carousel	Premiere Plus Realty, Co.		https://www.premiereplusrealty.com/?utm_source=Social+Media&utm_medium=Campaign		1703254546	1.5161617821293E+14	Premiere Plus Realty, Co.	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412906715_385265837407738_728647371558495916_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PXiTpQ3Vh2gAX_ezEI7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC10s7cfUJCijjNVIk4DEqBInQWGKAX4oLVsHTys-3zqw&oe=6593278F	person_profile	0	Premiere Plus Realty	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414036007_703232545257783_6951478580050398753_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HpWtJgnQFP4AX9RbQg_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA22Ej7IElkSKqsdP0DlSokECFdCjpChM1ZHVCEhIqs4A&oe=6591A080			0	3	Featured listings of the week.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FPremiereplusrealty.com%2F&amp;h=AT00pYjo5TKqTar4nAB_wH2XLOqExC_7QnpgiQz8mhcBWc-UVSVrVF8FWvdC0D0nWBfta5HZwEm3jkwSAML9X5JAEARKS--pJtyt6s1FA6tFXyMQYLZRt1YGHtXMBO-LnapHbjSH1mpWs2RnmaUnujUIfK8L7cZ9Sj0B3SBDsic" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">Premiereplusrealty.com</a><br /> <br /> #Premiereplusrealty #featuredlistings #luxurylistings #southwestflorida		Premiere Plus Realty, Co.		2918	https://facebook.com/PremierePlusRealtyCo	0		LEARN_MORE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
66936	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:26 AM	1703760160	1742995594		67		371886965313989		1.9150066404804E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829710990756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213286	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412245351_1525851681535175_6482378805252949989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Qmngrs6JrgAX8Loq7z&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA52g0YvShvU04gGq6dBAvfD3ZRVNvd7rwMMLJluf0i4g&oe=659217DC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703232000		View Edit Delete
66949	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:26 AM	1703760160	1742995614		67		1219387915684708		3.6610815266792E+14		1703404800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829728740756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213337	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412281800_737327067855194_5585804166645535762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5wQMPXMTN-AAX8kHQTp&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPF3hYKO3uonjFQ-Zg7eFg2YTlZ9sC8SMoS4yWvtolow&oe=65921B7F	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66980	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760160	1742988491		67		332716616199902		3.2329143636803E+15		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	120766401101493		0	BioBursts			120202829672380756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213172	1.2076640110149E+14	BioBursts	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411532370_3244327099194137_7988257233821687837_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gyXmY3zl4a8AX-SLIN1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwKJ6TZ_bcq0Acf-3azHEWuDUpw4H1uB2OmIuWf3GfwA&oe=6592737A	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		BioBursts		5440	https://facebook.com/100095312214573	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67600	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760164	1742988560		67		717650563683171	1	1.6828388970923E+14		1702713600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120201852683090185		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702554959	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409921250_770582618235380_3902231432078750751_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YSdkdcWd3qgAX_8Egjm&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPpw_KtHExX2JPUcIMU3kxz323hE9-a7EEcTMZJ4fbFA&oe=65919C9A	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410089389_283690540844211_125745260849760313_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=z77wbUN1T3kAX8uFWXJ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDCj-DbJtM1Lbs64w_C3b83GAHQ03non0Q-_cpEFV6Ekw&oe=65916B77			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68258	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 4:18 PM	1703760168	1736029089		67		312467715084309	1	1.1079024268772E+15		1702195200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108258998739587		0	I Did not know			120204382438770288		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	You know how sometimes a cartoon perfectly captures a complicated feeling? That's exactly what these talented female comic artists do. We found them all on Instagram, and they immediately made us hit the Follow Button. Take the Illustrator of Curves, who celebrates the diversity of women's bodies, J...	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1702053740	1.0825899873959E+14	I Did not know	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/407987961_311877121756936_348162455555950368_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bzLYmepLZIUAX_o8Mg6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCpy1skKFb1pajtte-LS7t3mdMwhbS3jIYqY_mZtuOSKg&oe=659225F5	person_profile	0	I Did not know	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408027455_2404424563088774_8997193801990067645_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=77Bf-uN9sAgAX9JzhaY&_nc_oc=AQmGwUEV-pcBQlSvFes-GFHpWpfbJcMoMnZ7hHgCgHmgxDQCCtmvliImOj1ihB4v3pk&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBBwB2I9otBn1rkxDptWvEaBbJF9IP_pk2fefg11g8orw&oe=659301D8			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		I Did not know		8217	https://facebook.com/100087007873665	0		LEARN_MORE						1702195200		View Edit Delete
68404	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 4:18 PM	1703760169	1736029109		67		1443260403067074	1	2.2744610037948E+14		1701936000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	112577815117180		0	YummyRead			120201997290940476		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔥🔥🔥HOT BOOK 😍😍😍📜<The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife>📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/p2twq1zp4ltqdhayeb4s5ssv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701940728	1.1257781511718E+14	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406865969_691555219747393_4878979426708103936_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7L2C81teYrsAX-A9Fnb&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfC1zX8S0RsYwMt6A2AsrZJJs7KXuOys6PFpna6RMHaWMw&oe=65926539	person_profile	0	YummyRead	https://scontent.fhyw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406868092_1354567575420825_2240110471762841578_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tuK9qfObpQ4AX9merT3&_nc_ht=scontent.fhyw1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCXJaHW1EsE9obLsiKnbHVnnUUIxdxRid1uhZ7Myj3fgw&oe=65928B24			0	3	💔💔💔After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed....<br /> --------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜&lt;The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife&gt;📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		YummyRead		570	https://facebook.com/100091152813550	0		LEARN_MORE						1701936000		View Edit Delete
68565	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 4:18 PM	1703760171	1736029127		67		356618736968851	3	3.4829510454682E+14		1702108800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	102071899574413		0	Family Shirts B2			120201560244430754		familyshirt.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA COLLECTIONS	Best gifts for your Family	https://familyshirt.store/joanna-y1?product=unisex-hoodie		1699785931	1.0207189957441E+14	Family Shirts B2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/400273114_331504589582049_639310208074002361_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=75gzMQ4RphUAX8etOhn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCzgSrmF-mD2gCkURx7n6wFJSsFgTYGlJlpxKZsXQalNA&oe=659156EC	person_profile	0					0	3	Limited edition T-shirt, Hoodie, Sweater,...<br /> More designs here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffamilyshirt.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT1wN9DHEzIVYIlwuS1IEOAfuxCnegN6YwPkwwDiun30yzLH6_hFBttqmZEq8zh1h4tZeI0YQW-l5mdg3NVEwc9GOqfpRpVoYbWbUmdV0hVmn2UniW2TDM_f01_mtZtfwWI5yQw6JH2ywnyZWnQ5-qHN5G8kCMzQ2CoIJYtMQ_Y" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://familyshirt.store/collection/joanna</a>		Family Shirts B2		56	https://facebook.com/100093120934925	0		SHOP_NOW						1701676800		View Edit Delete
69395	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 3:59 AM	1703760175	1742979591		67		259638503426215	2	1.4054883300456E+15		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120203220428380404		excellentbf.com	Download		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://excellentbf.com/wf_land_page/4410.html?language=en&timestamp=1700582161500&channelCode=WIENF1000016&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1700582700	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404267886_1276847346339764_247528616813828133_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HaUwMpNvnrkAX8ogXTG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCsjEI4dCiF3HwGWXiAey1XVDgUkpf_io0tJRFET8l34Q&oe=6591DFD2	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403752532_2282138165509344_5824682392500270455_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wr9FapHlOfAAX8fiIC5&_nc_oc=AQkSYVer3pg60ygumA97ERRTyzOiqQeYstCGL1JtEO3eP_TdeyFoo6k3mS_rMMQWYJjsMRCn-56DVWyEXPzguCQA&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDL-r6nMyChTi2kC36Mqqp6kUFxHyDON3QA8LrX1NWn0g&oe=6591AC5D			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t support her studies without the company.”<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious. “Sam, Celine is trouble. She won’t hand the company back to you and might even think of other ways to attack you.”<br /> <br /> “I have to try,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped protesting because she knew Bailar was Samantha’s sweat and tears. “All right then, I’ll go with you. If there were more of us, she would be less likely to do anything.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Sam, we’ll go with you!” Adaline chimed in.<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. If everyone went together, Celine probably would not get physically violent.<br /> <br /> If it was one life, it would not be that much of a problem. But if a whole family was involved, things might blow up.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “Sam, Mother, don’t worry. I’ll get Bailar back.”<br /> <br /> Samantha glanced at Adrian but did not say a word. She pretended to not hear what he said.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Swallowston, Alyanz Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /> This was the city’s biggest chamber of commerce and a lot of the corporations and companies were under it, including Bailar.<br /> <br /> Devin was the reason Samantha had been kicked out of Alyanz. Together with Celine’s help, they managed to bankrupt Bailar.<br /> <br /> Samantha had been forced into giving away her company to Alyanz.<br /> <br /> Today was the first day of the takeover, so Celine announced a few days ago that there would be an agreement-signing event to take over the House of Bailar from Samantha in an attempt to gain more investments and partnerships.<br /> <br /> A crowd had gathered at Alyanz Tower, among which included executives from several corporations.<br /> <br /> After breakfast, Samantha, Rue, Adaline, and Adrian arrived at the crowded building.<br /> <br /> Samantha walked up to the door and spoke to the security guard, “Hello, I’m Samantha Cowell. I need to speak to Ms. Celine. Please let us in.”<br /> <br /> The guard was named Chris Tatum and was a relative of Celine’s. He was Alyanz Tower’s head of security.<br /> <br /> Chris turned to Samantha, then looked at her from head to toe with a perverted smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was beautiful. With her pencil skirt on, her long legs looked enticing. On top of that, she had a pretty face and an air of elegance. Chris was enjoying just ogling at her.<br /> <br /> “You’re Samantha Cowell? Did you see what the sign says?” Chris smirked and pointed at a warning sign not far from them.<br /> <br /> Samantha turned around and saw the sign that said, “Samantha Cowell and dogs are not allowed.”<br /> <br /> When Samantha read that, she was triggered. She felt sad and wanted to cry. Humans had dignity, but Celine had put hers on the same level as dogs.<br /> <br /> “Do you see it now? You have the same status as dogs. Do you think you can get in? Piss off.” Chris waved his baton at her.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath to suppress her anger, but Adaline was not going to let Chris humiliate Samantha. “You’re comparing Sam to a dog? You’re just a security guard. Who gave you the guts? Get out of the way!”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Throwing a tantrum are we?” Chris smirked.<br /> <br /> “What are you going to do? Bite me?” He challenged them.<br /> <br /> “I think what you need is a good beating.” Adrian was angry and slapped Chris in the face.<br /> <br /> Chris flew backward and the smug look on his face fell away. A few of his teeth flew out and he hit the ground.<br /> <br /> Adrian’s sudden outburst shocked Samantha and she went to stop him. “Are you crazy?!”<br /> <br /> Adaline and Rue were shocked too. Chris was a relative of Celine’s. Beating him up would mean trouble.<br /> <br /> “You… You hit me?” Chris shook as he shakily got back on his feet.<br /> <br /> Adrian frowned. “You best believe I’ll have you killed.”<br /> <br /> Chris wiped the blood off his face, picked up his baton, then yelled. “Trying to be smug, huh? Beat him up!”<br /> <br /> All the surrounding security guards rushed over. Chris took the lead, but before his baton could hit anyone, Adrian slapped him again.<br /> <br /> His skin broke and blood started oozing out. Adrian then took a step forward, picked him up, and punched him in the jaw.<br /> <br /> Crack!<br /> <br /> Chris howled in pain. His jaw cracked and he made a gurgling sound.<br /> <br /> The other guards who were rushing over immediately stopped in their tracks.<br /> <br /> Adrian let go and Chris fell to the ground and writhed in pain. He looked at Adrian with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Rue, and Adaline were stunned as they watched the scene unfold. They knew that things had gone out of control.<br /> <br /> Snapping out of it, Samantha took a deep breath and yelled, “Adrian Xander, have you lost your mind?! Do you know that you just got us into a lot of trouble?!”<br /> <br /> “We need to leave now!” Rue was almost in tears and tried to pull Adrian away<br /> <br /> He had beaten up Celine’s men. She surely would not let this go.<br /> <br /> “Move!” Adaline yelled as tears fell because she saw that Adrian was refusing to leave. She was disappointed in him for being so impulsive.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at his family and saw that they were all shaking. He said, “Mom, Sam, this is nothing. I’ll get General Summers to settle this. Let’s head inside.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 7<br /> It was better if Adrian had kept silent.<br /> <br /> After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”<br /> <br /> Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.<br /> <br /> “Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> “Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.<br /> <br /> There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.<br /> <br /> “I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”<br /> <br /> She thought that was the only way out.<br /> <br /> Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.<br /> <br /> But the company was everything to Samantha. She shook her head. “No, I have to go. Take Adrian and go, I—”<br /> <br /> But before she could finish, Adrian started walking into the building.<br /> <br /> Samantha and Rue lost their minds.<br /> <br /> Adaline yelled, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back here!”<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and continued walking. When Samantha saw this, she sighed and gave up. “Fine, let’s go in.”<br /> <br /> She had no other ideas. Her only hope was that during the event, Celine would listen to reason.<br /> <br /> Samantha, Adaline, and Rue followed Adrian into the building.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The event venue was filled with people.<br /> <br /> Top executives of corporations in Swallowston were in attendance. It was a busy sight.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Rue and Adaline were attending such a grand event. They were overcome by nervousness.<br /> <br /> “Ladies, please take a seat. General Summers will be here soon,” Adrian said when he saw the three women trailing behind him.<br /> <br /> Samantha ignored him. She looked at the crowd and waited for Celine to join them so she could ask for her company back.<br /> <br /> Rue was anxious as she looked at her son. “Adrian, you just got back yesterday so you don’t know what’s been happening around here. Tell me, why are you so sure that General Summers will be here? Do you know the status he holds?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> She knew who he was. He was second to none in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Adrian replied, “Mother, he’s my right-hand man. He’ll be coming here to take care of Celine. Just wait and see.”<br /> <br /> His mother sighed again because she had not expected her son to make up such a huge lie. She thought that he changed. He was no longer the honest and down-to-earth Adrian who left for war.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a seat next to Rue and Adaline and did not say a word, but from her expression, it was obvious how annoyed she was. She did not believe that General Summers was going to show up or even help her take care of her problems.<br /> <br /> Soon after, there was a commotion and a woman in extravagant clothes and fine jewelry walked onto the stage.<br /> <br /> It was Celine Blanche.<br /> <br /> “The president is here?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, I’m from the Maple Group. You should consider a partnership with us!”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine, the Kara Group would also like to be one of your partners!”<br /> <br /> A buzz went through the venue. Top executives from various corporations came to speak to Celine. She was the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce, and Alyanz managed forty percent of the companies in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Now that she had taken over the House of Bailar, a lot of companies wanted a cut too.<br /> <br /> “Alas!” Adaline mumbled under her breath as she looked at Celine who was all smiles. This was the woman who had stolen Bailar from Samantha.<br /> <br /> Rue was just a lowly housewife, so when she saw Celine, she shuddered.<br /> <br /> Samantha, on the other hand, just sat there deep in thought.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Hello everyone,” Celine spoke as she raised her arms, “Please quiet down. I have an announcement.<br /> <br /> “I received news last night that the war legate will be attending the agreement-signing ceremony, so we are waiting for his arrival.”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked when they heard this.<br /> <br /> “The legate is coming?”<br /> <br /> “Ms. Celine is so well-connected!”<br /> <br /> “Was the legate the person who showed up at the port with aircraft carriers yesterday?”<br /> <br /> Everyone in Swallowston had heard of the legate, and the news of his aircraft carrier escort had spread throughout the city.<br /> <br /> When they heard the legate was coming, the three women were evidently shocked.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Sam, the… the legate will be coming, and we’re here to ask Celine about the company. What if we offend him?”<br /> <br /> “Sam, we should leave now. I heard that he’s a fierce man.” Adaline tugged at Samantha’s dress.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head. “It’s my company. Even the legate doesn’t have the right to take it away from me. As long as he doesn’t kill me, I’ll fight him till I get it back!”<br /> <br /> Samantha was stubborn and never backed down from a problem, even if someone held a knife to her neck.<br /> <br /> But Rue was worried about the family. “Sam, we can’t just do whatever we want. What are we going to use against the legate?”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure he’s a reasonable man. I’m glad he’s coming. I can speak to him in person,” Samantha said.<br /> <br /> Rue stopped arguing the matter.<br /> <br /> Adrian spoke up, “Mother, don’t worry. I’m the legate.”<br /> <br /> “Adrian, why do you… Sigh!” Rue was disappointed. “Can you please stop lying?”<br /> <br /> Samantha looked at Adrian in disappointment but did not say anything.<br /> <br /> Adrian was speechless. He was telling the truth, but no one believed him. It was obvious that they had never met anyone of high status, so they did not believe him.<br /> <br /> Adrian did not say another word. He sat down and continued waiting.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Celine walked off stage and started shaking hands with the executives present, but Samantha caught her eye.<br /> <br /> “Why is she here?” Celine grumbled to herself as she walked toward Samantha.<br /> <br /> When she got to Samantha, she said, “Samantha Cowell, you’ve handed the company over to me. What are you doing here? Didn’t you see the sign that says ‘Samantha Cowell and dogs aren’t allowed?’”<br /> <br /> The place fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to Samantha. Then, a chatter started up.<br /> <br /> Samantha replied, “Celine, you worked with your cousin, Devin, to frame me and force me to sign the agreement to give my company away. I’m here to reason with you.”		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1700812800		View Edit Delete
68917	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760173	1742988838		67		672167171668439	1	1.6093520531364E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201210418780123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701172089	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405809645_1067112071268569_4455069256460755104_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=89TXdZWAXhMAX-74UsU&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBVIy3jPZt5Dt-Ie0geQ--PbC4rcNq8bJ793sqMOxfguw&oe=6591772C	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405898569_317263814487223_8475709472780321007_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uLt4pRb1g0EAX93n5u3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCoyaPrC9s1B2PhFteTokCdVQyug1GSq1lwNojs07--1A&oe=6591F9C9			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1701158400		View Edit Delete
69477	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:51 PM	1703760176	1743036714		67		1457336441493764	1	3.494057510098E+14		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	113576797162972		0	The Good Life			120202103650250704		royaldelicacy.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Tacky Items Design Guru Joanna Gaines Says You Should Absolutely Not Have in Your House	Are you searching for inspiration to decorate your house? With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which decorations and furnishings will truly make your house feel like a home. In these situations, it's best to turn to the experts for guidance. Joanna Gaines, interior design qu...	https://royaldelicacy.com/koen/joanna-gaines-these-tacky-items-should-be-kept-out-of-the-house		1700772130	1.1357679716297E+14	The Good Life	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405769685_879749280227198_3589448597782039386_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aWjt4OuGub8AX9hetAx&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBErAzJMvv-ru_A46UegGTiz4D2_qTWJRemmJWtz0xQCg&oe=65932773	person_profile	0	The Good Life	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405538708_2012658265759643_2051948828705593672_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2R5G7O4CAGsAX-kfCAf&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCbrGGGJtDJGeElyVRdHao85biNBnMD91Fh9sKkD8DomQ&oe=6592C041			0	3	Ignorance is bliss, but now no one has an excuse - these are the items design guru Joanna Gaines says people who don&#039;t want tacky homes should avoid like the plague.		The Good Life		102	https://facebook.com/100064184615808	0		LEARN_MORE						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69630	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760177	1743036737		67		308498575412352	3	3.0928944528021E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117390571392405		0	The Crafty Collective			120201779029030250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678023	1.1739057139240E+14	The Crafty Collective	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404665006_3577870452454325_6287188178643273559_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=adCukoK_T8UAX9Bb57F&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfAuUOAa5bC1MI2XBKNEbedlNpZ7j_UwC8pMv6--1uP29w&oe=65932E9D	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		The Crafty Collective		825	https://facebook.com/100094121992035	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69595	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 11:56 PM	1703760176	1736034960		67		197333893424995		1.0995041845666E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101404241952511		0	Trivia.com - Lifestyle			120200721427720167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679731	1.0140424195251E+14	Trivia.com - Lifestyle	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403057964_1015805766315707_9148496957681327356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=47HDV5Zhy00AX9tpO6n&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfAdy_F8xNql530G_vue8RNmtPig9N7RadWIJN-DELK94A&oe=6591B7A7	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Trivia.com - Lifestyle		388	https://facebook.com/100082447938895	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69639	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 5:56 PM	1703760177	1736034964		67		338194868840033	5	2.7834020851566E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109755664976719		0	Ginger's Notebook			120201779365580250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678775	1.0975566497672E+14	Ginger's Notebook	https://scontent.fagc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404286689_2650950335067980_8718050196012372022_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qbl6yn4w6_QAX-vBGfg&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-2.fna&oh=00_AfB1lL5AlraARi18oEPDU4ujkg3If1iwvuDy4dcl1QHo6Q&oe=6592293B	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		Ginger's Notebook		327	https://facebook.com/100078799066083	0		NO_BUTTON						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69692	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 5:56 PM	1703760177	1736034970		67		657658526558468	5	1.0911569485488E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	478297078923452		0	Big Easy Believer			120201778980400250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700677939	4.7829707892345E+14	Big Easy Believer	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402960811_3582056052051476_2480871273265367808_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xVoThCfqRkQAX811aa2&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCkkdc3QtSQv-KE__wPk4uiHVtEsNrzRwGaecafwwVDgw&oe=65928CB3	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews&#039; was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered. Here&#039;s the horrific story of Jonnell Matthews.		Big Easy Believer		1656	https://facebook.com/BigEasyBeliever	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69709	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 5:56 PM	1703760177	1736034981		67		879022773560631		1.0156560028262E+15		1700899200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	103572269079942		0	Ask Me That			120200721035170167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700678881	1.0357226907994E+14	Ask Me That	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403723303_340445045354355_4047403071000238198_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pRsfrS4YYjEAX8M0qgw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAevUL08kVA7SFRj6KRozUOgOZhZmJvfZwP6QvD3k-CHw&oe=65925703	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Ask Me That		391	https://facebook.com/100083141606717	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
69755	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/4/25, 5:56 PM	1703760177	1736034998		67		940104374211008	3	1.3615746614205E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117213418078747		0	Explore & Engage			120200721229280167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679210	1.1721341807875E+14	Explore & Engage	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404277972_1474047976500268_5505304021207958587_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c8ws45odZQ4AX9nYuRM&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCCyRHfjGINVYKSr_mG4Gre6a-ern27YyW45jR_LBopyQ&oe=659272B8	person_profile	0					0	3	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers. Number 4 gave us trouble sleeping. From Peter Sutcliffe who deviously called his victims &#039;filth&#039;, Joanna Dennehy who targeted men, to Dennis Nilsen who lured his victims in. Here&#039;s more on our list. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Explore & Engage		38	https://facebook.com/100094201628883	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
70001	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	1/5/25, 3:21 AM	1703760179	1736047260		67		414276337591116		1.3650113674381E+15		1700726400	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106239491985146		1	Koi Stories			120201756137870183		parentztalk.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://parentztalk.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-mh-ext/		1700628527	1.0623949198515E+14	Koi Stories	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403614845_1468584913721633_1979007052935711781_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_AlSMbI7fyUAX_lesSP&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD1aREv-If2wWzMeIGC7a9hOlyvj0-35TfXhJwYMAo0zA&oe=6591985C	regular_page	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show😳👇				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
69500	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/29/25, 9:26 AM	1703760176	1745936764		67		1016471599577781	4	1.4494994856136E+15		1701072000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	182068528313229		0	62.mgifts			120201031116160721		mgifts.store	Shop now		NONE	image	JOANNA THINGS D6	Best gifts for your Family	https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6		1700731963	1.8206852831323E+14	62.mgifts	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/403716203_1499743317531365_8231796020274393433_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SV-1hxplY2QAX_0ayj4&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfD5VmVVGQT9mV3cWvxkRNckH6A9DT99jck1vwG4ouTyEA&oe=6591C218	person_profile	0					0	3	Get yours here : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fjoanna-things-d6&amp;h=AT2wtOopn9jdjV9kNyGOnoxoCNgl4xXp7wbeKU5E7-dvrcuIEryPuXat8Kor_D9ExbsdQ3OY-J1locEWFNHiEDhS6Ny72TMjxmLS9204YM4Gyu-p8OxOB6F6aTa_suQvl_u5IDXDVFAf5w0vamNHqg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mgifts.store/joanna-things-d6</a> . Visit store : <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmgifts.store%2Fcollection%2Fjoanna&amp;h=AT3IdalkercwSpSK2fWlCCZrf0c3loC3EkrL2vWFQ7EUXOpa8naQVttYv_k1hZl_8mJDI0g_qxhyzFzRV7-31j0N72E00D2tO3EtQuRQgEcNjWjoRZUVJWyr3QsSn-6G6-2LS7AnJ-7O9Gx-6HkRAA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://mgifts.store/collection/joanna</a>		62.mgifts		9	https://facebook.com/61553723751525	0		SHOP_NOW						1700726400		View Edit Delete
69029	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/2/25, 2:26 AM	1703760173	1748849181		67		1428748928067171	1	8.7355794109413E+14		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201715936390115		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/zr4wz22vk2vgfnk3razknkvu?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701140261	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405751741_365725172481640_4088704770646133270_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=774YW8oJAAIAX9A10Ct&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDYM_fEgie9haJUZ-wN_7xzv489DQZJkRNBWVeCNqcxNw&oe=65923894	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406117843_3321052964783865_4664793659501173374_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KbwRp_HevBcAX-i7Syo&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDYQhW4ioiW5wN3LC6jKeyVAmJIL1APy9xlim2oOeNvBw&oe=6592AAE1			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
68002	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/23/25, 9:38 AM	1703760166	1745419088		67		733664361977668	1	1.0573673654622E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	103979006138365		0	Verzachtend-A			120202208451560276		merri.shop	Learn more		NONE	image	𝙆𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 you to join the 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 loss programme.	Local News SHE HAS AMAZINGLY LOST 47 POUNDS! Something that changed my life in 2023 . / CBS Baltimore CBS News Live CBS News Baltimore Live Kelly Clarkson, famous American singer, has struggled unsuccessfully with her overweight, trying countless ways to lose weight, but now she has finally found a....	https://merri.shop/Kelly%20Clarkson/		1702425971	1.0397900613836E+14	Verzachtend-A	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409414277_1031194881460445_7901970556454773168_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6BkA1FAyXv0AX97S96L&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqzAdJHdCGzNmag03kW70-c8ABiWzey0z4tzOcspSqug&oe=6592C521	person_profile	0	Verzachtend-A	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409591271_1420622508876251_7281748699937777864_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1dUam85fPPQAX898HTf&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBVng7XRpj2UNLaG4wtZ92s0kmiYVbjsfAEAtqBEm-5fA&oe=6592B706			0	3	👩‍🎤𝙅𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙂𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 invites American superstars to attend the &quot;Emmy Awards&quot;. And shared the weight loss process, joining the ranks of changing body shape and paying attention to health...		Verzachtend-A		43	https://facebook.com/61550498312630	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67627	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/30/25, 12:51 AM	1703760164	1743313867		67		1532951697545213	1	2.1130119190524E+15		1702627200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120204044760780514		play.google.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kwshortvideo.kalostv		1702610181	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409811186_1048699549607584_4635428745479019863_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rs5XninN380AX90pBJN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDewzdU2B5NKCRbOkkLSh3-oBkCJu6yHTjf_pEVeKxnTA&oe=6592F825	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409810836_3605000073110473_1374460887523773744_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-NbPW9is3yAAX_FUgum&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDOzYSoVBvdMFiTIfy1kOLq6-JU-gYIrVjRAWZhuALrEQ&oe=65919919			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv-short drama		4995	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
68110	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/23/25, 12:45 PM	1703760167	1745430327		67		326986820272408	1	8.9831901168759E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	311136718916927		0	Leonis Summer Houses			120204695878050230		leonis.gr	Book now		NONE	image	Leonis Summer Houses Mykonos – A complex of 4 houses, 2 studios, 1 suite and 1 villa, built according to the traditional Mykonian architecture in a 5000 square meters field.	Joanna and Orfeas always shared a passion for traveling and they loved the sea. They learned how to sail and they loved to cruise around the Greek islands. The island that had a special place in their heart was Mykonos, which they discovered long before people started yelling “Mykonooooos” on qu...	https://leonis.gr/		1702334827	3.1113671891693E+14	Leonis Summer Houses	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409960219_1540640423417499_8092368697986058039_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TiShu_QmlJIAX-seKUV&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDNePefbg-npRTwD3axn-ceWcsRpdWfYsfjmYsFvGpxkw&oe=6593209E	person_profile	0	www.leonis.gr	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410002095_1522003615226374_8988282090613739166_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V8HJgqGJLWsAX9sJj6T&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZHUmHCQUH2z0qcTenH60NzSgIAgyJU8lxrUdnhjlECA&oe=6592EB9A			0	3	To think that this is just half of the sea view available at Leonis Summer Houses. The hotel looks over Ornos beach as well, just 500m away and offering more than a few options for lunch or dinner.<br /> <br /> It’s no secret that our guests can’t get enough of this view, which is why we have filled the hotel with the most comfortable bean bags, loungers, sofas, chairs, all spread throughout the property and in place to ensure that everyone will always have the perfect spot to lay back and enjoy this breathtaking picture.<br /> <br /> If you’d like to get a taste of the holiday experience that we have been perfecting since 2012, all you have to do is make your reservation at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leonis.gr%2F&amp;h=AT2-JpW2NYS7Qn5DdUtGO_2xfiO1zZUHvI2YdvtqRRsXfjCQKGAvAL4i9pOSY8QQkFOyUdi8bNFkGl6C0zJgIx_ausT1FPAtMyHvA6mv_N4Tkq-CkySzT1dwPNMaBSRi_n4tTwp0jtntqZauy_rcTw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.leonis.gr</a> or send your request at welcome&#064;leonis.gr<br /> <br /> Season Premiere 20 April 2024		Leonis Summer Houses		9128	https://facebook.com/LeonisMykonos	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68262	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/1/25, 3:23 AM	1703760168	1746087820		67		1006977723738027	2	1.6683293536759E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	416589001735771		0	JOANNA COELHO			120202885837560552		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/djjoannacoelho		1702038352	4.1658900173577E+14	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406744160_723282426064021_5134437437892069345_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fVPbw-0J6EYAX9JOs6f&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMj1T3xEtME-muwpe0AX91OUvw5-GNDFpSdpARg5BWfA&oe=659163E6	person_profile	0	JOANNA COELHO	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406769742_278571198081406_885170639683942509_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nWsrw3z3lJ4AX-lcHPF&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAiEReW1VsaWzWRWmXIgsp_3aigaXTIjyr7bWkJZB9V7g&oe=65915DB0			0	3	Still recovering ❤️‍🩹 &#064;jaleomusicalmeria thank you so much to every single one of you 🔥<br /> <br /> 📹📸 &#064;legrandleseur <br /> <br /> #hardtechno #darktechno #rave #industrialtechno #acidtechno #harddancemusic #berlintechno #uktechno #soundcloudmix #fasttechno #harddance #joannacoelho		JOANNA COELHO		21303	https://facebook.com/djjoannacoelho	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1702022400		View Edit Delete
66903	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/23/25, 3:35 AM	1703760160	1745397358		67		1149056966067138	1	2.3624290282791E+14		1703577600	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	103693102539816		0	thomasconantdesign			120203249918380128		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/thomasconantdesign		1703253945	1.0369310253982E+14	thomasconantdesign	https://scontent-atl3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/311173260_490094569679650_2067245769723350321_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c4dd86&_nc_ohc=gBbCSs0rstkAX8FVybx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfD8xs95gTFi4BloHy9IXw3K9gNQDgzgEQt9yBg-2mt1qQ&oe=6592E578	ig_ads_identity	1	Thomas Conant	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410860342_1096946268149270_7372060132981823712_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LrpAraO4RtUAX82IZ-C&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxWAR0rY4G7DDVCekSyFBfIU4S4gUJ02mcptwmUpE2IA&oe=6591E646			0	3	Excited to share the Cover for cover story of &#064;vogue_ukraine edition 4 dedicated to ‘the art of seeing’ 💙<br /> <br /> Super fun messing about with old camcorders, VHS cameras, monitors and surveillance bits!<br /> <br /> Photographer: &#064;umitsavaci<br /> Stylist: Alexandra Bickerdike &#064;alexandrabix<br /> Creative Director: Mahaut Harley &#064;mahautharley_<br /> Art Director: Sergey Kovalov &#064;sergiikovalyov<br /> Hair: Stelios Chondros &#064;stelioschondros &#064;julianwatsonagency<br /> Makeup by Sandra Cooke &#064;sandracooke<br /> Set Design: Thomas Conant &#064;thomasconantdesign<br /> Production: Joanna Waclawski &#064;j_ wac sevensix.co, Katie McDonald &#064;katiemcdonald sevensix.co<br /> Assistants Stylist: Federico Cantarelli, Sienna Mayers, Serena Park<br /> Casting: Maximilian Märzinger &#064;mmaerzinger for JLC &#064;julialangecasting<br /> Моdel: Sihana Shalaj &#064;sihanashalaj &#064;imgmodels<br /> <br /> #VogueUA #Vogue_Ukraine #setdesign #camera #surveillance #design #set #props #photography #vhs #monitor		thomasconantdesign		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/thomasconantdesign	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1703232000		View Edit Delete
70042	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:59 AM	1703760179	1749650393		67		3563896357226572	1	1.4170499792375E+15		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	307762560936		0	Farmington Hills Special Services Department			120200137814070452		app.arts-people.com	Book now		NONE	image	Campfire Concert Series	Tickets available now!	https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=179926&utm_source=localiq&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=customfb&scid=4512726		1700579437	307762560936	Farmington Hills Special Services Department	https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/402883520_367040962354740_6247271884685356367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Tf3ytd2wHKkAX_xdTRX&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCs79AwLkZQOAaJpMOBYpcVwgG9-7oBPkX1nj7RydKHlQ&oe=659252FE	person_profile	0	Farmington Hills Special Svcs	https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404263488_723050346361375_3798330210901375022_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KrXoNl6XDFoAX_nCpgI&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYZr8Ig4D5dMs0-HF4LNV42Q03BCXM1Fp_tnTnR7hq_Q&oe=65933185			0	3	Joanna Sterling<br /> March 30th, 2024- 7:00pm<br /> Campfire Concert Series at The Hawk Black Box<br /> <br /> Singer-songwriter Joanna Sterling joins us with her full band in the Campfire Concert Series. Joanna plays throughout Southeastern Michigan with her folk-inspired music and covers. She has performed at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, The Ark, and many more!<br /> <br /> *Beer and wine will be available for patrons 21 years and above.		Farmington Hills Special Services Department		6036	https://facebook.com/fhspecialservices	0		BOOK_TRAVEL						1701676800		View Edit Delete
66639	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/2/25, 11:16 AM	1703760158	1748881009		67		2086799181685246		1.6072447900126E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108401345691237		0	JoyReels			120204676900350021		api.joyreels.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Love Born From A Contract		https://api.joyreels.com/app/publicity-links/849?channel=facebook&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1703572252	1.0840134569124E+14	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414458800_1798987577286898_5623925475276303803_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Pk4SBSU-WPEAX_HYapP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC8T4gFjQcaJpYQyqoN81HYTpkJTI00_ZWdcHOY6gFtfA&oe=65919619	person_profile	0	JoyReels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414458800_1459362021592424_4964002160464496732_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7DxwfyEzAFMAX9pO112&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAN-Aa9VjKcxyGaBr4464FWMmiu5za9qtGSzIndzQdd1w&oe=6592686C			0	3	Please don&#039;t stop! She begs as I crawl on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively and I could feel a strong heat between my legs... I&#039;m about to lose it...<br /> -------------------------------------------<br /> It&#039;s really good, I couldn&#039;t stop watching it in one sitting, it&#039;s worth watching many times!Love Born From A Contract		JoyReels		91	https://facebook.com/JoyReels01	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
69243	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/16/25, 11:52 AM	1703760174	1750092779		67		356552133617945	1	1.7451265534206E+14		1701417600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	104032362672695		0	CMG DailyStuff US			23862140087580046		heraldweekly.com	No button		NONE	image	After 22 Years, Chip & Joanna Gaines Make A Devastating Announcement	Announcement that stunned fans.	https://www.heraldweekly.com/fixer-uppers-chip-and-joanna-gaines-extraordinary-life-story/		1700975049	1.040323626727E+14	CMG DailyStuff US	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406115657_1077765903242556_3994506608275021665_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t7o9s9kpH9oAX8BdiG3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDdDZp8jNfZVa3lgu50aDjIe47y8gzIDQUiCoez4Clndg&oe=6592218F	person_profile	0					0	3	After 22 years together, Chip &amp; Joanna Gaines come forward with heartbreaking news		CMG DailyStuff US		94	https://facebook.com/cmg.dailystuff.us	0		NO_BUTTON						1700899200		View Edit Delete
69739	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/6/25, 4:53 PM	1703760177	1746568421		67		883137286681583	1	1.0312441814895E+15		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	117390571392405		0	The Crafty Collective			120201779044350250		en.showsnob.com	No button		NONE	image	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews' was found dead after she mysteriously went missing for 35 years. Her friend Deanna Ross revealed that Joanna sent a tragic secret signal the day she was kidnapped and later found murdered.		https://en.showsnob.com/view/?id=jonelle-matthews-story-sho&src=facebook		1700678046	1.1739057139240E+14	The Crafty Collective	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404637394_874134317488488_4149464323234343922_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0C4hxFGKIx4AX_i5Myz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAWrJBZUrs8qRKNKTEwIL1GDka7xzecKv6LMYqx46XhXw&oe=65930AC8	person_profile	0					0	3	In 2019, Jonelle Matthews was discovered dead by site workers after disturbingly disappearing for 35 years. Her friend, Deanna Ross, confessed that Joanna sent a heartbreaking cryptic message the day she was kidnapped and murdered. Here&#039;s the disturbing story of Jonnell Matthews.		The Crafty Collective		825	https://facebook.com/100094121992035	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
66732	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/1/25, 7:19 AM	1703760159	1746101984		67		1521066591767701		8.851472866062E+14		1703491200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203030888130143		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703490115	1.2324161520413E+14	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Joseph TPP	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411970589_1312785305927590_6639676099983168523_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GThnaeUsPJsAX_fYdEE&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqpyo8HvJwjvGRTWNHDEWKHL63Fz5Z7BnPNbCLfDD7AQ&oe=6592A7A4	person_profile	0	Troupe 25eme Brazza Saint Jose	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412981208_373582051856626_1434835187044878461_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MjUWxN28w2YAX9GH0hD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGdSV5S0YaDuVmfNIrXwss74RjzjznpmehwhlarMI-1A&oe=6591EB97			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703491200		View Edit Delete
67727	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:30 AM	1703760164	1742988603		67		381033321251581	1	8.6930000134508E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104503492084237		0	Health and Happiness Hub			6522175079254		healthandhappinesshubb.com	Learn more		NONE	video	BIG Holiday Cooking Gift to Their Supporters		https://healthandhappinesshubb.com/		1702519942	1.0450349208424E+14	Health and Happiness Hub	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411134297_3525063371090293_4841115591897006690_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iiQ6HSxKshAAX8ChIkH&_nc_oc=AQkSj3Wug0u49skeEnTJO5_NIl63_9e0C8wA-BvJX2WZix43iLDeJw-HkBvtHpEUKZMz-JU6IeldtVeNI3vm-PEf&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfB5Ip6rcmtZH2-WpGLtGuJfjxi13JIe2EMqg1t1UNGL1w&oe=65931495	person_profile	0	Health and Happiness Hub	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411221826_722974756554912_5272892789188742415_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JiM4hFqd4vYAX8Hciou&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDan8zf26PgIZuqwLR1lUlq8kUOpL7JPwjK1itoklCWIQ&oe=6592BC00			0	3	Thank you so much for all the love! I have enjoyed seeing and meeting so many new faces. What better way too show my gratitude for all the love and support, then gifting one of you a LeCreuset Cookware Set! 🎁		Health and Happiness Hub		81	https://facebook.com/61551512137589	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
67615	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:29 AM	1703760164	1742988566		67		1106859444064067	1	1.7858366818896E+15		1702886400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	102643112351705		0	Modern Families			120202325434920088		familyandpets.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	Renovation Revelations: Former “Fixer Upper” Clients Tell All About Their Experience On The Show By: Lilli Keeve | Last updated: Aug 31, 2022 Originally Published on trendymatter.com and repurposed with permissions During its run from 2013 to 2018, the hit renovation reality show “Fixer Upper....	https://www.familyandpets.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702555521	1.0264311235170E+14	Modern Families	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/411116662_1464542077737823_7710570824678903813_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_pYhyF1taMoAX_8gwBz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfACjLc2M3M-zcIJ1PZHsI5zBFcw_gI2492RELMEduqZUQ&oe=6592469A	person_profile	0					0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Modern Families		6247	https://facebook.com/100078199183097	0		LEARN_MORE						1702627200		View Edit Delete
67174	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:28 AM	1703760161	1742988519		67		265931952831986	1	7.456501074266E+14		1702972800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120202475741100743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/xexwtsvs014s5h4poe0ftw40?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702976952	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410320211_303751068681975_254246632276277993_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PEXX1ouQP-wAX_GiCAf&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCF85SORZl7ZINWDNIDECglrl18qf91vyt-uQl2NXNajQ&oe=659339B1	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent.fmem1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412042616_198960706624171_1590578494586669355_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Lrg9Flm83JsAX-2e9v9&_nc_ht=scontent.fmem1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCdwC_7ZXrMc7JID_F0nRNFaA6qbYyf18lc796nbFLE7g&oe=6593228A			0	3	😍😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1184	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702972800		View Edit Delete
68042	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760166	1742988685		67		888450545816060		7.060869210673E+15		1702540800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	1914785225460488		0	History All Day			120207708017130456		historyallday.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper Breaks Her Silence	History that inspires, intrigues and matters	https://www.historyallday.com/renovation-revelations-former-fixer-upper-clients-tell-all-about-their-experience-on-the-show/		1702390904	1.9147852254605E+15	History All Day	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409583313_6368181866615246_5617410809345471333_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jE0OgunASrUAX-9XBG6&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD7rRiYhu9ZP4iR1kn34Pz5s-B4rn6d8AigGpRJZdCNbw&oe=65923864	person_profile	0	HistoryAllDay	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409713197_1031735348085319_5059745435659150882_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2fe0oNfCzqEAX-XE8Zc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBWsoNlVWDfcxX7YsOaYYkIxeuH8QLGiYssKpHNtNDQCQ&oe=6592D1D7			0	3	Producers concealed this from the public for an extended period, but now Joanna not only broke her silence about her husband but also revealed the behind-the-scenes events that led to the show&#039;s conclusion.		History All Day		884195	https://facebook.com/historyallday	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68106	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760167	1742988696		67		1104964383999703	1	9.0264242823898E+14		1702368000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	140625782461340		0	Kalostv_official			120201678479390743		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Love Born From A Contract		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/4hntjhw2sljmbtee050ynted?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702368373	1.4062578246134E+14	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409678152_898229388343528_7124471259317931396_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yC53tBt8YsgAX_K0PoQ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHXO0TFWrjIQuSAaVkbVywYeUlW929Drq5CjpPNzBXjg&oe=65926E12	person_profile	0	Kalostv_official	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409801023_168296883008101_629239811025820868_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nSpin7aw7NMAX-f_rTI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB-3COUydBV63mRAzjOiTb-qAB2QIhuJucvruoAavC5ZQ&oe=65930A9C			0	3	😍The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;❤️‍🔥		Kalostv_official		1185	https://facebook.com/61551046398055	0		LEARN_MORE						1702368000		View Edit Delete
68115	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:31 AM	1703760167	1742988701		67		1399914190595441	1	3.705851556217E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	611376102330036		0	Instant Church Directory Online			120203055750740100		blog.instantchurchdirectory.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Consider a church directory | Instant Church Directory Blog	Explore 6 reasons why your church should consider a membership directory as a valuable resource for your members, staff, and greater community.	https://blog.instantchurchdirectory.com/6-reasons-to-create-a-church-directory/		1702316453	6.1137610233004E+14	Instant Church Directory Online	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410001880_340321408722387_1454929540380927430_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7C3_3MuNJMYAX9Wb4wR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDbxb2Np8q5S9jtmYEVRaULvwyb7yyykFumES6m8D58jg&oe=6591E214	person_profile	0	Instant Church Directory Onlin	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408856899_374666335220977_2197393819744552684_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GDlJi3TNYQsAX-eUiQN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBCcwrEQYCYAfUviOdw2OEb6kzPzmKD7WbRPT0BsiQzvw&oe=6592A67F			0	3	Does your church have a membership directory? 📸📘📱<br /> With the new year approaching, there&#039;s not a better time to consider if this resource would be of value to your congregation and staff. Our blog post provides 6 reasons why you should consider a church directory. Read on for more…		Instant Church Directory Online		546	https://facebook.com/InstantChurchDirectory	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
68767	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760172	1742988821		67		999245441144559	1	6.0886842130479E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104552824335311		0	Oregon City, Oregon Local - News Break			120201189826250465		newsbreakapp.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Breaking news from Oregon City!	Investigation into the death of an Oregon City resident, Joanna Speaks, takes a turn as Portland Police reveal she was likely killed in Portland before being moved to Clark County. Family members express hope for justice as the case progresses.	https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0puoh2cu?s=fb_ads&c={{campaign.name}}&af_c_id={{campaign.id}}&af_adset={{adset.name}}&af_adset_id={{adset.id}}&af_ad={{ad.name}}&af_ad_id={{ad.id}}		1701335030	1.0455282433531E+14	Oregon City, Oregon Local - News Break	https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405397300_1149639456013329_9119640169836072019_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=woelYBfBl_MAX8qUXzK&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-1.fna&oh=00_AfD9Tj6foG9oDwoJV317641al7I-wd4HtgdIkjWxhWWaIw&oe=6592B1C3	person_profile	0	Oregon City, Oregon Local - Ne	https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405265727_331939366254828_7986707095381287232_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FEkddq5A17EAX_KRYD8&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfAhRpTA6gqnYyByyvUgSqoxi3rkKpaa66hN5Lul-gXVbQ&oe=659213F4			0	3	Oregon City News: Oregon City Woman Found Dead in Clark County was Murdered in Portland, Police Say.		Oregon City, Oregon Local - News Break		179	https://facebook.com/100067676575526	0		LEARN_MORE						1701331200		View Edit Delete
68916	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 6:33 AM	1703760173	1742988833		67		355921023782706	1	1.2957498577936E+15		1701244800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120201210414630123		enjoyab.com	Download		NONE	image	The Return of the War Legate	A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.	https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1701171824	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405937634_665334975781973_7939895341291945837_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uaw4HPE0LK0AX-u7jq4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDOJa0nwwd7nffzRpaIioO1iuykerx8cS6K6DiuGHH6qw&oe=65919BB5	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406208709_3459762884353808_8280560599468884034_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YMf8kz5oNOEAX_9NzNe&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfASup_e6bssMLVn3HQ0zWOdAC2uGqu1SFAcK5sTbXPfCw&oe=6592A03D			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		DOWNLOAD						1701158400		View Edit Delete
66941	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:26 AM	1703760160	1742995603		67		1326772004649376		1.9150066404804E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101351691906645		0	The Primary Market - News			120202829710990756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213286	1.0135169190664E+14	The Primary Market - News	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412245351_1525851681535175_6482378805252949989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Qmngrs6JrgAX8Loq7z&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA52g0YvShvU04gGq6dBAvfD3ZRVNvd7rwMMLJluf0i4g&oe=659217DC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		The Primary Market - News		7447	https://facebook.com/100067894593207	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
66555	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:24 AM	1703760158	1742995479		67		3285412408271071	31	8.851472866062E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	123241615204129		0	Christina Joanna			120203618748610335		bit.ly	Order now		NONE	video	Hot promotion now! welcome to ord💖		https://bit.ly/3RbJQDm		1703662830	1.2324161520413E+14	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415192047_1536348800433214_429961024800230038_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=16Nv3XYL-2YAX8Ng0LA&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCjRZfsFxNh8iwiVlSel2QeNN2CXrbEjolovx2dgXrA1w&oe=65931A72	person_profile	0	Christina Joanna	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415123061_896482078702337_282913405936789073_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VhfqLTeYL6wAX86DHIm&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCn10MPrIsJu-eXThoqno1yJJAhq7pcK2h_-2O90zGCwA&oe=659164F4			0	3	🔥Now on sale, expansion screen clearance at low price! 💥<br /> 🛒 Elevate your workspace with our portable screen extender - one cable, three screens! Compact and powerful, it revolutionizes portable computing, easily extending data to two additional displays via a single connector.<br /> 🎁🎁Compatible with Mac, Windows and Android. Get rid of single-screen clutter and increase productivity. Step into the future of laptop computing.<br /> 💼✨ #PortableScreenExpander #ProductivityBoost		Christina Joanna		1641	https://facebook.com/100069547543363	0		ORDER_NOW						1703664000		View Edit Delete
66558	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:24 AM	1703760158	1742995486		67		1295845374437477	1	9.006440717259E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	291480068129912		0	Joanna Ramirez			120202733886770482			Send message		NONE	image	Joanna Ramirez			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"How much does this cost?","response":""},{"title":"I'm interested. Can you tell me more?","response":""},{"title":"Can you recommend something for me?","response":""}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1703623329	2.9148006812991E+14	Joanna Ramirez	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414692441_1833234353801344_6658337874378630070_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1ZxrhoRsZzYAX8oXT2g&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAY1tsu-5mLU2yPkUS4lEGf2XsnQlxra-dmS8m11QUufQ&oe=65930060	person_profile	0	LODI CA - SUGARING SPECIALIST	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414582899_670818451833190_7835315755660275254_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-3XSWAUO7-oAX8hIihY&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZfPrWWNir28gc9wgOV7SM-t4HS9sJHg0DhbfI_poTyA&oe=6592344F			0	3	Specializing in full body hair removal for women &amp; men. With the specialty of sugar.		Joanna Ramirez		80	https://facebook.com/skinby.joanna	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66573	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:25 AM	1703760158	1742995518		67		715510530532473	1	6.6710791896818E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107164218415409		0	Shortviral			120204141784200512		cooking4all.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Joanna Gaines From Fixer Upper Breaks Silence	HGTV’s Fixer Upper is one of the most popular real estate reality TV shows of all time. Chip and Joanna Gaines have become super famous thanks to their roles presenting the super popular show, and celebs in their own right.But when their marriage began to unfold, the truth about the dark secrets b...	https://cooking4all.com/fixer-upper-dark-downers-bt/		1703603505	1.0716421841541E+14	Shortviral	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414823042_387219137091607_5189049179193392609_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e96Xrmk92a0AX_EJJno&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmUsuoaWjhybpPODw7bjxjZ2jbA8rPQyM-zZ6_Q8GwRw&oe=65915FEE	person_profile	0	Shortviral	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413848828_1032453061199718_5765214487731539088_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YJKVsA_6qagAX8iH7bX&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfA9oGg95uScgXti--u164LxICPV7qaNBISQ7IugCWcn1Q&oe=65928B58			0	3	Producers tried to keep this from the public for the longest time, but now, not only did Joanna break silence about her husband but we also learned what happened behind the scenes that ended the show.		Shortviral		2010	https://facebook.com/100077397738026	0		LEARN_MORE						1703577600		View Edit Delete
66829	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:26 AM	1703760159	1742995568		67		396130589430943	1	9.0983962397926E+14		1703577600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	256859647665050		0	Joanna Mazurkiewicz - Author			120204412596930363		jmazurkiewiczauthor.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Mafia Romance Bundle 6 Ebooks for $26!		https://jmazurkiewiczauthor.com/products/christmas-romance-bundle-60-off		1703327504	2.5685964766505E+14	Joanna Mazurkiewicz - Author	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413800727_1040715527037889_6143322346599247997_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O_xSwuviJ9YAX-huWST&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCh71QdqQj4scQxwMSrTSiopgeCdel2JhkgD53nIsKH4w&oe=6592FC8F	person_profile	0	JMazurkiewicz 🖌Fantasy Author	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/413981985_1513143276085018_8013636781685622781_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZSqJw_zgzJUAX84h71p&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBOOX6cbDQPSxqQ4nVhlzBdQS3Mha0LZYAFqI9rdRQMtQ&oe=6591D4F8			0	3	🌹💔Poor Merry thinks she&#039;s broken because no guy can make her have the big O. Turns out she just needed Daddy, uhm I mean Ivo. When his sons couldn&#039;t do it it for her, Daddy stepped on and stepped up. He proved to her she&#039;s far from broken. I&#039;m definitely reading the rest of their story.🔥🎁		Joanna Mazurkiewicz - Author		5423	https://facebook.com/joannamazauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1703318400		View Edit Delete
66960	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 8:27 AM	1703760160	1742995623		67		743754157620913	5	2.60177383491E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100407068726982		0	Simbaly - Trends			120202829724440756		en.apptrigger.com	No button		NONE	image	Tatum O'Neal, 60, now has multiple diseases after years of being mistreated and deadly habits, which she learned from her own parents, the late Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. "I've been through a lot," Tatum said. Here's more to know about her.		https://en.apptrigger.com/view/?id=tatum-oneal-facts-apt&src=facebook		1703213315	1.0040706872698E+14	Simbaly - Trends	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410047994_295584776790988_7346036601741761373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PbpeYfdTgJwAX8Z14sZ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0Q5CrmOPpSFY4hkf_0llC1niKNFAzyqEmwKVZPOydfg&oe=65919DAC	person_profile	0					0	3	She ate dog food to survive after being locked in a garage while her mom and late father, Ryan O&#039;Neal, indulged in deadly habits and had fun. Tatum, now 60 and badly sick, paid tribute to her dad, saying, &quot;has always been my hero.&quot; Here are more facts about Tatum O&#039;Neal.		Simbaly - Trends		1969	https://facebook.com/100071393365191	0		NO_BUTTON						1703145600		View Edit Delete
67005	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/11/25, 8:55 AM	1703760160	1749650151		67		1085530575786966	2	4.1411486467508E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	132372003442630		0	DoodyCalls of Houston			6504371748842			Call Now		NONE	image	DoodyCalls of Houston	We provide pet waste services in residential areas, commercial properties, and community areas.			1703172524	1.3237200344263E+14	DoodyCalls of Houston	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412748495_1325275921500193_5758992194351280471_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=goC5vOKOCWkAX_7fHcb&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDZB9t-OR33204SffbDFNacaLxSK7zW6D8yhEiII1GTRg&oe=65923C45	person_profile	0	DoodyCalls of Houston	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410923236_1493122351531020_4820476510014707652_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gwD8FwMj6e4AX8simCK&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDFRoLjfq5xuWc7BUsfEl-lQinCAiIKbO2XuRBrPFxXzw&oe=6591E23C			0	3	Merry Christmas from the DoodyCalls of Houston family to yours! Love, Carlos, Kenny, Clifford, Juan, Stephen, Danzel, Mervin, Chris, Sade, Joanna, Katelin and Amy! <br /> #pooperscooper #petwastemanagement #petwasteremoval #dogchristmas		DoodyCalls of Houston		1708	https://facebook.com/DoodyCallsHouston	0		CALL_NOW						1703145600		View Edit Delete
69626	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/26/25, 7:52 PM	1703760177	1743036732		67		307136438891953	5	7.2234098268851E+14		1700812800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	109657078608486		0	Learn Something			120200721153830167		en.kckingdom.com	No button		NONE	image	Warning: 17+ disturbing stories of the world's most notorious serial killers. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		https://en.kckingdom.com/view/?id=parents-serial-killers-kck&src=facebook		1700679055	1.0965707860849E+14	Learn Something	https://scontent.fagc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/405499495_6696053400449536_785684262627965749_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KsGTOzKqL7wAX-quTeI&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc3-1.fna&oh=00_AfC_aIRSNV9QdHUS8FenprFHU9FNvKm1ozzyloLZWOJkTQ&oe=65925DF5	person_profile	0					0	3	At 62, a mother confessed her desire to know why her son killed 15 men. Betty Scott wrote numerous unanswered letters to Dennis Nilsen, who had a sinister habit of luring people in and subjecting them to horrifying fates. Here are the world&#039;s most notorious serial killers, including Peter Sutcliffe, Joanna Dennehy, and many more. Disclaimer: These criminals did bad things to people. They should never be praised or supported.		Learn Something		5447	https://facebook.com/100086954096959	0		NO_BUTTON						1700640000		View Edit Delete
67858	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/14/25, 3:25 PM	1703760165	1749932732		67		1370148386942935	2	8.2218921616665E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120203509784570308		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702462365	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409753004_238333739279337_5753656751277215505_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=a1ud6txaM3AAX8Xy7Ez&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhwJluk6dz7q1btbkDXimykLouWPFJLZ56WMOMaDNARA&oe=65917B8F	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409722383_1400748830854232_3387931507606239173_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4PUlbF8x1I8AX-BNeJU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfALDnVDTT_TjZik_F2I5GFx5ogmFB5Jd_ZLVQvsljnhWQ&oe=659154FB			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
66994	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/14/25, 4:18 PM	1703760160	1749935900		67		683098360327500		1.4371639972232E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	91318443534		0	MCC Theater			6518629715392		mcctheater.org	Learn more		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}	{{product.description}}	https://mcctheater.org/tix/the-connector/#book?Social_Media&Meta_Display&THE_CONNECTOR		1703194230	91318443534	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410820981_332210749671862_6514959929804483448_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XADQwrEfUgoAX87w15M&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-5UkogQO8fquB65e2fhg9EcVDi5A3PCcPAYI_oY4XeQ&oe=65923A55	person_profile	0	MCC Theater	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412433990_1019177566044009_5439132062892352244_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XSrOoYyV5qQAX-BB4L2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDdO1cIx-nyvO5-GGV8p3Y_F2BkZKjfUCFwE9JD9YeYKQ&oe=65920F51			0	3	&#123;&#123;product.brand&#125;&#125;		MCC Theater		19795	https://facebook.com/mccnyc	0		LEARN_MORE						1703145600		View Edit Delete
68120	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	4/13/25, 9:41 PM	1703760167	1744598464		67		381728377687683		2.0897465891648E+14		1703318400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	100293226489497		0	Fane Wood			120202216185200123		enjoyab.com	Learn more		NONE	video	The Return of the War Legate		https://enjoyab.com/nr_land_page/4224.html?language=en&timestamp=1699963857358&channelCode=NAENF1000047&bid=21000205112&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}		1702310359	1.002932264895E+14	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410234586_797044925766796_7424241174578589937_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZepZSiQXqE8AX9pZi2C&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA_wxAcfxyxBE83pfH_aPlLKy8sXjDte8BzBvCIxudLkQ&oe=65932442	person_profile	0	Fane Wood	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410002824_1028835445007540_139356636346995992_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=glBjWcturGQAX9wLDGQ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDH9SKqRICY7W6DW-F5gCAhpJDvXXlUc0sdukhnL-6mug&oe=6591EFE1			0	3	After seven years of bloodbath, the most decorated soldier returns to the capital.“Whatever was taken from me, I will take back a thousand fold!”<br /> Chapter 1<br /> Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.<br /> <br /> Something astounding happened.<br /> <br /> A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.<br /> <br /> The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”<br /> <br /> “Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.<br /> <br /> A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.<br /> <br /> The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. <br /> <br /> This man was a legend. <br /> <br /> “General Summers, have you found out what happened?” Adrian Xander stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.<br /> <br /> Seven years ago, he left the Xander family behind in Swallowston. Adrian’s father, Henry Xander, was a merchant and had established the Paraiso Group, the biggest corporation in Swallowston. Unfortunately, his father passed away after catching an incurable disease. <br /> <br /> To ensure that Adrian takes over Paraiso, Henry arranged a fiancee for him so that he would wed and start his own family. But the day after his wedding to Samantha Cowell, Adrian’s grandfather, Harold Xander, used his position as his guardian to pull some strings so Adrian, who was not yet eighteen, was shipped off to the army base at the border.<br /> <br /> It was the most dangerous location to be at.<br /> <br /> What Harold hoped was that his grandson would not return from the border so he could obtain Paraiso and give it to his two other sons. He never expected Adrian to return. <br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Daniel Summers, the general, replied, “Your father’s company has been bought over by the Xander Group. Currently, your eldest uncle is running it. Your grandfather is the chairman.”<br /> <br /> “Just as I predicted. My father’s company is now theirs.” Adrian smirked. <br /> <br /> Harold’s favorite had always been Adrian’s eldest uncle, but Adrian never thought that his grandfather would go to such lengths for him.<br /> <br /> Daniel said, “It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday today and there will be a party at Xander Manor. Your mother and sister will be in attendance. Do you plan on going?”<br /> <br /> “Tell him that the war legate will be personally attending his birthday celebration to wish him a happy birthday.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That evening, at Xander Manor.<br /> <br /> It was Harold Xander’s seventieth birthday. There were three tables ladened with food in the dining area.<br /> <br /> Harold sat at the head of the table and was surrounded by his family.<br /> <br /> “Grandfather, this is a crystal statuette of Zeus I got for you. It’s worth four thousand dollars.”<br /> <br /> “Father, I got these tea leaves from the highlands, and they’re worth four thousand and five hundred dollars.”<br /> <br /> Everyone started presenting their gifts to him.<br /> <br /> Harold nodded. “Thank you all.”<br /> <br /> “Father, can you lend me some money, please? Adaline is in university and I need a bit more to pay her tuition.”<br /> <br /> Someone’s question ended the wholesome scene. Everyone looked toward the mother and daughter at the corner of the room.<br /> <br /> It was Adrian’s mother, Rue Blanchet. The woman in her twenties sitting next to her, was Adrian’s sister, Adaline.<br /> <br /> Rue had not planned on borrowing money from Harold, but her daughter got into a famous university and she needed more money for the tuition fees.<br /> <br /> “Rue Blanchet, did you bring your daughter along just to borrow money?”<br /> <br /> “It’s Father’s birthday today. Not only did you not bring a present, but you’re also asking for money?”<br /> <br /> “The family pays for all your food and lodging, and you’re asking for more money?” Cecilia White, the elder daughter-in-law spoke.<br /> <br /> Everyone frowned and looked annoyed too.<br /> <br /> “Rue, you don’t borrow money from someone on their birthday. You’ll ruin the celebration.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly, Rue. How much of our family’s money have you spent already?”<br /> <br /> Tears welled up in Rue’s eyes as she was assaulted by everyone’s angry taunts. She did not want to borrow money from them, but she was a single mother. She was not capable of paying the fees.<br /> <br /> Rue started crying and said, “Father, I beg you. Adaline tried so hard to get into a good university and Adrian is not around. I can’t let her down!” Rue begged and almost got to her knees.<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. You’re such a killjoy!” Leonard Xander, the eldest of the Xander siblings, said in disgust.<br /> <br /> Everyone present was disgusted at Rue’s request, but they had forgotten that the Xanders would not have become who they were now if not because of Paraiso.<br /> <br /> “Father, I’m begging you. Please help me…” Rue’s face was covered in tears and she got on her knees.<br /> <br /> “Mother!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Adaline stepped forward to grab her mother and angrily said, “Why are you kneeling? Can you have some self-respect? If they don’t want to lend us the money, forget it. We don’t need their money.”<br /> <br /> Adaline was crying too.<br /> <br /> Ever since her father’s death, she no longer lived a lavish life. She had nothing left.<br /> <br /> Her brother, Adrian, disappeared seven years ago and could not be contacted. Her grandfather then stole her father’s Paraiso Group.<br /> <br /> Harold had always favored his two older sons. Following Henry’s death, he mistreated Rue and Adaline, so why would these two ask him for money?<br /> <br /> “Get up!” Adaline yelled out through her tears. She did not want to see her mother in such a situation.<br /> <br /> However, Rue refused to get up for the sake of Adaline’s education. She said, “Father, please. Henry is no longer with us, but Adaline is still your granddaughter.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Harold frowned.<br /> <br /> He took over Paraiso to make the Xander family stronger. He was afraid of Adrian’s return or Adaline doing well after she finished her studies. If either of them made it in life, they would surely take revenge on the Xanders.<br /> <br /> Harold knew that his two older sons were not particularly bright, so he had to lay things out for them.<br /> <br /> “We’ll talk about this another day. It’s my birthday today. I don’t want to deal with this.”<br /> <br /> Upon hearing that, Rue grew anxious and planned to continue begging.<br /> <br /> Adaline cried and said, “Mother, get up. Stop begging them. I’d rather not go to university than be treated like this!”<br /> <br /> Neither Leonard nor any of the other family members planned to help.<br /> <br /> Henry, the third son, was already deceased. His widow and daughter were looked down upon.<br /> <br /> But suddenly…<br /> <br /> “Father, good news, good news!”<br /> <br /> Harold’s second son, Wilfred Xander, ran in. “Father, I just got word that the war legate is coming to see you and will be here in ten minutes!”<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> “What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.<br /> <br /> There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.<br /> <br /> The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.<br /> <br /> “Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”<br /> <br /> “Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”<br /> <br /> “Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”<br /> <br /> The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.<br /> <br /> “The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”<br /> <br /> Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?<br /> <br /> The Xanders were overjoyed.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “Father, the legate is almost here. We need to prepare for his arrival. Should we kick this pair out so that he doesn’t see the shame of the family?” Cecelia said that as she looked toward Rue and Adaline.<br /> <br /> Leonard chimed in, “Cecelia is right. The legate is coming, and we have to welcome him properly. Rue, please take your daughter and leave at once. Don’t bring shame upon us. If the legate gets angry, our family might not survive. This isn’t a joke.”<br /> <br /> Rue stood there, stunned. She just wanted to borrow some money. But instead of getting any, she was humiliated.<br /> <br /> When Adaline heard them, she said, “Mother, let’s go. We’re not welcome here.”<br /> <br /> Rue’s face was covered in tears because she felt devastated and helpless. She had two children. She failed to protect her eldest, Adrian, and his whereabouts were unknown.<br /> <br /> Her daughter, on the other hand, managed to get into university, but she had no money for the tuition.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Henry. I’ve let the children down,” Rue cried. She shuddered, remembering her husband’s dying wish.<br /> <br /> “Why are you still crying here? You’re disgusting. Leave. Now!” When Leonard saw her crying, his anger rose.<br /> <br /> Though the legate was not there yet, how could she be crying at their father’s birthday party?<br /> <br /> He walked forward to shove the mother and daughter.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> But at that moment, before Leonard could shove her, someone rushed over and threw a mean punch to his face.<br /> <br /> “Argh!”<br /> <br /> The fist connected with Leonard’s face and a few teeth went flying.<br /> <br /> Before the Xanders realized what was happening, a man was standing before Rue and Adaline. The man was tall, brawny, and had a fierce demeanor.<br /> <br /> “Who are you?!” Wilfred, Harold’s second son, yelled.<br /> <br /> “Take a good look and you’ll know.”<br /> <br /> The young man turned around and walked toward the Xanders. Everyone took a good look and was overcome with anxiety because they recognized him.<br /> <br /> “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Everyone was shocked. They never imagined that Adrian would show up and hit Leonard in the face.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored them and turned to face Rue and Adaline. The three looked at each other and Rue was stunned.<br /> <br /> Why did this tall, muscular man look so much like her son who went missing seven years ago?<br /> <br /> No, it was not just a lookalike, it was really him!<br /> <br /> “Adrian!” Rue exclaimed as she started tearing up. She spread her arms wide and ran over to him, locking him into a tight hug. Adrian hugged her back as his heart warmed.<br /> <br /> “I’m home, Mother,” Adrian said, “I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.”<br /> <br /> “You’re alive? You’re actually alive?” Rue caressed Adrian’s face.<br /> <br /> There was a long ongoing war at the border and Adrian had gone missing. She tried to look for him at Wellborough over the years, but no one knew where he went. She thought that he had died.<br /> <br /> “I’m alive,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> “You’re so much taller and stronger now,” Rue said.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded.<br /> <br /> After letting go of his mother, he spread his arms as he walked over to his sister. “Adaline, your brother is back.”<br /> <br /> He wanted to give her a warm hug, but what he got instead was a slap to the face.<br /> <br /> Adaline scolded him, “You ungrateful prick! How dare you return! Do you know how much Mother has suffered through the years?! Where were you when everything happened?!”<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Adaline, stop that. Your brother must have his reasons.”<br /> <br /> Adrian’s heart ached. He knew that his sister would not forgive him.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian did not say anything more to Rue and Adaline. He turned around to face the Xanders once more. Then, he smirked.<br /> <br /> Leonard nursed his face as he got up from the floor and yelled, “Adrian, how could you hit me?! I’m your uncle!”<br /> <br /> “Why not?” Adrian raised his hand and gave Leonard a slap.<br /> <br /> That threw Leonard back to the floor again.<br /> <br /> Everyone was stunned, including Rue and Adaline. They never thought that Adrian was such a ruthless man.<br /> <br /> Leonard stood up again and took a step back, not daring the step forward anymore.<br /> <br /> Adrian scoffed. “Grandfather, you keep coddling your two older sons and even gave them what your third son built. They’ve enjoyed it for years, so I think it’s time I take everything back.”<br /> <br /> Harold frowned. Though he was not sure how Adrian had survived, he was furious at Adrian’s accusational tone.<br /> <br /> Harold said coldly, “Adrian, don’t you have any respect for your grandfather? How could you hit your uncle? Tell me, what have you achieved after these seven years?”<br /> <br /> Leonard was still covering his face. “Father, there’s no need to talk to him. The war legate will be here at any moment. We need to kick them out.”<br /> <br /> Harold suddenly remembered this, and it was clear that the legate was his top priority. He immediately said, “Take your mother and sister with you and leave. We have to attend to an important person. We have no time for you.”<br /> <br /> Adrian looked at them. “Seeing as you’re my grandfather, I’ll give you a month to prepare.<br /> <br /> “After that, you shall return to me the Paraiso Group that belonged to my father, or I will tear down the Xanders. Remember. One month.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.<br /> <br /> There was no reason for him to stay any longer.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Everyone burst out laughing.<br /> <br /> “Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.<br /> <br /> “Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.<br /> <br /> The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.<br /> <br /> After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Harold was worried.<br /> <br /> He came and left? Why?<br /> <br /> He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”<br /> <br /> “No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.<br /> <br /> Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?<br /> <br /> “Father, my guess is that the legate got here, saw Adrian and his family, then left because he was upset,” Leonard said, still holding his face.<br /> <br /> “He must think that we’re a bunch of ruffians after seeing Adrian hit Leonard, so he left,” Cecelia and the others chimed in.<br /> <br /> Harold angrily thumped his chest and howled, “Adrian, you&#039;re a curse to this family!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian, Rue, and Adaline arrived home.<br /> <br /> The house was not very big—just a two-bedroom house. Even though it was old, it was spotless.<br /> <br /> “Mother, have you stayed here all this time?” Adrian asked as he looked around.<br /> Rue nodded. “Son, after you were shipped off, your grandfather took away Paraiso from us and tied it to the Xander Group. You know that I’m not good with business and don’t know much about culture, so your uncle, Leonard, took the house. He’s staying there now.”<br /> <br /> Henry, Adrian’s father, had left behind a mansion upon his death.<br /> <br /> Adrian took a deep breath. He was unaware that his mother and sister had a tough life.<br /> <br /> “Where have you been?” Rue asked.<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Rue was a woman, so she might not be able to accept that her son was the War Legate. He decided to bring up his real identity when he got a better chance in the future.<br /> <br /> Adrian said, “I couldn’t come back because Wellborough was under siege, but I’m back now. I won’t let you or Adaline suffer anymore.”<br /> <br /> Rue smiled happily. He was her son. There was finally a man in the house to support them.<br /> <br /> “I hope that you’re good enough,” Adaline said coldly, then stormed off to her room.<br /> <br /> “Adaline—”<br /> <br /> Rue wanted to call her back, but Adrian stopped her. He then said, “She hates me, so there’s no point arguing with her over it. I’ll explain to her over time.”<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. Her son had not been back in seven years. Only she as his mother would not hate him. Adaline held a huge grudge.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> “By the way, Mother, where’s Samantha?” Adrian suddenly asked.<br /> <br /> Samantha Cowell was his wife. She married him when she was nineteen, but the day after their wedding, Adrian was sent away to war and they lost contact.<br /> <br /> Samantha was from the Cowell family of Swallowston. Her grandpa, John Cowell, was close friends with Henry Xander.<br /> <br /> John and Henry were the ones who had arranged Adrian and Samathan’s marriage.<br /> <br /> “The child had it tough too,” Rue said, “Soon after your wedding, her grandfather passed away. I told her to remarry, but she said that she will stay loyal to her husband. She said that she’s your wife and that she will stay that way.<br /> <br /> “Her grandmother insisted that she remarry, but she rejected it. That made her family kick her out.”<br /> <br /> Adrian sighed. Samantha was a silly woman that had been waiting for him all this time.<br /> <br /> Rue continued, “After that, she started a company with her friend and it was doing quite well. Our lives got better, but something happened to her company recently, so she’s still at the office.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, go pick her up. She’ll be delighted to see that you’re back.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. She was someone he owed a lot to for being a single married woman for the past seven years. After their wedding, they spent only two short days together, so Adrian had not even touched her yet.<br /> <br /> These seven years must have been hard for her.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> That night, at the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> Bailar was a small fashion company that was co-founded by Samantha and her best friend, Joanna DuPont.<br /> <br /> Adrian got to the building and looked up, feeling excited. After seven years, he was not sure how to face Samantha.<br /> <br /> It was late at night and all the employees had left. The entire building was dark. Only the lights in one of the offices were still on.<br /> <br /> He guessed that it was Samantha’s office and that she was working overtime.<br /> <br /> “I’m here, Sam.” He was excited.<br /> <br /> When he stepped into the office, two men in suits suddenly walked out from the shadows.<br /> <br /> “The office is closed. Which department do you work in? Why are you here at this hour?” The men stopped him.<br /> <br /> Adrian paused, then looked at them.<br /> <br /> They seemed like good fighters and were not the building’s security. Rue had told him that the company was not capable of hiring security guards.<br /> <br /> “I’m here to see someone,” Adrian replied.<br /> <br /> The men looked at each other. One of them said, “At this hour? Here to see Samantha Cowell I presume? She’s the only one here, after all.”<br /> <br /> Adrian was surprised because the bodyguards seemed to be paying special attention to Samantha.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> The bodyguards said, “She’s having a chat with Mr. Devin. The company is closed right now. No one is allowed to enter.”<br /> <br /> Adrian paused. How was this possible? Rue said that Samantha had been waiting for his return. Was it all just a show?<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian was annoyed because Samantha was not loyal to him.<br /> <br /> She was meeting a man so late at night?<br /> <br /> So much for Rue appreciating her.<br /> <br /> He took a deep breath and walked forward.<br /> <br /> “Are you deaf or do you want to get a beating?” The two men grew angry.<br /> <br /> They were Devin Williams’ bodyguards and had been instructed to guard the building entrance. They rushed over because Adrian insisted on going in.<br /> <br /> But in the blink of an eye, the two bodyguards were howling in pain as they fell to the ground.<br /> <br /> “I’m coming for you, Samantha Cowell.” Adrian stepped over the two men and continued walking.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.<br /> <br /> Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?<br /> <br /> Adrian went up to the office.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.<br /> <br /> A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.<br /> <br /> That was Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.<br /> <br /> That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”<br /> <br /> The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.<br /> <br /> The man was Devin Williams, the owner of the Williams Group that was a part of Alyanz.<br /> <br /> He had always wanted Samantha for himself but she had rejected him multiple times. He had worked together with the cousin of Alyanz’s chairman to force Samantha into a corner.<br /> <br /> They made Samantha donate her company away.<br /> <br /> “Here’s the agreement. There’s no longer any debt between us.” Samantha stood up when she saw Devin enter and handed the agreement to him. “After midnight, the company will be yours.”<br /> <br /> “But before that, you need to leave!” she yelled as she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> Devin did not leave, but instead walked over to the couch and took a seat.<br /> <br /> He lit up a cigarette. “Ms. Samantha, you know what I want isn’t your company. What I want is you.”<br /> <br /> Devin was obsessed with Samantha’s figure, and his kink was that he was into married women. He knew that Samantha was married and her husband used to be well-known in Swallowston.<br /> <br /> “I’ve given you what you want, so stop dreaming. Besides, I’m married.” Samantha stood up and packed her things.<br /> <br /> If he was not going to leave, she would. The man disgusted her.<br /> <br /> However, Devin said, “Your deadbeat husband is probably dead. Samantha, I’m showing you respect. If I don’t, you’d be nobody.”<br /> <br /> He blocked Samantha’s path of exit.<br /> <br /> Samantha wanted to ignore him and yelled, “Get out of my way!”<br /> <br /> Devin took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do? You’re not going to win this, Samantha Cowell.<br /> <br /> “I have connections throughout Swallowston. Even the legate who arrived today dined with me. There’s no one more powerful than me in this city.”<br /> <br /> Devin did not even wince as he lied. He never met the legate anyway.<br /> <br /> Samantha did not want to entertain him so she tried to push him away. However, before she could, a voice rang out.<br /> <br /> “The legate dined with you? I don’t remember doing that.”<br /> <br /> There was a bang and the door was kicked open. Adrian walked in.<br /> <br /> Devin saw him and immediately frowned. “Who are you? Have you met the man?”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Adrian ignored Devin and walked up to Samantha.<br /> <br /> She saw someone enter and was curious about who it was, so she took a closer look at him. She could not recognize him as the last time she saw him was seven years ago, and she had only spent two days with him.<br /> <br /> Adrian recognized her though. He would always remember her face.<br /> <br /> “Samantha, do you remember me?” Adrian asked as he touched her face.<br /> <br /> Samantha was surprised. She took a good long look at him after he said that.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a flash of recognition went through her mind and she froze. “A-Adrian?”<br /> <br /> Samantha recognized the healthy-looking face and familiar expressions. It was her husband, Adrian Xander!<br /> <br /> She started tearing up.<br /> <br /> “Sam, it’s me, I’m back.” Adrian excitedly said.<br /> <br /> Samantha was shocked. Her tears started falling and she covered her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. This was the man that she had been thinking about day and night.<br /> <br /> Seven years. It had been seven years!<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you ashamed to come back?” Samantha suddenly slapped him and said through her tears.<br /> <br /> Adrian felt a mix of emotions and did not know what to say. He felt guilty and blamed himself. Samantha had done a lot for his family, but he had suspected her of cheating on him.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry, Sam,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Samantha took a deep breath. She thought that her life would pass just like that and that she would forever be a widow while taking care of her mother-in-law and making money to send her sister-in-law to university. She never imagined that her husband would one day return.<br /> <br /> “You think apologizing is good enough?!” she cried, “Adrian Xander, you’re nothing but trash! You owe me! You owe the entire family! I won’t forgive you! You left me for seven years! I will never forgive you!”<br /> <br /> Adrian never expected her to forgive him. He only hoped that he could use the rest of his life to repay her.<br /> <br /> He said, “Sam, go home. I’ll settle this and go home to you. You can then hit me and yell at me all you want. I won’t retaliate.”<br /> <br /> Samantha took a look at Devin, paused, then turned and walked out of the office. <br /> <br /> ***<br /> After she left, Adrian’s face fell. He turned to face Devin.<br /> <br /> Devin understood what was going on and smiled. “I know. You’re Henry Xander’s son, Adrian. Samantha’s husband.”<br /> <br /> “You want to sleep with my wife?” Adrian asked.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha!” Devin threw his head back and laughed. “I’m glad you know. I’m part of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. I’m pretty powerful around these parts. We even managed to take Samantha’s company away from her, but what are you going to do about it?<br /> <br /> “I have an in with the war legate too. Your wife is lucky that I’m interested in her.”<br /> <br /> Devin had heard of Adrian. Ever since Henry’s passing, the family fell apart. Adrian was sent away to the army at the border and did not seem to have made any improvements since then.<br /> <br /> When Adrian heard Devin’s proud tone, he laughed. “The war legate huh? Sure. I’ll show you who the real war legate is.”<br /> <br /> He then pulled out his phone. “General Summers, bring some men to the Bailar Group.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.<br /> <br /> After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.<br /> <br /> Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.<br /> <br /> “Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”<br /> <br /> He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.<br /> <br /> Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.<br /> <br /> Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.<br /> <br /> Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of the biggest bank in Swallowston, and some of the most affluent men in the city. There were more than a dozen people.<br /> <br /> “Get on your knees!” Daniel commanded and Devin fell to his knees in fright as his body shook.<br /> <br /> Daniel was the right-hand man to the strongest warrior. Swallowston was under the state of Dragonshire, and Dragonshire’s battle warrior was Lucas Jenner. Lucas was the protector of Swallowston.<br /> <br /> What did Devin do to offend such an important person? His face fell as he looked up with fear in his eyes.<br /> <br /> Daniel walked over to Adrian and said, “What are your orders, Legate?”<br /> <br /> “What? Legate?”<br /> <br /> No way.<br /> <br /> Devin was devastated and started falling apart. He cried and knocked his head on the floor repeatedly. “Le-Lagate, I’m so sorry for offending you! Please spare me!”<br /> <br /> His skull almost cracked open. He had no clue that Adrian was the war legate, and he had actually lied to Adrian about having a meal with him.<br /> <br /> “From now on, this person will cease to exist in Swallowston,” Adrian said to Daniel as he stood up.<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir,” Daniel replied.<br /> <br /> Adrian meant to have Devin killed. Why would he let off the man who tried to sleep with his wife while he was not around?<br /> <br /> Devin lost his mind and knocked his head on the ground so hard he started bleeding. “Please spare me, Legate. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed through his tears, his voice filled with regret.<br /> <br /> Daniel ordered Devin pinned down to the floor and Adrian did not pay him any attention. He said to Daniel, “Procure the Bailar Group. I’ll tell you what to do with it later.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Adrian walked out without saying another word.<br /> <br /> Daniel and the influential people of Swallowston all bowed and said, “Goodbye, Legate!”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Meanwhile, after exiting the building, Samantha paused at the doors.<br /> <br /> She was worried about Adrian, but when she remembered how he had left her for seven years, her heart broke. That was why she did not stay and went straight home.<br /> <br /> If he could not even take care of Devin Williams, what was the point of him coming back?<br /> <br /> Bailar would no longer belong to her anyway.<br /> <br /> “You’re home, Sam. Come, wash your hands, and have some food.”<br /> <br /> Rue had food ready for her when she got home.<br /> <br /> Samantha shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry, so I won’t be eating. I’m really tired. I&#039;m going to take a shower.”<br /> <br /> Her mind was filled with the thought of Adrian and could not cheer up. On top of that, Bailar was going to be taken over. She was about to lose her income and company. She would be like a worm trying to get by.<br /> <br /> How could she cheer up?<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she did not know what to say.<br /> <br /> Adaline, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and spoke to Samantha. “Sam, have you seen Adrian? He went to the office to find you.”<br /> <br /> Samantha nodded. “I did, but I don’t want to deal with him.”<br /> <br /> She then went into her bedroom to get her clothes and got into the shower.<br /> <br /> Adaline did not say anything because she felt the same way.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> Soon after that, Adrian returned.<br /> <br /> When he saw Rue and Adaline in the living room, he asked, “Mom, is Sam back?”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded. “Yes, she’s asleep.<br /> <br /> “Adrian, she may hate you for disappearing for years, but don’t hold it against her.”<br /> <br /> Rue knew that her daughter-in-law had been through a lot and had paid for Adaline’s studies and their spending with her earnings from Bailar.<br /> <br /> What woman would do such a thing? Who would be willing to help her husband’s sister? Any other woman would probably have remarried.<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled and said, “She must feel terrible after losing Bailar, but it’s fine. Things will improve now that I’m back.”<br /> <br /> Rue nodded.<br /> <br /> However, Adaline glared at Adrian and then scoffed. “If you really had power, you would have gone to Celine and gotten the company back. Otherwise, shut up!”<br /> <br /> “Celine? Who’s that?” Adrian did not know this person.<br /> <br /> Rue chided Adaline. “Don’t say that, Ada. Celine is a busy woman. Don’t get your brother in trouble.”<br /> <br /> Adaline scoffed and rolled her eyes.<br /> <br /> Adrian looked toward Rue and asked her who Celine was.<br /> <br /> Rue replied, “Celine Blanche is the president of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce. Alyanz is the biggest chamber of commerce in Swallowston. She’s also Devin Williams’s cousin. She was the one who worked with Devin to bankrupt Samantha’s company.<br /> <br /> “Celine has planned for an agreement signing event tomorrow. I’m guessing that Sam will attend it because, based on her personality, she won’t accept defeat.”<br /> Rue sighed. “However, Alyanz is very powerful. There’s no way to win against them.”<br /> <br /> After hearing that, Adrian understood what happened.<br /> <br /> Devin wanted to teach Samantha a lesson, so he got help from Celine to tear down Bailar.<br /> <br /> Adrian nodded. “All right, I will destroy Alyanz by tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point of saying that? I haven’t seen you achieve anything in the past seven years,” Adaline said with a disgusted look on her face. She then got up and went to her room.<br /> <br /> Rue said, “Ada, Adrian’s your older brother. You can’t say that.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. This is all my fault,” Adrian said.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed. She did not know what to say. She spoke to Adrian a little, then cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.<br /> <br /> Adrian made a call. “General Summers, inform the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce that the war legate will be attending their agreement signing event tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, sir.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 6<br /> Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.<br /> <br /> “Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”<br /> <br /> ***<br /> The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.<br /> <br /> When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”<br /> <br /> He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.<br /> <br /> “Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.<br /> <br /> Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.<br /> <br /> Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.<br /> <br /> “Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.<br /> <br /> Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty much useless. Is this all you’re capable of?”<br /> <br /> Adrian smiled sadly but did not say anything in return.<br /> <br /> Samantha sat down and spoke to Rue. “Mother, I’ll be heading to Alyanz later to find Celine. I want to get my company back. Ada will be going off to university soon. We can’t s		Fane Wood		2255	https://facebook.com/100095108408459	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
66874	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/11/25, 10:58 AM	1703760160	1746979121		67		2255767944771320	1	7.0790011810271E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	116181331772906		0	Kumon			120205360836840216			Call Now		NONE	image	Kumon	Kumon Math and Reading Center CHARLOTTE - CARMEL WEST			1703272368	1.1618133177291E+14	Kumon	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412681706_368209302423034_611880388801581131_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ay1GeglBkqUAX8is-av&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCfbDBVCaOn_otgJFx8f1TNj_Ekl4Lw9AcdtsiRJN8fGA&oe=6592A38B	person_profile	0	Kumon Charlotte, Peyton Ding	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412685976_295615646282362_1606836782933906723_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5EJjpTs9rzMAX_AVfl3&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA6EyaUSwXYWzKV75P0mPv4ybWHApmMioaNK0JtOe6rIw&oe=65918437			0	3	Kumon Carmel West hosted its 2023 Annual Awards Ceremony at the Charlotte Latin School to recognize their students for their achievements in academic excellence! Contact Mr. Peyton &#064;704-877-2005 today to learn more about how you can give your child an academic advantage in school and beyond.<br /> #kumon #tutoring #tutor #reading #english #learning center #english help #math help #advance study #Pre-K #Kindergarten #phonics #whole word language #kumon near me		Kumon		63	https://facebook.com/KumonOfCharlotteCarmelWest	0		CALL_NOW						1703232000		View Edit Delete
68536	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/21/25, 1:29 AM	1703760171	1750487381		67		802719534940305	2	3.5706944564777E+15		1701849600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	131952903330419		0	Kalostv-short drama			120201092022740773		website.kalostv.com	Learn more		NONE	video	❤️‍🔥Click to watch more about📜<Love Born From A Contract>📜		https://website.kalostv.com/share/middle/s1zyyxshudwq0tjet0qt2b0k?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1701754431	1.3195290333042E+14	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406401317_1350409692509897_331776278601623537_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E2iD-QLOi2EAX_qYS_W&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBMUCM7QU7ABPT8QNWwkubK1hItD3d2QwZzMDel4Dhfyw&oe=65924ABF	person_profile	0	Kalostv-short drama	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406384830_369547825469949_6521802724901743099_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wwv4YEHWb7EAX_IDZ09&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA9tx8xhj7MVCeG6Ae0tB7D3uBMZ9qIHaSusNYfRPZMgg&oe=6591CB81			0	3	❤️‍🔥The Billionaire went abroad for treatment because of childlessness. But he saw a shrunken version of himself on the plane. He roared surprisingly, &quot;where&#039;s your mom!&quot;<br /> 👉Click to watch more about📜&lt;Love Born From A Contract&gt;📜		Kalostv-short drama		4996	https://facebook.com/61551551210077	0		LEARN_MORE						1701763200		View Edit Delete
68146	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/30/25, 6:41 PM	1703760167	1743378081		67		862650988887812	1	1.2788335961373E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	110625302121558		0	LeNovel2			120202498184970278		www.yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	video	🔞Click to Read more about📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜		https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/frvn5lvohvrthsitgifr1wsj?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702287794	1.1062530212156E+14	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406845557_734638518530534_9048535078287778600_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F25sDICzbQEAX8SogU0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKoih5M6YoxG06diw2Qsx3Uw7B0VcnoqBn9IIj6sZnmg&oe=6592BF4F	person_profile	0	LeNovel2	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408516034_1038470447485149_6722910769805071036_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rlwuOIgSrmgAX99DdVj&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAWWmIiMpLC7b0N1iUcUBYeeAyp66Tqv-wPNqH4rHIQ1g&oe=65923C65			0	3	After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------<br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!<br /> Install the APP to search for the title &quot;<br /> The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife”🤩🤩		LeNovel2		188	https://facebook.com/100095229736776	0		LEARN_MORE						1702281600		View Edit Delete
67300	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	3/30/25, 6:49 PM	1703760162	1743378593		67		232777803177342	1	3.7364827190796E+14		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	111185688900179		0	PUNCHY'S			6547521492166		punchys.com	Shop now		NONE	carousel	PUNCHY'S		https://punchys.com/collections/womens-apparel		1702930509	1.1118568890018E+14	PUNCHY'S	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410727328_902634031509545_2941752541419944764_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pm3uyhL_dCUAX8pTe_U&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDIBFj9VnlYd6wnR_he-x-g2v2xPgOYHFd6XMQ88uQJdA&oe=6592ED89	person_profile	0	PUNCHY'S	https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/410725646_1174005053569580_5832001784143683315_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SzXFbI12CXMAX_VcNC9&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBeMGTJjYd_xaJsofl2qjB3itXokVyT41vuyVgb2MgGbA&oe=6591D302			0	3	Be bold. Be classic. Be PUNCHY. Shop now and elevate your style game. #ModernMeetsSouthwest 🌵🌟<br /> <br /> Shop new arrivals now!		PUNCHY'S		41644	https://facebook.com/ShopPunchys	0		SHOP_NOW						1702886400		View Edit Delete
66550	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/2/25, 9:42 PM	1703760158	1748918553		67		900259818155670	1	1.5658625375781E+15		1703664000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120201972485980590		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	click and read more		https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703664097	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414139891_1352134715677086_1099933114916963978_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BcSKdTWiqmQAX8f10rr&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCVavKcjLspUaGP3InFANsrYatoAcdITBxRJ4VrIH-Nww&oe=65922A55	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/415242199_928123788747283_4555807839335637544_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ty5hK5lwBH8AX9gbPt5&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDCuuyjXc73qlyFUxUsh7LnNWXK5o3guRBTfFfAubU0g&oe=6591482E			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703664000		View Edit Delete
68248	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/14/25, 10:18 PM	1703760168	1749957536		67		313279621600797	1	2.1112128925591E+15		1702281600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	108258998739587		0	I Did not know			120204382438680288		thegigglezone.com	Learn more		NONE	image	30+ Illustrations Show The Reality Of Women	You know how sometimes a cartoon perfectly captures a complicated feeling? That's exactly what these talented female comic artists do. We found them all on Instagram, and they immediately made us hit the Follow Button. Take the Illustrator of Curves, who celebrates the diversity of women's bodies, J...	https://thegigglezone.com/koen/nobody-understands-women-better-than-these-female-cartoon-artists		1702053761	1.0825899873959E+14	I Did not know	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408686344_1012177693225917_3709286236160414222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=48Ki8P92wGYAX_WSQjG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWz4YGvg-KrTmXsyD8BNrY9eEBlONdnAnZEJoWtCjW7w&oe=6591D400	person_profile	0	I Did not know	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/408634419_1083686616106616_3262048168890593898_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fgrf3ORoTuEAX8_hCKM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCiWSpQ-Md1-ssPj5mw7NNjcl19yTXsYN5QQh2JdB9vSA&oe=6592B65C			0	3	Nobody understands women better than these female cartoon artists		I Did not know		8217	https://facebook.com/100087007873665	0		LEARN_MORE						1702108800		View Edit Delete
70107	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/15/25, 10:42 AM	1703760179	1750002126		67		265513712772593	2	1.3070654597916E+15		1700640000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101489936134366		0	OasisStory			120201626143470439		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🔞 Click to read on📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/l2m0lxpbeeid1m2nid2prnlf?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1700551882	1.0148993613437E+14	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404849479_305238769072151_2631758222430336671_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=L3x285NCRS4AX_tv_o6&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBaeqJJe6LbHmQyQ3LLNfvgFx1zjZnYoLWRzEQHEI-nFA&oe=659283C0	person_profile	0	OasisStory	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404584526_1700710733740828_2865500859543200717_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DnSXy3yPOi0AX-_fNXs&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDmn4bbNB6FymAl72-FlNGi0MXb6xwl9QfT0Hi-vhvGA&oe=65930BE8			0	3	🌶🌶🌶After their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene.<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. It had been four years.<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> Until four years later, Joanna came back with her sons and another man.<br /> Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.<br /> Inside a house, a man said coldly, &quot;sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony.&quot;<br /> &quot;Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?&quot; asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.<br /> &quot;Roxy&#039;s back, and she doesn&#039;t want to see you! It&#039;s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!&quot; Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.<br /> Joanna&#039;s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, &quot;You&#039;re divorcing me because she&#039;s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?&quot;<br /> &quot;You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she&#039;s back, I won&#039;t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.&quot; Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.<br /> &quot;I... What will happen if I don&#039;t sign them?&quot; Joanna asked bitterly.<br /> &quot;Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.&quot;<br /> As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?<br /> Two years ago, Joanna&#039;s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.<br /> However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna&#039;s step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other.<br /> The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group&#039;s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.<br /> Roxanne Haynes&#039; mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.<br /> Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law.<br /> Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.<br /> Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.<br /> Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.<br /> The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna.<br /> Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.<br /> So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She&#039;d had enough anyway!<br /> &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll sign them, but I have a request.&quot;<br /> &quot;Spit it out then!&quot; Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!<br /> After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.<br /> &quot;I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you&#039;ve been with me, you&#039;ve called out Roxanne&#039;s name. Yeah, you&#039;ve made me feel like I&#039;m the worst woman in the world, and I&#039;ve had enough! I&#039;m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!&quot; For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger.<br /> Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!<br /> &quot;Oh, stop the nonsense. There&#039;s someone waiting for me downstairs...&quot;<br /> Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.<br /> Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!<br /> &quot;She can wait a little longer. She&#039;s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don&#039;t mind the media writing stories about me again!&quot;<br /> Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, &quot;Fine, I&#039;ll do it. But don&#039;t you regret it, Joanna!&quot;<br /> Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.<br /> And then...<br /> Her stockings were ripped apart...<br /> The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!<br /> &quot;AH!&quot; Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!<br /> Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.<br /> He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!<br /> Good! Very good!<br /> She would remember this, remembering the man&#039;s cruelty to her for the rest of her life.<br /> &quot;Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?&quot;<br /> He finally called her name as he was on top of her.<br /> Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.<br /> Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, &quot;Bruce Everett! I won&#039;t love you anymore!&quot;<br /> Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!<br /> She was... beautiful!<br /> This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.<br /> That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.<br /> &quot;Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!&quot;<br /> Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.<br /> Two months later...<br /> In a hospital.<br /> &quot;Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!&quot;<br /> Giving up?<br /> No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!<br /> It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna<br /> Four years later.<br /> In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn&#039;t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!&quot;<br /> Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, &quot;Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can&#039;t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don&#039;t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!&quot;<br /> Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.<br /> Raymond, Shaun&#039;s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.<br /> He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.<br /> In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.<br /> Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond&#039;s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.<br /> So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.<br /> However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!<br /> No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.<br /> &quot;The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!&quot;<br /> Shaun&#039;s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.<br /> Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna&#039;s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.<br /> She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.<br /> Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.<br /> &quot;Dad, Mom, Grandpa&#039;s awake!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... my Joanna...&quot; Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.<br /> And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.<br /> Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.<br /> &quot;Dad, aren&#039;t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann... Let me see Joann. You won&#039;t get a penny before that...&quot;<br /> Ingrid shouted in a low voice, &quot;It&#039;s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she&#039;s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?&quot;<br /> A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne&#039;s eyes, and she couldn&#039;t help but ask, &quot;Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?&quot;<br /> Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.<br /> Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!<br /> Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.<br /> And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.<br /> It had been four years!<br /> Still, Bruce didn&#039;t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn&#039;t need any of them!<br /> She just disappeared from his world completely.<br /> &quot;Joann... Joann!&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, come on, Grandpa&#039;s dying! Go get the doctors...&quot;<br /> The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond&#039;s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!<br /> They were crying, not for Raymond&#039;s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!<br /> Tap, tap, tap...<br /> From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!<br /> Creak.<br /> The door of the ward was pushed open.<br /> The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more.<br /> She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.<br /> &quot;Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s me. I&#039;m here to see my grandpa!&quot; Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.<br /> &quot;Joanna!&quot; The others all gasped.<br /> She had changed so much.<br /> Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!<br /> What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!<br /> &quot;Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don&#039;t show up...&quot;<br /> For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, grandpa. I&#039;m sorry I&#039;m late!&quot;<br /> &quot;Joann,&quot; Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, &quot;I&#039;m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved...&quot;<br /> With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!<br /> Beep!<br /> The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond&#039;s death!<br /> &quot;Grandpa? Grandpa!&quot; Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br /> She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!<br /> &quot;Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it&#039;s time to talk about inheritance, you came?&quot; said Shaun&#039;s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.<br /> He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond&#039;s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!<br /> &quot;Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!&quot; said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. &quot;Joann, now that you&#039;re back, move back home!&quot;<br /> Ingrid&#039;s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, &quot;That&#039;s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you&#039;re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.&quot;<br /> Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!<br /> By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid&#039;s full control.<br /> Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, &quot;I don&#039;t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, yeah, you&#039;re right on this. Raymond&#039;s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.&quot;<br /> <br /> ##Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm<br /> It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond&#039;s body.<br /> Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others.<br /> &quot;Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!&quot; Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this.<br /> Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. &quot;Thanks, but I drove here.&quot;<br /> The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.<br /> Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce&#039;s arm affectionately, saying, &quot;Joann, why don&#039;t you move back in with us? At least, you don&#039;t have to be alone, and...&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!&quot; Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking.<br /> Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd.<br /> &quot;It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.&quot;<br /> Bruce did not reply.<br /> During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.<br /> The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family.<br /> Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life.<br /> &quot;Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.&quot; Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.<br /> &quot;Mom, what are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she&#039;s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren&#039;t many girls as smart as her anymore.&quot;<br /> Bruce somehow was a little upset. &quot;Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?&quot; said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter&#039;s promising husband-to-be.<br /> Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...<br /> Having watched Bruce&#039;s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, &quot;It&#039;s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce&#039;s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna&#039;s back, what are we gonna do?&quot;<br /> Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.<br /> She had it all well-designed six years ago.<br /> First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce&#039;s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.<br /> After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law&#039;s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.<br /> Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.<br /> Bruce actually slept with Joanna.<br /> And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.<br /> Thinking of this, Ingrid said, &quot;I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man&#039;s dead, let&#039;s see who can stand up for her this time&quot;<br /> &quot;But mom...&quot; Roxanne was still worried.<br /> Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.<br /> The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.<br /> Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first...&quot;<br /> Ten days later, it was Raymond&#039;s funeral.<br /> It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.<br /> Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.<br /> After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.<br /> &quot;I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.&quot;<br /> &quot;Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she&#039;s the director of the Haynes Group. That&#039;s impressive!&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha! So what? She&#039;s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn&#039;t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.&quot;<br /> Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, &quot;May I have your attention, please? First of all, I&#039;d like to thank you all for coming to Raymond&#039;s funeral, and...&quot;<br /> A reporter cut in, &quot;Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?&quot;<br /> Ingrid paused before replying, &quot;I&#039;m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man&#039;s word alone can&#039;t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mrs. Haynes, why isn&#039;t Joanna here on such an important day?&quot;<br /> &quot;Ha, that&#039;s the question you should ask her...&quot;<br /> While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.<br /> A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.<br /> &quot;Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm&#039;s car!&quot; The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.<br /> Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm.<br /> There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.<br /> He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company&#039;s control.<br /> Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.<br /> The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.<br /> &quot;Wow, it&#039;s really Mr. Grimm!&quot; The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.<br /> After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.<br /> &quot;Is this...? Wow, it&#039;s Joanna Haynes!&quot;<br /> &quot;You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?&quot;<br /> As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.<br /> The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.<br /> And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone&#039;s interest.<br /> --------------------------------------------------------<br /> There are limited chapters to put here, click the button below to continue reading 📜The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife📜<br /> (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)		OasisStory		2960	https://facebook.com/100087803393468	0		LEARN_MORE						1700553600		View Edit Delete
67920	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/10/25, 6:09 AM	1703760165	1749553745		67		3617487821903838	1	3.275751234646E+14		1702454400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	124627240725435		0	Lereader-Favorite novel			120201411464700044		yumread.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Read the full version 👉Le retour de son ex-femme inégalée	À l'intérieur d'une maison, un homme dit froidement: "Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire."	https://www.yumread.com/share/middle/dxokajkex4yifdkndq5j5qva?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1702458239	1.2462724072544E+14	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409717300_744385547023898_8601431042710668503_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2j4ZOyoUbJcAX8P5a-y&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfBUZo6gXY8Qrf_xzxIFnTcAakaE2xog2OvkZlKvNFp3Ag&oe=6591C135	person_profile	0	Lereader-Favorite novel	https://scontent.fcps3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/409733300_962503028822689_4119507948842435556_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8A1rJ-IllhoAX9KOAaU&_nc_ht=scontent.fcps3-1.fna&oh=00_AfCJCVLe5XvNDMKG2PzKUY7tVH-BJ3qTdxGfCQyFV58uHA&oe=65923DD8			0	3	🔞🔞🔞Après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Joanna allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène.<br /> De façon inattendue, le lendemain, Joanna a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 100 millions de dollars.<br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Cela faisait quatre ans.<br /> Elle vient de disparaître complètement de son monde.<br /> Jusqu&#039;à quatre ans plus tard, Joanna est revenue avec ses fils et un autre homme.<br /> Même s&#039;ils étaient divorcés, Bruce se sentait toujours trompé et même trahi<br /> ***<br /> Il était minuit et les gouttes de pluie martelaient la fenêtre.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;intérieur d&#039;une maison, un homme dit froidement: &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce! En compensation, je te donnerai 100 millions de dollars de pension alimentaire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ai-je encore fait quelque chose de mal, Bruce?&quot; demanda timidement Johanne Fontaine. Elle avait toujours été une humble servante devant lui.<br /> <br /> &quot;Roxane est de retour, et elle ne veut pas te voir! Il est temps que notre mariage prenne fin. Alors tu dois partir!&quot; dit Bruce Chevalier en croisant ses longues jambes et en s&#039;adossant au canapé. Il était aussi beau qu&#039;une sculpture grecque cltootshieique, mais son regard était toujours aussi froid.<br /> <br /> Les lèvres pâles de Johanne frémissent comme si elle était tombée dans l&#039;eau glacée. Elle demanda avec surprise: &quot;Tu divorces parce qu&#039;elle est de retour? Notre mariage n&#039;est-il qu&#039;une plaisanterie pour toi?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tu n&#039;étais pas celle que je voulais épouser au départ, et tu as fait fuir Roxane il y a deux ans avec tes sales coups. Maintenant qu&#039;elle est revenue, je ne ferai pas la même erreur. Dépêche-toi de signer les papiers! Quatre-vingts millions de dollars pour deux ans de ta vie pathétique. Tu devrais considérer que c&#039;est une bonne affaire&quot;. Bruce avait toujours été doué pour la blesser avec des mots.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je... Que se ptootshieera-t-il si je ne les signe pas?&quot; demanda amèrement Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fais comme tu veux. J&#039;ai des moyens de te faire disparaître. Légalement ou non, personne ne le remarquera.&quot;<br /> <br /> En tant qu&#039;héritier de la famille la plus riche de la ville de Greyport, Bruce avait toujours été capable de faire ce qu&#039;il voulait. Qui oserait lui tenir tête de toute façon?<br /> <br /> Il y a deux ans, la famille de Johanne a décidé de se lier à celle des Chevalier par le mariage.<br /> <br /> Cependant, lors du banquet de fiançailles de Bruce et Roxane, la demi-sœur de Johanne, l&#039;homme a été drogué. Plus tard dans le salon, ce dernier a confondu Johanne avec Roxane, et ils ont couché ensemble!<br /> <br /> Le lendemain, le scandale de la relation entre la fille aînée du groupe Fontaine et son beau-frère fait la une des journaux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;état mental de Roxane Fontaine s&#039;est dégradé et elle a été envoyée dans une maison de repos à l&#039;étranger pour y être soignée.<br /> <br /> Tout le monde a pris Johanne comme la briseuse de ménage la plus éhontée, la pointant du doigt pour avoir couché avec son beau-frère!<br /> <br /> Bruce la détestait encore plus et a décidé que c&#039;était Johanne qui l&#039;avait drogué et avait grimpé sur son lit.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, la famille Chevalier et la famille Fontaine partagent une amitié depuis des générations. Ce mariage devait d&#039;ailleurs permettre d&#039;approfondir ce lien.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, les aînés des deux familles, Raymond Fontaine et Marguerite Chevalier, ont insisté pour que Bruce et Johanne se marient.<br /> <br /> Les deux dernières années de mariage avaient été un enfer pour Johanne!<br /> <br /> Sa tolérance et son affection n&#039;ont pas amélioré la situation. En retour, elle a eu droit à davantage d&#039;humiliations et de tortures. Johanne est épuisée, tant mentalement que physiquement.<br /> <br /> Et si Bruce voulait divorcer? Elle en avait tootshieez de toute façon!<br /> <br /> &quot;Bien, je les signerai, mais j&#039;ai une demande à faire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crache le morceau alors!&quot; Bruce croyait que Johanne pensait à plus d&#039;argent!<br /> <br /> Après tout, c&#039;est ce qui l&#039;intéressait, elle, la femme intrigante.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je veux que tu couches avec moi comme un vrai amoureux, pour une fois. Ces deux dernières années, chaque fois que tu as été avec moi, tu as prononcé le nom de Roxane. Oui, tu m&#039;as fait sentir que j&#039;étais la pire femme du monde, et j&#039;en ai tootshieez! Je suis ta femme, et je veux que tu cries mon nom en faisant l&#039;amour avec moi pour la dernière fois. Je suis Johanne, pas Roxane!&quot; Pour la première fois, Johanne poussait des cris hystériques et tremblait de colère!<br /> <br /> À chaque fois au cours des deux dernières années, Bruce a délibérément prononcé le mauvais nom! Il avait des relations sexuelles avec elle uniquement pour la punir et l&#039;humilier. Il n&#039;y avait aucun amour là-dedans!<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, arrête tes bêtises. Quelqu&#039;un m&#039;attend en bas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Johanne s&#039;ébroua d&#039;un rire moqueur.<br /> <br /> Alors c&#039;était probablement Roxane qui l&#039;attendait en bas!<br /> <br /> &quot;Elle peut attendre encore un peu. Cela fait deux ans qu&#039;elle attend, et je pense qu&#039;elle peut être tootshieez patiente pour quelques minutes de plus. Fais ce que j&#039;ai dit ou pas. C&#039;est comme tu veux. Cela ne me dérange pas que les médias écrivent à nouveau des histoires sur moi!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce détestait le plus être menacé. Ses lèvres fines se retroussèrent en un ricanement. Quelques secondes plus tard, il répondit: &quot;Bien, je vais le faire. Mais ne le regrette pas, Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce se redressa d&#039;un coup, la saisit par le chemisier et la tira violemment.<br /> <br /> Et puis...<br /> <br /> Ses bas ont été déchirés...<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme ne lui a même pas donné d&#039;avertissement avant de lui faire du mal!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah!&quot; s&#039;écria Johanne en fermant les yeux de douleur!<br /> <br /> Bruce était aussi impitoyable que jamais, presque cruel.<br /> <br /> Il ne s&#039;est jamais soucié de savoir si cela lui faisait du mal ou non. Ou peut-être que le fait de la voir souffrir lui plaisait tout simplement!<br /> <br /> Bien! Très bien!<br /> <br /> Elle s&#039;en souviendrait, se remémorant la cruauté de cet homme à son égard pour le reste de sa vie.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne. Ah, Johanne. Es-tu heureuse maintenant?&quot;<br /> <br /> Il finit par l&#039;appeler par son nom alors qu&#039;il est sur elle.<br /> <br /> Bien que ce fût toute une humiliation, elle put enfin se débarrtootshieer de la dépression qui l&#039;avait hantée pendant deux années entières.<br /> <br /> Johanne sentit des larmes couler sur ses joues alors qu&#039;elle disait d&#039;un ton navré: &quot;Bruce Chevalier! Je ne t&#039;aimerai plus!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce avait entendu ce qu&#039;elle avait dit mais avait choisi de l&#039;ignorer. Il attrapa sa mâchoire avec mépris, baissa les yeux sur son visage et ricana!<br /> <br /> Elle était belle!<br /> <br /> Cette femme avait un visage si joli et si innocent, mais son esprit était rempli de saletés et de stratagèmes.<br /> <br /> C&#039;était pourquoi son soi-disant amour pour lui ne ferait que le rendre malade.<br /> <br /> &quot;Signe les papiers du divorce, prends l&#039;argent, et quitte Greyport pour toujours!&quot;<br /> <br /> Après avoir dit cela, Bruce est parti sans se retourner, la laissant allongée sur le sol, en mauvais état.<br /> <br /> Deux mois après...<br /> <br /> Dans un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Félicitations, Mme Fontaine, vous êtes enceinte de plus d&#039;un enfant. Mais je vous suggère d&#039;abandonner un ou deux des fœtus, sinon il y aura trop de risques!&quot;<br /> <br /> Abandonner?<br /> <br /> Non, elle n&#039;enlèverait le droit de vivre à aucun de ses enfants!<br /> <br /> C&#039;était ses bébés et seulement les siens! D&#039;une manière ou d&#039;une autre, elle allait les mettre au monde et les élever correctement...<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> Quatre ans plus tard!<br /> <br /> Dans l&#039;unité de soins intensifs d&#039;un hôpital.<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolé, nous avons tout essayé, mais Raymond ne va pas mieux. Vous devriez rentrer et lui dire adieu!&quot;<br /> <br /> Shaun Fontaine fronce les sourcils, inquiet, et dit: &quot;Doc, pourriez-vous essayer quelque chose d&#039;autre? Si mon père ne peut pas survivre, tous les biens de la famille Fontaine seront légués au gouvernement... oh, que faire... aucun d&#039;entre nous n&#039;a vu Johanne au fil des ans. Bon sang, et mon père aussi. Nous ne savons pas à quoi il pensait. Comment a-t-il pu ignorer ses petits-fils qui l&#039;accompagnent tous les jours tout en se souciant uniquement de cette misérable fille qui est la mienne!&quot;<br /> <br /> Tout le monde dans la famille Fontaine était misérable ces jours-ci.<br /> <br /> Raymond, le père de Shaun, a rédigé un étrange testament sur son lit de mort.<br /> <br /> Il a laissé 51% du Groupe Fontaine à sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne. Quant aux autres membres de la famille Fontaine, ils n&#039;hériteraient que de 10 %.<br /> <br /> Autrement dit, Johanne deviendrait la plus importante actionnaire du Groupe Fontaine.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, selon la condition supplémentaire du testament, si Johanne ne se manifeste pas avant la mort de Raymond, toutes les propriétés de la famille Fontaine iront directement à l&#039;État.<br /> <br /> Ainsi, la famille Fontaine cherchait désespérément Johanne depuis quelques jours.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, c&#039;était comme si Johanne avait disparu du monde!<br /> <br /> Personne n&#039;a jamais entendu parler d&#039;elle et ne l&#039;a jamais vue une seule fois depuis qu&#039;elle et Bruce ont divorcé.<br /> <br /> &quot;De mon point de vue, cette fille fait tout simplement exprès de s&#039;opposer à nous! Personne ne sait où elle est allée pendant toutes ces années!&quot;<br /> <br /> La seconde épouse de Shaun, Ingride Fontaine, jurait furieusement, et son visage se tordit un peu.<br /> <br /> À l&#039;époque, elle, avec les jumeaux dans le ventre, a expulsé la mère de Johanne et Johanne de la famille. Puis Ingride a donné naissance à son troisième fils, pensant que sa position dans la famille était absolument tootshieurée.<br /> <br /> Elle ne s&#039;était jamais attendue à ce qu&#039;elle n&#039;aurait rien à la fin.<br /> <br /> De ses trois enfants, le vieil homme préférait toujours cette fille Johanne.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, maman, grand-père est réveillé!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... ma Johanne...&quot; Raymond était dans le coma depuis plus d&#039;une douzaine de jours. Ses heures étaient comptées.<br /> <br /> Et avant sa mort, sa seule préoccupation était pour sa petite-fille aînée, Johanne.<br /> <br /> Johanne avait disparu depuis quatre ans, et cela inquiétait tellement Raymond. Il soupçonnait même Ingride d&#039;avoir en quelque sorte tootshietootshieiné sa petite-fille bien-aimée.<br /> <br /> &quot;Papa, Derick, Rayan et Roxane ne sont-ils pas tous tes petits-enfants? Ton testament n&#039;est pas juste! Tu ne leur laisses pratiquement rien! Ils pourraient tout aussi bien sortir dans la rue et mendier pour vivre si tu insistes pour tout donner au gouvernement!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Laisse-moi voir Johanne. Tu n&#039;auras pas un sou avant ça...&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a crié à voix btootshiee: &quot;Cela fait quatre ans, Raymond! Qui sait où elle est allée? En plus, si elle tient vraiment à toi, comment peut-elle ne pas venir te voir pour la dernière fois?&quot;<br /> <br /> Une pointe d&#039;impatience traverse le regard de Roxane, et et elle ne peut s&#039;empêcher de demander: &quot;Bruce, sais-tu où est ptootshieée ma sœur?&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce s&#039;est figé parce qu&#039;il ne connaissait pas la réponse à cette question.<br /> <br /> Il y a quatre ans, après leur divorce, Bruce pensait que Johanne allait continuer à le harceler ou au moins faire une scène!<br /> <br /> Contre toute attente, le lendemain, Johanne a déménagé. Elle n&#039;a emporté avec elle que ses papiers d&#039;identité, pas même la carte bancaire qui contenait 8 millions de dollars.<br /> <br /> Et pendant ces quatre années, il n&#039;y avait eu aucune nouvelle d&#039;elle. Bien sûr, aussi fier que soit Bruce, il ne l&#039;a jamais contactée non plus.<br /> <br /> Cela faisait quatre ans!<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Bruce ne croyait pas qu&#039;elle se laisserait aller si facilement! Il avait préparé tant de plans pour se débarrtootshieer d&#039;elle lorsqu&#039;elle se présenterait. Pourtant, il s&#039;est avéré qu&#039;il n&#039;avait besoin d&#039;aucun d&#039;entre eux!<br /> <br /> Elle a complètement disparu de son monde.<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne... Johanne!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, vas-y, grand-père est en train de mourir! Va chercher les médecins...&quot;<br /> <br /> Le moniteur ECG a indiqué à tout le monde que le cœur de Raymond s&#039;arrêtait de battre. En larmes, les membres de sa famille se sont rtootshieemblés autour du lit!<br /> <br /> Ils pleuraient, non pas la mort prochaine de Raymond, mais pour les biens qui allaient être légués!<br /> <br /> Tape, tape, tape...<br /> <br /> Du couloir de l&#039;hôpital est venu le bruit des talons hauts!<br /> <br /> Craquer.<br /> <br /> La porte de la salle a été poussée.<br /> <br /> Celle qui est entrée portait un costume blanc fait sur mesure! Elle tenait dans ses mains une Hermès en édition limitée, et des lunettes de soleil surdimensionnées couvraient la majeure partie de son visage! Ses jambes fines sont déjà tootshieez longues, mais les chaussures à talons hauts les mettent encore plus en valeur!<br /> <br /> Elle est entrée avec le genre d&#039;ambiance de beauté glacée, semblant faire baisser la température dans la salle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Qui est cette femme? La connaissions-nous? Qui l&#039;a autorisée à être ici?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est moi. Je suis ici pour voir mon grand-père!&quot; Johanne enleva lentement ses lunettes de soleil et se dirigea vers le lit!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne!&quot; Les autres haletèrent tous.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tellement changé!<br /> <br /> Ses longs cheveux noirs qu&#039;elle avait l&#039;habitude de garder lisses étaient devenus bruns bouclés. Il avait l&#039;habitude d&#039;atteindre sa taille, mais maintenant le bout dansait autour de son épaule. Elle avait complètement changé de la gentille fille d&#039;à côté à une femme de carrière mature et sexy!<br /> <br /> Ce qui est encore plus remarquable, c&#039;est que Johanne est apparue beaucoup plus mince qu&#039;auparavant. Elle mesurait un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, mais semblait peser à peine quatre-vingt-dix kilos! Entre-temps, l&#039;innocence de cette paire de grands yeux s&#039;était également vidée. Il suffisait de la regarder dans les yeux pour comprendre qu&#039;elle avait dû vivre beaucoup de choses ces dernières années!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne? Oh, enfin, Johanne! La famille Fontaine sera ruinée si tu ne te montres pas...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pour la première fois, tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient si heureux de revoir Johanne!<br /> <br /> &quot;Je suis désolée, grand-père. Je suis désolée d&#039;être en retard!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne,&quot; Raymond cria et ouvrit à peine les yeux,&quot; je suis heureux que tu sois saine et sauve. Oh, je peux enfin être soulagé...&quot;<br /> <br /> Sur ce, Raymond tendit la main, mais la seconde suivante, sa main retomba faiblement sur le lit, sa tête pencha et ses yeux se fermèrent!<br /> <br /> Bip!<br /> <br /> L&#039;ECG bipait, déclarant la mort de Raymond!<br /> <br /> &quot;Grand-père? Grand-père!&quot; cria Johanne, les larmes coulant sur ses joues.<br /> <br /> Elle savait que son grand-père était le seul Fontaine qui se souciait d&#039;elle!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, allez, arrête ces fausses larmes! Tu aurais été là depuis longtemps si tu t&#039;étais soucié de ton grand-père! Maintenant qu&#039;il est temps de parler d&#039;héritage, tu es venu?&quot; dit Derick, le fils aîné de Shaun. Le sarcasme dans son ton était évident.<br /> <br /> Il n&#039;avait jamais pris Johanne comme sa sœur aînée, et maintenant qu&#039;elle était la plus grande bénéficiaire de l&#039;héritage de Raymond, Derick la détestait encore plus!<br /> <br /> &quot;Ça suffit. Appelle quelqu&#039;un et organise d&#039;abord les funérailles&quot;, dit Shaun. Raisonnablement affligé, il tapote l&#039;épaule de Johanne.&quot; Johanne, maintenant que tu es de retour, reviens à la maison!&quot;<br /> <br /> Les lèvres d&#039;Ingride se retroussèrent avec dédain, mais elle disait joyeusement: &quot;C&#039;est ça, viens vivre avec nous ! De plus, ton grand-père a fait un testament sur son lit de mort. Il veut que tu hérites de 51 % du Groupe Fontaine! La maladie a dû lui embrouiller le cerveau. Comment a-t-il pu laisser une entreprise aussi importante à une fille qui n&#039;y connaît rien? Johanne, tu es encore jeune et naïve. Laisse ton père continuer à diriger l&#039;entreprise!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride a dit cela comme si Johanne était censée suivre ses instructions. Au fond d&#039;elle-même, elle était convaincue que cette dernière était aussi stupide que sa salope de mère!<br /> <br /> Au moment où Johanne reviendrait dans leur maison, elle serait sous le contrôle total d&#039;Ingride!<br /> <br /> Johanne est restée sans expression. Elle dit froidement: &quot;Je ne veux pas penser à cela maintenant. Je veux juste m&#039;occuper de grand-père d&#039;abord!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, oui, tu as raison sur ce point. L&#039;enterrement de Raymond est la chose la plus importante maintenant. Tout le reste peut être remis à plus tard!&quot;<br /> <br /> ..............................................................................<br /> C&#039;était en fin d&#039;après-midi après que la maison mortuaire ait récupéré le corps de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Johanne est sortie de l&#039;hôpital avec les autres!<br /> <br /> &quot;Où habites-tu? Mon chauffeur te ramènera!&quot; dit Bruce. Sa voix était un peu rauque parce que Johanne ne lui avait pas adressé la parole une seule fois avant cela!<br /> <br /> Johanne sourit poliment et serre les clés de la voiture dans sa main. &quot;Merci, mais c&#039;est moi qui ai conduit jusqu&#039;ici!&quot;<br /> <br /> Le regard indifférent sur son visage donnait l&#039;impression qu&#039;elle était simplement polie envers un parfait inconnu.<br /> <br /> Pourtant, Roxane a compris que Bruce était en train de draguer Johanne. Son visage s&#039;est tootshieombri et, rapidement, elle a pris affectueusement le bras de ce dernier en lui disant: &quot;Johanne, pourquoi ne reviendrais-tu pas vivre avec nous? Au moins, tu ne seras pas seule, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est plus facile pour moi de rester dans un hôtel. Au revoir!&quot; Johanne a poliment fait un signe de la main et s&#039;est dirigée vers le parking souterrain!<br /> <br /> Bientôt, une Bentley argentée est sortie du parking et a démarré en trombe devant la foule!<br /> <br /> &quot;Il semble que ma sœur ait bien vécu ces dernières années! Elle pouvait profiter d&#039;une vie si riche sans aucune aide de la famille!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a pas répondu.<br /> <br /> Pendant les quatre années d&#039;absence de Johanne, Bruce n&#039;a pas épousé Roxane. De plus, pendant cette période, il s&#039;est rendu compte que cette dernière n&#039;était tout simplement pas celle qu&#039;il lui fallait.<br /> <br /> La seule raison pour laquelle il n&#039;a pas rompu avec Roxane était à cause de sa famille. La famille Fontaine était riche, mais ce n&#039;était rien comparé à la famille Chevalier. Cependant, les aînés des deux familles étaient des amis proches! C&#039;est pourquoi la famille Chevalier avait toujours pris soin de la famille Fontaine!<br /> <br /> À part cela, il y avait une autre raison cruciale. Il y a dix ans, Bruce a failli se noyer en nageant, et c&#039;est Roxane qui l&#039;a sauvé! Depuis lors, il a juré qu&#039;il aimerait et protégerait cette fille pour le reste de sa vie!<br /> <br /> &quot;Johanne a toujours fait des efforts depuis qu&#039;elle est toute petite ! Elle est intelligente et douée avec les hommes ! Tu vois ses beaux vêtements et sa voiture ? Elle a dû se mettre en ménage avec un homme riche ! Contrairement à elle, Roxane, tu es toujours stupide et innocente, et les gens essaient tous de profiter de toi!&quot; Ingride semblait faire l&#039;éloge de Johanne, mais il n&#039;était pas difficile de comprendre ce qu&#039;elle sous-entendait.<br /> <br /> &quot;Maman, de quoi parles-tu?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, je veux juste que tu apprennes de Johanne. Tu vois comme elle se débrouille bien? Les filles comme elle ne nous inquiètent jamais, où qu&#039;elles aillent. Il n&#039;y a plus beaucoup de filles aussi intelligentes qu&#039;elle!&quot;<br /> <br /> Bruce était en quelque sorte un peu contrarié.&quot; Ingride, Roxane, je dois y aller. J&#039;ai une réunion importante ce soir.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oui, bien sûr. Conduis prudemment, d&#039;accord?&quot; dit Ingride avec un sourire flatteur, de peur d&#039;offenser le futur mari prometteur de sa fille!<br /> <br /> Bruce n&#039;a rien dit de plus, s&#039;est retourné et est monté dans une voiture...<br /> <br /> Après avoir vu la voiture de Bruce quitter les lieux, Roxane tape du pied de colère. Elle se plaint: &quot;Tout est de ta faute, maman! Tu n&#039;aurais jamais dû mettre cette salope de Johanne dans son lit il y a six ans! Il n&#039;a plus jamais parlé de m&#039;épouser! Et maintenant qu&#039;elle est de retour, qu&#039;est-ce qu&#039;on va faire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride grince des dents. Ce dont sa fille se plaignait était ce qui lui faisait le plus de peine.<br /> <br /> Elle avait tout bien conçu il y a six ans.<br /> <br /> D&#039;abord, elle a drogué Johanne. Puis elle a envoyé la jeune fille directement dans la chambre de Bruce, convaincue que ce dernier était trop ivre pour faire quoi que ce soit.<br /> <br /> Après cela, Ingride a informé un groupe de Paparazzi, leur suggérant d&#039;écrire un drame sur la façon dont Johanne s&#039;est jetée dans les bras de son beau-frère. Elle s&#039;attendait à ce que cette fille soit privée de son droit d&#039;héritage après avoir déshonoré la famille.<br /> <br /> Mais elle ne se doutait pas que cela se retournerait contre elle.<br /> <br /> Bruce a en fait couché avec Johanne.<br /> <br /> Et puis les choses lui ont échappé. Sous la pression de Raymond Fontaine et de Marguerite Chevalier, Bruce finit par épouser Johanne.<br /> <br /> En pensant à cela, Ingride dit: &quot;Je l&#039;ai fait pour toi, petite sotte. Bon sang, tout ça à cause de ton grand-père! Ce vieux con a toujours favorisé cette salope de Johanne! EEh bien, maintenant que le vieux est mort, voyons qui peut défendre la petite pute cette fois-ci!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Mais maman...&quot; Roxane était toujours inquiète.<br /> <br /> Même si Bruce avait été bon avec elle pendant des années, elle pouvait voir la frigidité dans ses yeux.<br /> <br /> L&#039;homme a rarement souri depuis qu&#039;il a divorcé de Johanne.<br /> <br /> Au fil des ans, il était devenu totalement un bourreau de travail. Il fallait parfois trois ou deux mois à Roxane pour le voir une fois.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ne t&#039;inquiète pas. Cette idiote de Johanne est aussi stupide que sa défunte mère! Nous sommes en train de nous éloigner d&#039;elle. Pas avant qu&#039;elle ne renonce d&#039;abord à sa part d&#039;héritage...&quot;<br /> <br /> Dix jours plus tard, c&#039;était l&#039;enterrement de Raymond.<br /> <br /> Il pleuvait bruine. Tous les membres de la famille Fontaine étaient arrivés au cimetière sauf Johanne. En plus de cela, les meilleures personnes de Greyport se sont également présentées pour rendre hommage.<br /> <br /> Sans parler des journalistes qui se rtootshieemblaient devant le cimetière.<br /> <br /> Après tout, Raymond Fontaine était un gros bonnet à Greyport. Alors, bien sûr, ses funérailles étaient bien ciblées.<br /> <br /> &quot;J&#039;ai entendu dire que Raymond voulait que la fille aînée de la famille Fontaine hérite du Groupe Fontaine.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, mon dieu, cette fille est vraiment astucieuse. Elle a séduit son beau-frère il y a six ans et a forcé sa sœur à partir. Puis elle est devenue celle qui s&#039;est mariée dans la famille Chevalier à la place de sa sœur, et maintenant elle est la directrice du Groupe Fontaine. C&#039;est impressionnant!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha! Et alors? C&#039;est juste une garce intrigante. Elle a été mise à la porte par la famille Chevalier, n&#039;est-ce pas? Une telle femme est tout simplement dégoûtante!&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride était folle de joie en entendant les chuchotements de la foule. S&#039;efforçant de maintenir le regard triste sur son visage, elle a dit: &quot;Puis-je avoir votre attention s&#039;il vous plaît? Tout d&#039;abord, je voudrais tous vous remercier d&#039;être venus aux funérailles de Raymond, et...&quot;<br /> <br /> Un journaliste intervint: &quot;Madame Fontaine , est-il vrai que Johanne va prendre la relève du Groupe Fontaine en tant que nouvelle dirigeante?&quot;<br /> <br /> Ingride marqua une pause avant de répondre: &quot;Je ne vais pas être dérangé par d&#039;autres choses en ce jour extrêmement pénible. Mais pour une entreprise aussi grande que le Groupe Fontaine, la parole d&#039;un seul homme ne peut faire effet. Nous avons besoin d&#039;une réunion du conseil d&#039;administration pour choisir le bon directeur exécutif!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Madame Fontaine, pourquoi Johanne n&#039;est-elle pas là un jour si important?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha, c&#039;est la question que vous devriez lui poser...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pendant qu&#039;elle parlait, à l&#039;extérieur du cimetière vinrent soudain des bruits de moteurs.<br /> <br /> Une longue Rolls-Royce pénétrait dans le cimetière, suivie d&#039;une flotte de Mercedes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Regardez cette plaque d&#039;immatriculation. Il semble que ce soit la voiture de M. Grimm!&quot; Les journalistes sont tout excités et se précipitent vers la Rolls-Royce.<br /> <br /> Oui, cette Rolls-Royce appartenait à Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Il y avait deux jeunes hommes riches bien connus à Greyport. L&#039;un d&#039;eux était Bruce Chevalier, et l&#039;autre était Jayden Grimm.<br /> <br /> Deuxième fils du magnat des casinos de la ville de Venturas, il dirigeait également une société de divertissement appelée Starlight Media. Plusieurs nouvelles stars du showbiz étaient des artistes sous le contrôle de sa société.<br /> <br /> Contrairement à Bruce, qui gardait un profil bas, Jayden avait toujours été un homme de publicité.<br /> <br /> Les portes de la Rolls-Royce s&#039;ouvrirent lentement et Jayden sortit le premier.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, c&#039;est vraiment M. Grimm!&quot; La presse s&#039;avance comme des mouches qui hument le sang.<br /> <br /> Après que Jayden soit sorti de la voiture, il s&#039;est tourné de l&#039;autre côté et a aidé une femme vêtue de noir à sortir de la voiture comme un vrai gentleman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Est-ce...? Wow, c&#039;est Johanne Fontaine!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;C&#039;est une blague. Que faitGrimm avec une femme comme elle?&quot;<br /> <br /> Comme ils étaient tous étonnés, un à un, sont sortis deux adorables gosses vêtus de minuscules costumes noirs.<br /> <br /> Les garçons doivent avoir entre 3 et 4 ans.<br /> <br /> Et cela a fait l&#039;effet d&#039;une bombe, suscitant l&#039;intérêt de tous!		Lereader-Favorite novel		281	https://facebook.com/61550573436554	0		LEARN_MORE						1702454400		View Edit Delete
69049	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	5/2/25, 5:30 PM	1703760173	1746225025		67		1872998099764028	1	3.5173681754097E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	298516343584252		0	Monica Murphy			120202351764520268		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	🏈 Sports Romance FREE in Kindle Unlimited		https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZJZ6RQF?maas=maas_adg_BF9FDB4C01CA75B337EF8CB2858ECFD1_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas		1701106075	2.9851634358425E+14	Monica Murphy	https://scontent.ftpf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/404711407_158402494028088_8185392459489839721_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cGIeSuFruFAAX98o_Hj&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpf1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDui0VJbaiaAkgdm2R-IQdN3uqO9Let8DgRvmPiuYoNxA&oe=65932430	person_profile	0					0	3	Joanna, a reserved junior at Colorado University, lives a life far removed from the spotlight, preferring the quiet lanes of academia to the uproarious fame of campus sports. But her world tilts on its axis when Knox Maguire, the star offensive tight end and a campus legend, strides into her bookstore sanctuary. In him, she sees everything she vowed to avoid—a mirror of her athlete father, a man she has cut out of her life.<br /> <br /> Yet, fate has other plans. Thrown together by chance, Joanna becomes Knox&#039;s unlikely English tutor, an assignment that sparks a forbidden attraction. Each session blurs the line between professionalism and a smoldering desire that even the hushed corridors of the library can&#039;t contain. Knox, known for his player persona, finds himself genuinely captivated by Joanna&#039;s quiet strength and sharp wit, challenging her guarded skepticism and awakening a passion she&#039;s never dared to explore.<br /> <br /> But as their academic roles tangle with unspoken emotions, Joanna is haunted by lingering doubts. Is her heart safe with Knox, or is she just another name in his playbook? Torn between the pull of desire and the fear of vulnerability, Joanna stands at a crossroads. In a world where campus fame collides with scholarly duty, can love truly conquer all, or is it destined to be another lesson learned?<br /> <br /> &#039;Playing Hard to Get&#039; is a tale of forbidden love and hidden depths, where the stakes are not just academic success, but the risk of falling hard and fast. Will Joanna and Knox&#039;s story defy the odds, or will it succumb to the pressures of a world where notoriety and quiet dreams seldom meet?		Monica Murphy		49998	https://facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor	0		LEARN_MORE						1701072000		View Edit Delete
66663	1	active	12/28/23, 4:42 AM	6/21/25, 10:24 PM	1703760158	1750562674		67		1301027530506630	1	3.0623287240943E+14		1703577600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	170171882842047		0	MetroNovel Zy 01			120207820655400777		website.metronovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife	Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."	https://website.metronovel.com/share/middle/loadzm1hdubcnxm3zufdvscv?ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign={{campaign.name}}&adgroup={{adset.name}}		1703561511	1.7017188284205E+14	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/412911453_1064725901235535_8689082810238956525_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=omF9XKks3soAX83IG6t&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDYoss2dFAXX-vZNGdaaiYsD8JH5xbxK344_-WI7mFCpw&oe=65918CE1	person_profile	0	MetroNovel Zy 01	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/414124964_1053290105930367_1481711940491223666_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i4dk24kmPa8AX8AarLk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAWlEudmnhHZRuwAksphf3p_GX7rdo2JZWxcMXvVVIVEw&oe=659193DF			0	3	Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle. He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you love it when I do such things to you? I didn&#039;t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.&quot; Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.<br /> &quot;Bruce, we&#039;re divorced.I&#039;ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.&quot;<br /> And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.		MetroNovel Zy 01		15	https://facebook.com/61553201678717	0		LEARN_MORE						1703491200		View Edit Delete